Fantastic response everyone - lets see if we can "spread the word" a little for this one - after all, last year - if you rode, you scored points - it's pretty much how I ended up getting the score I did - I just "turned up" more often...

Anyone got any suggestions as to how we could improve things... We've pretty much got the "spot prize" things sorted now (well - maybe not for the "Roma Maxima" - I could insist on riding some form of "Roman Empire Heritage" roads , but thats sort of seriously penalising the people who weren't even discovered back then )

Yep - deffo in!! Love the Classics Challenge and hope to get less DNS's this time - fingers crossed for less personal life clashes!!

Get that fella of yours out on the bike with you...

I'm going to struggle with this one this year I fear but I am going to try!

Never going to be easy with a new kid around the house mate, but it's great that you're still looking to ride if possible...

Yup! I'm in (again) - Hope to do better this year!

We really should try and get the Yorkshire contingent together for at least one of these rides...

You forgot: 20/4 Amstel Gold!

Hoping I won't get snowed on during this years Fleche Wallone (I did last year!) I loved these last year, going to do it again. Besides, we need a DFL person, right?

Fixed the list - dunno what happened, it was just a shonky cut and paste I guess...

For me the "snowed in" struck on the Gent - Wevelgem, that was the one where I ended up going out on the MTB, had to carry the bike for the first and last half mile until I found some snow flat enough to actually allow the wheels to turn. Ended up with the grand sum of 5.3km!

This challenge saved my life last year... definitely in. Just need to keep checking the forums whenever I can peel my son's laptop off him.

Glad you enjoyed last year Karl, again, as I said ^^^ with Clive, we aught to try and get something organised for one of the weekends this year.

I am in. Can ride, will ride

Well, you should be better fixed than the northern hemisphere riders as far as the weather. Though finding cobbles or proper windmills might be trickier :laugh:

...cobbles backstreets of Melbourne cbd, however can only do so many loops until people start thinking that I am a bit strange.

it only needs 1 "secteur" to qualify - no need to go for the entire 27/28 sets :laugh:

Maybe there should be an extra point for finishing at an outdoor velodrome

So how does it work? I wouldn't mind giving it a go. Enjoyed the TDF and Giro ones from last year. Wont be able to ride between 17th March and end of March as I get my cataract removed (Side effect of the detached retina) but should be able to do the others.

Book a single ride (if you commute take the long way home and book that one), recorded on strava or garmin connect. Longest distance gets 25 points, next 20, then 16,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,and 1. Spot prizes / bonuses also awarded - these are announced before the event, and are usually either picture bonuses (get a point for a picture of a windmill on paris-roubaix day, or say a roadside chapel on Il Lombardia day.

Best way to get an idea of how it works, and how much of a giggle it actually can be is to look at last years thread...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/866408-mfp-cycling-classics-challenge

each race day gets a little write-up of the history of the race, basically to make the whole spot prizes make sense...

then we go out and ride, record it, and see who wins that days race.

there's also a league table (where the scores above come in) which runs across the entire season, and at the end, someone gets the "King of the Classics" tag.

Like this, rather embarrasingly, for the organiser... :embarassed:

I''m game again this year. Will have to see how the roads are at the start of March. Mother Nature is killing me-logged lots of miles on the snowshoes not so much on the bike. We seem to get storms every couple of days so the roads never get cleared off and I got nothing but a road bike with slicks.

From what I remember of your rides last year you had some pretty tough conditions as well, but still did some pretty damned good rides. As I always say, this challenge is here for a bit of motivation, but prime importance is safety - I don't want to feel responsible if anyone goes out and comes a box-of-tricks out there on the road. Stay Safe Folks !