Originally Posted by badger1

'Sportive', 'sportif', 'gran fondo' ... several names for the same thing. Not to be confused with audax/randoneuring.
Organized, theoretically non-competitive but timed one-day mass-start road rides over a set course/distance, usually roughly the length of a typical pro tour stage or one-day race. Will often have one or two shorter course options built-in for those who don't want to do the whole distance.
Very, very popular in Europe/UK, growing in popularity in NA. The idea is to have the experience of riding under pro-race kinds of conditions, but without the competitive pressure (or speeds). In practice, seems that there's usually a core group of riders who will immediately go off the front and race.