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> Rapha unleash hell with Paris Roubaix tribute rides in 6 UK locations >
Spring may feel a long way off but the Spring Classics are just around the corner - and this year Rapha will once again pay tribute to one of cycling's toughest races, Paris-Roubaix, by hosting its annual Hell of the North ride.
Now in its ninth year, Rapha's London-based Hell of the North - or HOTN - ride takes place on the same day as Paris-Roubaix, which falls on Sunday 8th April 2018. This year's ride has been renamed A Day in Hell - and, new for 2018, Rapha have added international editions in cities including Manchester, Paris, Hong Kong, Melbourne and Berlln alongside the traditional London event.
The London route has been chopped and changed over the years, but you can expect a roughly 100km ride that starts at the top of Swains Lane in Highgate, before heading north out of the city via a few parks, and onwards to the rutted fields and farm tracks of Hertfordshire.
Where Paris-Roubaix has its famous pavé secteurs, the Rapha Hell of the North has 'gravé' - defined as "(an area of) farm track/road/footpath/bridleway etc. which consists of potholes, loose paving, stones, rubble, and mud."
Each secteur is signed and numbered at the start, with a star rating for gnarliness. Essentially, the more stars you see, the more you can expect to wind up on your backside covered in mud - especially if you've brought along your road bike on slick tyres.
At a rough estimate at least half the riders you'll see will be on cyclocross bikes, and certainly if there's been any rain in the preceding week that is the wise choice.
Entry is extremely limited with most places reserved for members of the Rapha Cycling Club (RCC). If this gives the event something of a club feel, well perhaps that's the intention: but don't worry, it's a friendly club, and the remaining places are allocated to non-members on a first come, first served basis on the Rapha website.
Tickets cost £20 and includes a free limited edition Rapha cap at the start, along with a complimentary bag of frites and a beer at the finish where you can join hundreds of cycling fans to watch the conclusion of Paris-Roubaix on big screens.
Entries open at 10am today, Thursday 1st March. To throw your name in the hat, visit the Rapha website and get clicking: rapha.cc/feature/a-day-in-hell.
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