April 8 – Ronde van Calderdale

You don’t need to travel to Flanders to get a taste of the cobbled Classics, with the Ronde van Calderdale Yorkshire’s own answer to the Flandrien bergs.

Shibden Wall, one of the UK’s toughest cobbled climbs, is the highlight – 800m of cobbles with a brutal 15.3 per cent average gradient, as featured at last year’s Tour de Yorkshire – while the longer 122km route also takes in Jowler Bank among several other testing climbs.

Distance: 80km, 122km
Entry fee: £25
Website: Entry via British Cycling

May 20 – Etape du Dales

As the Dave Rayner Fund’s official sportive, the Etape du Dales showcases the best of the Yorkshire Dales – blending challenging climbing with postcard-perfect backdrops.

You will climb a total of 3,500m on the full 180km route, with Buttertubs and Fleet Moss among the classic Yorkshire ascents awaiting riders on May 20.

Distance: 98km, 180km
Entry fee: £35, £49
Website: Etape du Dales

May 20 – Etape Caledonia

Set in the heart of Perthshire, the Etape Caledonia offers 130km (81 miles) of closed-road riding surrounded by some of the most breathtaking scenery available on UK shores.

World record breaker Mark Beaumont is an ambassador for the event this year after his round-the-world exploits, with the route taking in some of his former training roads, including the renowned Schiehallion climb. You can also expect rolling hills, snow-covered peaks, and the Rannoch and Tummel Lochs.

Distance: 130km
Entry fee: from £40
Website: Etape Caledonia

June 10 – Dragon Ride L’Etape Wales

One of the UK’s toughest and most established sportives, the Dragon Ride took on a new dimension when Tour de France organisers ASO adopted it is as their own sportive and rebranded it the Dragon Ride L’Etape Wales by Le Tour de France.

It’s a mouthful, but it’s easy to see what attracted them: sweeping climbs, including the Bwlch, Rhigos, Devil’s Elbow (which is a timed ascent) and, for the longer routes, Black Mountain and Devil’s Staircase.

Add in a wide variety of route options, from 100km to 305km, and you can see why the Dragon Ride is such a popular fixture on the UK sportive calendar – and a must-ride for many British cyclists .

Distance: 100km, 153km, 230km, 305km
Entry fee: £47.50, £52.50, £57.50, £92.50
Website: L’Etape Wales

June 10 – Cheshire Cobbled Classic

As with the Ronde van Calderdale, the Cheshire Cobbled Classic takes its inspiration from the Tour of Flanders and proves you don’t need to leave the UK to tackle bone-jarring cobbles and thigh-numbing cobbled climbs.

The Corkscrew is the centre-piece, with its twisting road and 45 per cent (yes, forty-five!) maximum gradient but it’s one of just five cobbled climbs on the route with a 20 per cent grade or steeper. Swiss Hill, a former Team Sky training climb, is another.

– The UK’s 15 toughest cobbled climbs to ride –

Ten cobbled/gravel sectors feature in all, while there are three tarmacked climbs to negotiate too – 120km may seem short compared to some sportives in this list, but it’s among the toughest of the lot.

Distance: 120km
Entry fee: £29
Website: Cycle Classics

June 10 – Evans King of the Downs

Evans Cycles has a packed sportive calendar thanks to the bike retailer’s Ride It series, with events that cover the length and breadth of the country, running throughout the year and also mixing in off-road and cyclo-cross sportives among the regular road events.

The King of the Downs, in June, is one of their toughest events, with Leith Hill, Combe Lane, Box Hill, The Wall, Yorks Hill and Titsey Hill all in the mix. You can opt to ride the first three on the 98km East Loop, the latter three on the 86km West Loop or all six on the full route.

Distance: 86km, 98km, 184km
Entry fee: £30
Website: Evans Cycles

July 8 – Struggle The Moors

Sticking with Yorkshire; Struggle The Moors is one of two ‘Ride the Struggle’ events in the White Rose County – unsurprisingly, this is set in the North Yorkshire Moors, while the Struggle Dales is in the Yorkshire Dales.

So why choose the Moors? Relentless climbing and exposed moors contrast with the picturesque scenery, plus you get the chance to test your mettle on the brutally steep Rosedale Chimney ascent – 0.8 miles at an average of 14 per cent and a maximum gradient of 30 per cent. Ouch!

Distance: 177km
Entry fee: £40
Website: Ride The Struggle

July 8 – Velothon Wales

Combining a closed-roads sportive with a UCI-sanctioned pro race, Velothon Wales is part of the Europe-wide Velothon series and has three route options available to riders on July 8.

The showpiece sportive is the Velothon 140, which tackles not only Caerphilly Mountain (as the other two routes do) but also The Tumble – where a timed King and Queen of the Mountains challenge is hosted.

Distance: 60km, 125km, 140km
Entry fee: £45, £62, £69
Website: Velothon

July 15 – Chiltern 100

The Chiltern 100 sportive is the centrepiece of the Chiltern Cycling Festival, with the full Gran Fondo route tackling ten climbs in all (2,085m of ascent) on a 161km course.

Set against the backdrop of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding National Beauty, the ride offers a challenging but picturesque route with plenty of ups and downs all the way.

The festival, meanwhile, will feature a retro-inspired Velo Village, with vintage market stalls, as well as activities for all ages, rides, and live Tour de France action (featuring the cobbled stage nine) on a giant screen.

Distance: 52km, 109km, 161km
Entry fee: £36, £42
Website: Chiltern Cycling Festival

August 19 – Brecon Beacons Devil

Tackling the best of the Brecon Beacons and Radnorshire Hills, the Brecon Beacons Devil includes Wales’ highest road – Gospel Pass (549m) – and the Tumble, with the full 203km route offering 3,631m of climbing.

All three route options take in the constantly undulating and picturesque roads of the Brecon Beacons, offering some of South Wales’ best riding, regardless of the course you choose.

Distance: 80km, 110km, 200km
Entry fee: £29
Website: Drover Cycles

August 27 – Cardiff Roubaix

While the Cheshire Cobbled Classic takes inspiration from the Tour of Flanders, the Cardiff Roubaix is Wales’ answer to the Queen of the Classics, Paris-Roubaix.

Where Paris-Roubaix has the famous pavé, however, Cardiff’s answer is a pan-flat 120km route with 11 gravel/bridleway sectors to negotiate, before a grandstand finish at the Maindy Velodrome, where pro riders including Geraint Thomas and Owain Doull cut their teeth.

The event’s organisers, Cycle Classics, have three Roubaix-inspired sportives in all, with cobbled/unpaved/gravel sectors and a velodrome finale, so if Cardiff’s out of your reach you can also try Reading (August 12) or Liverpool (September 9) for size.

Distance: 120km
Entry fee: TBC
Website: Cycle Classics

September 1 – Bealach Mor

Bealach na Ba is one of Britain’s most iconic climbs – and one of the most beautiful roads in the world – snaking up the Applecross mountainside from sea level to 626m in a 10km, Alpine-like ascent.

The entire Applecross peninsula, which the 144km route showcases the best of, is brimming with stunning scenery – Loch Maree, Lochcarron and Liatach are among the highlights – but the focus here is undoubtedly Bealach na Ba. Can you tame one of Britain’s longest and toughest climbs?

Distance: 144km
Entry fee: £42
Website: Hands On Events