Yorkshire Velo Tours have launched their 2018 series of Challenge Rides, promising a guided tour of Yorkshire's toughest climbs - with the occasional coffee stop thrown in for relief.
There are seven Challenge Rides in the series, which runs monthly from March 2018 through to September. The unique routes are designed to showcase all that the Yorkshire Dales has to offer, and include roads used in the Tour de France and the Tour de Yorkshire, that will be ridden again in World Road Championships in 2019.
So how exactly does a "Challenge Ride" differ from a sportive?
According to Yorkshire Velo Tours, the Challenge Ride events are essentially 'guided rides' where all riders benefit from a pre-ride bike check, a support vehicle and team mechanic, and ride in a small group with a dedicated ride leader.
And, in place of the typical sportive's roadside feed station, on a Challenge Ride refuelling is a slightly classier affair with carefully chosen cafe stops on each ride.
"There is now a big market for traditional mass participation sportive rides," says organiser Charles Oxtoby, "so these much smaller, more personal type of events offer a real alternative for those wanting to ride in small groups with like minded people of similar ability.
"People also love the fact that a support vehicle travels with the group, they feel like they're riding in the Tour de France!"
The rides all start and finish in the cycling mad town of Ilkley and take riders over classic climbs like Fleet Moss, Malham Cove and Park Rash, but also include lesser known gems as well as a ride to the Druid's Temple near Masham. According to YVT the distances are comparable with a medium length hilly sportive, and will present riders with a challenging route "as well as a true taste of Yorkshire."
Entry is priced at £40 with the option of a weekend package (2 days cycling / 2 nights B&B) from £220pp. For more details and to book, visit www.yorkshirevelotours.com.
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