Here's an idea to kick-start your sportive season: Dark & White Cycling have launched a new short but tough sportive, the Battle of Bradfield, taking place on Sunday 29 March in Sheffield's Tour de France country.
Looping through the north-eastern fringes of the Peak National Park, the Battle of Bradfield (B.O.B.) packs 1700m of climbing into just 63km, proving that a sportive doesn't have to take all day to test your stamina. The Yorkshire cousin to Derbyshire's Matlock Top 10, the event sticks to the same successful format of ten hard climbs, many with 20% + gradients, over a 38 mile route.
The Battle of Bradfield sportive promises plenty of ultra smooth roads as seen on Stage 2 of the 2014 Tour de France (with the Strava KOMs to prove it). Starting from Stannington to the west of Sheffield, the anti-clockwise route initially heads north passing through Worrall, Oughtibridge and Greno Woods. It then heads off west climbing up in the direction of Penistone before turning south and picking up the Tour de France route and the 2.4km/1.5mile climb of Midhopestones.
From the south side of the Broomhead Reservoir riders will be faced with the challenge of the steep 1.1km/0.7 miles 25%+ ascent of Canyard's Hill. A loop around Spout House Hill brings the riders up to Edge Mount and it's then on to Agden Bridge and Dale Dike reservoir with a climb up to Gibraltar Rocks before swooping down to Lower Bradfield to begin the testing 20%+ climb out of Bradfield. This will be twice as long as the ascent used on The Tour as riders must first battle their way up to Upper Bradfield. With Bradfield done and dusted all that stands in the way of the riders and some well earned tea and cake is the final climb of Dungworth.
If it's still a little early in the season to tackle the full 10 climbs, a shortened 33km/20 mile route is on offer. The short route takes in four of the 10 climbs, just enough to stretch your legs and give you first dibs on that cake.
The whole route will be fully signed with a marshalled feed station approximately halfway around. In addition to the regular signage there will be bespoke en-route climb boards at the roadside like you find in the Alps and Pyrenees depicting average gradient, metres of ascent and length of all the 10 major climbs. The organisers have also created a pdf road book with a full preview of the route and notes on all 10 climbs.
On the day expect:
• A clearly signed route
• Beat the Bonk feed stations providing a selection of the best sports nutrition along with usual juice, biscuits and bananas
• En-route climb information boards
• Colour route map including emergency numbers
• SPORTident chip timing for an instant post-event time
• Refreshments at the finish
• Event Photographer Chris Meads
• Finishing certificates: Gold, silver and bronze awards based on your finishing time. Separate women award times.
Entry costs £20 for the long route and £15 for the short option. To enter, visit the event page on the British Cycling website.
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