The Tour de Yorkshire Ride returns on 1 May, and to celebrate their second year as title sponsors of the sportive, luxury Italian car brand Maserati is offering all participants a complimentary 'King of the Mountains' climb photograph. Riders will also get a chance to compare skills with British ex-pro cyclist and Maserati cycling ambassador David Millar, in the new 'King of the Mountains' timed climb.
Millar has set the time to beat on the iconic Côte de Harwood Dale climb that plays host to this year's King of the Mountains climb, on which both the sportive participants and the pro-riders later in the day will be timed.
The Côte de Harwood Dale is a 1.3km climb through picturesque rural North Yorkshire Moors, with an average gradient of 7.4% and a maximum gradient of 16%. Millar, who is one of only two Britons to have worn the leader's jersey at all three of the Grand Tours, tackled the climb in 3 minutes 57 seconds.
Maserati will also be offering complimentary 'King of the Mountains' climb photography to all 6,000 riders. Each rider will be photographed at the finish line of the climb and then their image will be edited alongside David Millar's with their respective times.
Maserati and Millar have produced a preview video to provide riders with an insight into what to expect from the Côte de Harwood Dale to ensure you don't get caught out by the tough climb on the day. You can check it out on the Maserati YouTube channel.
"The Côte de Harwood Dale climb is a particularly British climb," observed Millar; "It isn't the sort of climb we experience in continental bike racing and that's because it's in ramps. It will be a fantastic opportunity to compare yourself to the pro riders, who will set their times on the same climb later that day."
Millar also had some advice for cyclists on how to tackle the climb:
"I'd recommend taking it easy in the early stages and turning a small gear, as there's a very steep section early on. Always have in the back of your mind that the last section is going to be very hard - preserve enough energy to stand up and push it over the finish line, where the clock stops and your picture is taken. Let's see how many of you can beat my time of 3 minutes 57 seconds. Don't forget to smile when you cross the finish line."
The 2016 Maserati Tour de Yorkshire Ride offers riders the choice of a 40km, 85km, 119km ride routes - all of which take place on the same day and on many of the same roads as the third and final stage of the Tour de Yorkshire Pro race. The ride will start at Cleveland Way, Scarborough and finish along the picturesque Scarborough seafront on Royal Albert Drive.
Limited places remain in the 2016 Maserati Tour de Yorkshire Ride. To register for the ride on Sunday 1 May head to www.letour.yorkshire.com/maserati-tour-de-yorkshire-ride.
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