The Tour of Wessex, a 3-day sportive, takes place this weekend and both Richard Hallett and David Arthur from RCUK are tackling the unique challenge. Here’s how David got on in the second stage.

Tour of Wessex – Day 3

175 km (106 miles), 3,069m (10,070ft). Map of the route.

The Tour of Wessex saved its best, and hardest, for the last day. This stage wended its way through the marshes around Bridgwater, before the climbing started in earnest with the first ascent of the Quantocks. This early climb, while no walk in the park, would serve merely as a leg stretcher for the savagery that awaited as the route headed into Exmoor.

The ascent of Crook Hook Hill was a particular highlight of the route!

With 200+ miles already completed though, I was feeling the effort from the first two days and fatigue had set deeply into my legs. This has turned out to be a seriously tough sportive, with each day feeling as hard as any other single-day sportive I’ve done in the past, it required a markedly different approach to making it through. Preparation and energy conservation were the key concerns.

Hats off to the organisers, this was a slickly run event right from the moment I registered, and continued throughout the weekend with excellent food stops and top cakes at the finish. The routes were without doubt well planned and thought out, providing challenging terrain run through some magnificent landscapes.