The organiser of the Exmoor Beast, one of the UK’s toughest sportives, has bucked the growing trend to create bigger, badder and bolder events by launching the Exmoor Beauty.
- The ride will showcase Exmoor National Park
The 100-mile Beast traditionally takes place in late October, while the Beauty will offer a 100km route on Sunday April 22 – and Marcus Di Vincenzo hopes the early-season sportive will provide riders with a stepping stone from which to tame longer rides in the summer.
“Although The Beast doesn’t claim to have the greatest height gain of the country’s major sportives, it’s always an incredibly hard day out on the bike because it’s held in the winter,” said Di Vincenzo.
“More often than not, the weather at that time of year always adds significantly to the demands of crossing the high moor and few get to see the National Park in all its true majestic glory. By staging The Beauty in the spring, conditions should be more conducive to enjoying a ride in the park and, with fewer gradients to face, it will be a far more relaxing experience than trying to tame The Beast.
“Our aim is to try and put more of the fun back into leisure riding and give everybody a fantastically enjoyable time out in one of the most beautiful regions in the country.”
Exmoor Beauty entry costs £27, or you can register for both the Beauty and the Beast for £50. Sign up at www.exmoorbeauty.org
