It's getting to that time of the cycling season again, when the Classics are drawing to a close and the Grand Tours beckon. The weather is perking up too, which means that for mere mortals like us the cycling season is beginning in earnest.
Like the Grand Tour riders but with slightly more body fat, our efforts are likely to increase as the summer months approach and we ramp up to our big goals for the year. What is perfect for assessing form and building to these goals is a spring test in the shape of an early-season sportive.
The Evans Ride It series of sportives runs around the UK throughout the year, and last weekend I headed to the Milton Keynes edition for a warm-up ride before I head to Liege-Bastogne-Leige this coming weekend. Whether you are a sportive veteran or new to organised riding, the Ride It sportives offer three distance options (85, 60 and 35 miles), fully stocked feed stations and well signposted routes for riders of every ability.
As a local to the Milton Keynes area I was also keen to see which roads the route took in as, despite the popular belief that MK is all roundabouts, the area actually offers some great riding over a mixture of flat and hilly terrain.
The route started from the MK Bowl. Normally host to the likes of Green Day, Bon Jovi and Robbie Williams, the Bowl played host to around 600 rather chilly riders and, rather randomly, a Lithuanian car boot sale. After sign-on, where riders also received a nifty High5 Energy goody bag, it was off to the start line.
After negotiating some roundabouts - the stereotype isn't entirely unfounded - we were quickly out into the countryside and heading down to the Chilterns. The route was extremely well signposted although there were no marshals on the route. This first third of the long 85 mile route was relatively up and down before the main hill of the ride on the edge of the Chilterns.
After about 35 miles and a fast descent through the village of Aldbury it was time for the tough ascent up Tom's Hill. Not the Galibier by any means, but the sharp 500 metre climb with a 7% average and peaks over 13% makes Tom's Hill a good opportunity to flex the leg muscles halfway through the route.
The crowd on the sportive was very varied, from first-time sportive riders to seasoned veterans building up to the likes of the Etape and Maratona in the summer. Riders were friendly and those I spoke with had traveled from around the area for the sportive.
The Chiltern section of the route was rounded off by a fast and fun descent of Ivinghoe Beacon, and after that the terrain continued on to be relatively flat all the way round to the end. Being from the area and knowing the route well, the roads that the organiser chose were a good reflection of what the area has to offer for cyclists. Notable delights included Tom's Hill and a trip through the Deer Park on the grounds of Woburn Abbey. The short hill through the park is one of the most picturesque stretches of road in the area and the grazing deer on the roadside make the sharp climb a highlight of the route.
For £25 you definitely get good value for money, with a well signposted route and frequent and well-stocked feed stations. The choice to serve Doritos did seem slightly peculiar, as I can not imagine they are the best mid-ride snack, but that aside the Milton Keynes sportive proved an excellent appetiser for more monumental challenges ahead.
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