The World's Greatest Amateur Road Races
The Tour de France inspires millions every July. These five events let you become part of the story yourself — not from behind the barriers, but from the saddle.
You don't need to win. For most riders, crossing the finish line is the achievement in itself, and the memories last far longer than the result. These events aren't just races either — they're cycling holidays. A week spent exploring local cafés, iconic climbs and mountain villages, surrounded by thousands of people who travelled across the world for exactly the same reason you did.
Here are five of the toughest, most iconic amateur road races on the calendar — and what it takes to fuel your way round each one.
Maratona dles Dolomites — Italy
Probably the most famous gran fondo on Earth. The Maratona takes in legendary Dolomite passes including Giau, Pordoi and Sella, with closed roads, thousands of riders and a ballot system just to secure a start. Expect long, sustained climbs at altitude and a genuinely electric atmosphere from start to finish.
La Marmotte — France
174 km, more than 5,000 metres of climbing, Galibier and Alpe d'Huez. No gimmicks, just one of cycling's toughest one-day challenges. La Marmotte rewards riders who pace their effort carefully across four major climbs — burn your matches too early on the Galibier and Alpe d'Huez will make you pay for it.
L'Étape du Tour — France
Every year, amateurs get to ride an actual Tour de France mountain stage. Same roads, same climbs — just without a professional peloton disappearing up the road at race pace. It's the closest most riders will ever get to experiencing the Tour from the inside.
Ötztaler Radmarathon — Austria
238 km, more than 5,500 metres of climbing and four Alpine passes. Widely considered one of the hardest amateur road races anywhere in the world, the Ötztaler demands serious training, careful pacing and a fuelling plan you can actually stick to for the best part of a full day in the saddle.
Mallorca 312 — Spain
Fast roads, Mediterranean views, perfect weather. With three route options and a full 312 km course, this has become one of Europe's biggest cycling festivals. It's a different kind of test to the Alpine classics — less relentless climbing, more sustained effort over a very long day.
Fuelling a Bucket-List Ride
Events on this scale live or die on your fuelling strategy as much as your training. Long days at altitude, in the heat, or simply on the bike for six-plus hours all place real demands on your carbohydrate intake and hydration — and getting it wrong is one of the most common reasons riders fade in the final third of these routes.
A few principles that hold across all five events:
Practise your race-day fuelling in training — never try anything new on the big day.
Front-load carbohydrates where the route allows, and keep intake steady rather than playing catch-up on the steepest sections.
Match hydration to conditions — Mallorca's heat and the Dolomites' altitude call for different strategies entirely.
Plan your feed zones around the specific climbs and distances of your chosen event.
Whichever event is on your bucket list, our Fuel App builds a personalised race-day fuelling plan based on your event, your pace and the conditions on the day — one less thing to worry about when you're stood on the start line.