As Britain’s top cyclists hit the roads of the Tour de France, hundreds of cycling enthusiasts will aim to follow in their wheeltracks by mounting their bikes for the Iron Mountain Sportif, part of the Abergavenny Festival of Cycling 2010, on July 10.
Just 11 months ago, British stars including Tour de France riders Mark Cavendish, Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas came to Abergavenny for the National Road Race Championships, with other domestic stars completing the most outstanding field ever assembled for the event.
Additionally, the stars of the future rode for their own Junior National Championships over the course last year, while Welsh Olympics star Nicole Cooke completed her decade of dominance by taking the Women’s National Championships crown for the 10th time, nine of which were in succession.
The Iron Mountain Sportif will give families, friends and individuals the chance to ride part or all of the 2009 National Championships course.
It is the fourth year that the Abergavenny Festival of Cycling has held a Sportif and organiser Bill Owen said: “It will be great for visitors here in Abergavenny to ride the National Championships course but it is not all for the experienced riders.
“They will be able to tackle the 100 miles event but the 25 miles circuit and 50 miles ride provide excellent challenges for beginners and leisure riders of all abilities.
“Families have also enjoyed riding together around the beautiful Monmouthshire scenery in the past years since the Iron Mountain Sportif was first held
“We have events for everyone on the day. The Bronze Ride is a 25 mile event on easy routes, the Silver Ride is a little more testing over 50 miles, while the Gold Ride – the only one to include the climb up The Tumble Mountain – is 100 miles.”
The Bronze event will see riders enjoying the flatlands of Monmouthshire and visiting Raglan after riding along the Usk Valley.
The Silver ride with some outstanding views to be discovered.
Riders on the Silver event, which adds another 25 miles will head from Abergavenny towards Monmouth and then Raglan before turning south towards Chepstow. They will then ride through the forests of the Wye Valley, past historic Tintern with its medieval abbey and head north alongside the River Wye.
After passing through the village of Llandogo, riders return to the forests and onto the ridge towards Trelleck before descending down towards Monmouth.They then take the picturesque route back to Abergavenny through the village of Hendre over some undulating roads and past the Rolls estate, owned by the ancestors of Mr Charles Rolls of Rolls Royce fame.
Riders then cross the finish line in Bailey Park, Abergavenny, to enjoy the town’s carnival which will be taking place on the same day. Those going on the Gold ride, however, will be only half-way around their course at this point.
After returning to Abergavenny along, they will climb up the Iron Mountain – the Tumble – and then into the countryside of South Powys and onto the Brecon Beacons and Llangnider. After crossing the packhorse bridge alongside the River Usk, they pass Llangorse Lake before a final climb at Talgarth and then a fast descent to the finish line through Crickhowell and into Abergavenny.
Entries are now being taken online at www.abergavennyfestivalofcycling.com .
