Great Britain’s UCI Track World Cup gold medallist Sam Harrison has set the time to beat on the Horeshoe Pass climb ahead of the Etape Cymru on Sunday October 9.

The 19-year-old, who topped the podium after winning the omnium at the Beijing leg of the World Cup, clocked 14 minutes, 27 seconds on the 6.1km ascent, which gains 317m in height with a maximum gradient of 20 per cent.

And Etape Cymru organisers have invited riders to take on Harrison and tackle the climb for themselves before submitting their time to the event’s website.

“That climb was pretty hard and it’s lucky I had a tailwind,” said Harrison. “The steeper parts really take it out of you; you have to go easy at the bottom and just save yourself for the steeper parts.”

“It should be interesting for the guys riding the sportive who will have to pace themselves up that after a fair few miles of riding. The Horseshoe Pass is hard for me so I think they will find it really tough.

“The rest of the course is also really challenging so it’s definitely going to be a hard day out at the Etape Cymru. It’s tough but enjoyable.”

The Etape Cymru, which starts and finishes in Wrexham, will take place on closed roads, with a 100-mile route taking in more than 6,000ft of climbing.

World team pursuit bronze medallist Harrison used the Etape Cyrmu preview ride to continue his recovery from a broken collarbone before competing at the European Under-23 Track Championships in Portugal later this month.

“This is the perfect training for me as I am just getting back into it. I have the Europeans in a couple of weeks and it is just really nice to ride the roads round here to try and get ready for that.”

The Etape Cymru is working in partnership with British Cycling, with all entrants receiving a goodie bag (including an event gilet) and free British Cycling Ride membership (worth £24).

Entry costs £65, while existing British Cycling members benefit from a discounted entry fee of just £53. Head to www.etape-cymru.co.uk for more information.