Taking place on September 2 and so called because this ride centres around the Grand Union Canal in the Heart of England. With nearly 2,000 metres of challenging undulations riders set off from Towcester and cycle through Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire – the county of squires and spires.

Cutting through the same “Gaps” in the hilly terrain several highly important transport routes spanning different periods in history run close together in this area, all connecting London to the Midlands – The M1 Motorway, West Coast Main Line, the Roman road Watling Street and, of course, the Grand Union Canal. The route is rolling and undulating and has some interesting climbs in addition to taking riders through some beautiful English countryside and past several stately homes.

The Gog Magog Cambridge takes place this weekend and there is still time to enter – On the kilotogo web-site, by post or even on the day. For those who are not familiar with the area the route which starts in Saffron Walden and take riders through parts of Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Essex and the Suffolk border is surprisingly hilly for the area and even more surprisingly picturesque.

We gave the route a final ridden once-over e few weeks back with Mark Harding from Cyclosport.co.uk and Jim Rees – the second only Brit to finish the Race Across America within the time-cut-off. Now billed as the toughest bike race in the world we take our hats off to Jim and his team.