TransWales a warm-up for the Tour of Britain
There are few mountain-bike races in the UK. In England, there are still old laws in the books which prohibit bike racing on public paths. Wales has no such law, and for that reason it is host to the Gore Bike Wear TransWales, a seven-day, 487km mountain-bike race mixing marathon stages with competitive single-track races.
"The combination of relaxed linking stages and the eyeballs out special stages combine to provide an unforgettable experience," wrote a rider of last year’s TransWales, Steve Marks.
The race begins on Saturday with a 58km stage to Knighton, Wales. The special stages will include time-trials and relay, some of them at night, for the single riders and two-person terms in men’s, women’s, and mixed categories. The race is also designed to give opportunities to every style of rider, with specific climbing, downhill and trail riding stages.
Tour of Britain early assessment
The TransWales won’t only be watched by the mountain biking fans – it will also serve to tide over the local cycling fans who are anxiously awaiting the Tour of Britain on 11 September. In the debut year of Team Sky, the new British cycling team leaving its mark all over Europe, Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins will lead the team, including Geraint Thomas, in the Tour of Britain.
“We’re delighted to have Team Sky riding The Tour of Britain this year, particularly with such a strong line-up that shows they mean business for The Tour,” said Technical Director Mick Bennett.
The Tour organizers have said that this year’s race will include the most difficult stages it ever has, in the South West. The South West stages, a quarter of the whole race, includes six climbs, four of them category-one. 171km stage four will be the first time a stage travels coast to coast, and will included two of the most difficult climbs of the race.
“Stage four has been quoted as the toughest stage in the history of The Tour,” said project manager Graham Bagley. “There are at least seven tough hills to challenge the riders. This will be a gruelling stage, even for hardened professionals."
The following day is also one of the longest stages of the race, and will tackle Dartmoor National Park for the first time in the event. As the country’s largest free-to-watch sporting event, the Tour of Britain attracted over 200,000 spectators last year on the South West stages alone, putting nearly £6million into the towns of Devon and Somerset.
“This is Britain’s premier cycle race and a great opportunity for people to see some of the world’s top riders and teams who have just been competing in the Tour de France,” said councillor Stuart Hughes. “But it’s more than that; it’s also a great spectacle that brings visitors to the region and offers a chance for communities to get together and be part of a special event.”
The 2010 Tour of Britain will begin on Saturday, 11 September in Rochdale and will finish the following Saturday, 18 September in London.
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