How Do I Join the Classics Challenge

TheBigYin

Seems that I may have badly promoted this challenge - as it'd been going for a while, I assumed that "the regulars" would join in, as would the folks from the Winter Challenge... Sadly, it's been much quieter in the Classics than I hoped - so, when I was asked via a PM on here "how do I join the Classics Challenge" a) I was delighted and b) I decided to write a simple signup guide... And, then, use that signup guide to spam this forum with, and hopefully get one or two more of you lot out there and riding for the Milan-Sanremo onwards...

So - here Goes... A step by step guide to joining what I think is probably the best cycling challenge that I run all year...

How do I join the "Classics Challenge"

Simple...

follow these steps

1) join the Century cycling group (if you haven't already)

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3764-century-plus-cycling

2) post a "I'd like to join this challenge" message in the "signup/discussion" thread here...

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10321342/2016-mfp-classics-challenge-discussion-thread#latest

3) after this you're eligeable to post your rides for any of the "events" after the "I'm in" notice... sorry, but I don't "back-date" rides, so I'm afraid anything this past weekend isn't eligeable...

4) the list of "events" and the dates is in the initial post of the Discussion thread, but there's also all the events listed in "Upcoming Events" on the Century+ group, so you can register you're intent to ride or not...

5) watch the "discussion thread" - as some of the "events" will have additional points available, but which may require preparation - say - specific route planning, or purchasing of certain "food/drink treats" if you wish... these "bonus points" really help make the challenge have more of a theme and flavour of the specific event - as in, I'll tie in the food/drink bonus to the region where the race is, and the photo-bonuses which may require route planning (think a cycling "treasure hunt" in a way...) will again be tied in to the nature of the parcours of the actual event - so "cobbles and windmills" for the Paris-Roubaix, "gravel roads" for the Strade Bianche and so on...

6) on the day of the event (or at some point in the weekend, for the Saturday/Sunday events) go out and ride, then book your ride before 13:01 GMT on the day after the event. There's a specific ride logging thread here...

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10330088/2016-mfp-classics-challenge-ride-logging-thread#latest

have a look in the thread, and just follow the way others have submitted their rides... Ideally, pictures should be embedded in the strava ride by use of a linked Instagram account, but it would be cool if you could also add them into the thread itself as part of a more lengthy "ride report" - ride submissions CAN be as short as a "event name" and Strava URL, or as long as a few paragraphs of write-up and a whole bunch of photographs. Occasionally, I'll make a "bonus points" award for a ride report that really gave a flavour of the Ride, and fitted in well with the "theme" of the days event...

So there you have it. Simples.

Hope to see you on the start line at Milan on the 19th...

TheBigYin

Don't forget BTW, that the challenge has NOT finished - there's the Mid-Summer one-off race at the end of July, then there are three Autumn "curtain closers" after the world championships and before we get stuck into winter-training time...