I always found the best sportives were the sunday club runs, challenging rides like Robs 40th up to castleton and back. Cost was approx £8 (spent on tea and cake) no petrol money involved and the speedo on the bars gave live timing and total distance. Thr company was first class too.
I dont mind sportives that donate to charity or where the procedes go to an organising club but i dont like paying £40 to line an organisations pocket.
Why do you say Sportive? Looks like a race and even says its a race- There's even a mountain TT - the only thing they dont mention is the prize list. Time limits on each stage finish outside and you're out - so no pressure there then, maybe closed roads, maybe not? Looks like a limited field size aswell. 730 Km @ 630 euros - it would be cheaper in a taxi! and that's just to enter.
I'm not saying it wouldn't be a great experience - I reckon stage 5, when you are already absolutely knackered, toiling up Col d'Izoard straight from the hotel or gym floor (depending on your pocket) would definitely be the kind of experience to stay with you for the rest of your life?
My last experience of these roads was a Baxters Tour de France trip in 92 with Kevin. We stayed at Serre Chevalier and watched the epic stage finish at Sestriere won by Chiappucci and reckoned to be one of the best tour stages of all time. The following day I passed on an opportunity to watch them go over the Galibier and rode over the Col de Lauteret and down to Bourg D'Oisans on closed roads (and I literally had the road to myself) and then up Alpe D'Huez to watch the stage finish. Thats more like it.
Its only £25 to ride the National road race on closed roads with police outriders, the whole shooting match. You have to wonder how the costs breakdown for this event?
Blimey this seems to have opened a can of worms! just posted it as a curiosity thing really, assume it's an ASO thing like the etape? Think it sounds a pretty cool thing to take part in if you had the fitness/£££. In all honesty I haven't read all the details just had a quick flick