The Flanders countdown has begun, but if you're not among the hardy pilgrims heading to Oudenaarde this weekend there is plenty of bike-rattling action to be had closer to home. One of many sportives with a classics twist is this Sunday's Ronde van Rhino, based in Shrewsbury and billed as "Shropshire's own Tour of Flanders".

The Ronde van Rhino is a new sportive run by Mike Jones, aka the Rhino, owner of Stan's Cycles in Shrewsbury and a man with a long history of cycling. The name "Rhino" was given him by ex-pro and Tinkoff Team Director Sean Yates after a training camp in Majorca in 1997. Chasing Yates around the island with dogged determination, Mike would charge after him on the climbs and descents on the rugged roads leaving the rest of the group in their wake. The name stuck!

The Ronde van Rhino offers two fully signed routes paying homage to the Belgian classic. Both routes start from Stan's Cycles in the historic market town of Shrewsbury and takw in the stunning hills and the beautiful countryside that South West Shropshire offers. The longer "Grande" 73 mile route has 13 classified climbs with total elevation of 1890 metres to test your legs, while the shorter "Midi" 51 mile route still has seven classified climbs and 1230m of elevation.

Among the riders will be Liam Holohan of Madison Genesis, though he will be treating it as a recovery ride no doubt.

Refreshments will be available before and after the event in Stan's coffee shop, with a Belgian theme and live coverage of the Tour of Flanders. It's the next best thing to being in Belgium - so why not sign up and tackle the Rhino for yourself. Entry is £15 for the Grande route and £13 for the short; see the event Facebook page for further information, and sign up via the British Cycling website.

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