Rapha Prestige Coming to Santa Barbara

Now in its fourteenth year, The Rapha Prestige, as it is known today, is a series of rides set in some of the world’s most beautiful locations. This unique, unsupported team event takes riders on and off-road for all-round riding experience. One of the destinations this year is Santa Barbara, California.

In a release, apparel specialist Rapha noted… ‘A new year, brings hope of new adventures. While 2021 may still feel like an uphill challenge, we remain positive about being able to enjoy shared experiences with our global community out on the bike in one form or another, as we welcome back an iconic series in the Rapha calendar: The Rapha Prestige.’

The company added that ‘Each ride challenges small amateur teams to take on an unsupported and unmarshalled adventure across stunning terrain.’

Past routes have followed the roads and trails of Johor, Malaysia; crystal clear lakes in Arkansas and the rolling hills of the Peak District, UK.

The Rapha Prestige rules are simple: start and finish as a team, and pass through all the checkpoints.

At present, 12 Rapha Prestige rides are scheduled across five continents throughout the year. The first planned event is in May – Rapha Prestige Sanjo in Niigata, Japan – when the company is hoping social restrictions to have eased.

Each event is subject to change based on local COVID-19 guidance and restrictions.

Prestige 2021 Event Calendar

May
• Rapha Prestige Sanjo, Niigata, Japan
• Prestige Taichung, Taichung, Taiwan

June
• Lithgow Winter Solstice Prestige, Lithgow, Australia
• Prestige Denmark, Tisvilde, Denmark
• Prestige Wonju, Wonju, Kangwon Province, South Korea

August
• Prestige Yorkshire, Yorkshire Dales, UK

September
• Prestige Charleroi, Charleroi, Belgium
• Prestige Black Forest, Black Forest, Germany
• Prestige North East, USA

October
• Women Prestige Taipei, Taipei City, Taiwan
• Prestige Santa Barbara, California

November
• Prestige Mallorca, Mallorca, Spain

Each Prestige ride is completely unsupported. To make sure that riders are self-sufficient out on the road Rapha recommends two tubes, a multi-tool, a pump, a patch kit, and a masterlink. The company also highly recommends spare kit, plenty of food and, given the variety of terrain on the route, wider tyres.

• Apart from those who have dropped out, the entire team must always ride together.
• All members of the team must be present at the checkpoint to receive a stamp.
• Each member must carry sufficient equipment to handle basic repair situations, such as two spare tubes, a portable bike pump and multi-tool etc.
• Riders must ride the route provided by the organisers by following the course on GPS devices.
• Riders should upload at least ten or more images on Instagram leading up to the event day, capturing the days preparing for the Prestige.
• Food will not be provided. Riders should provide your own nutrition.
• The MotionX-GPS (GPS app) must be downloaded by one member within the team, and it must be kept activated throughout the event.

As a safety precaution, the Rapha support team will regularly verify the location of every participating team via the smartphone GPS app. In the event of an emergency, they will drive to the scene to ensure safety and provide assistance.

www.rapha.cc/prestige