Just when you thought it would be safe to stow your good road bike away for the winter, the Exmoor Beast is set to rear its majestic head and give you one last chance to test yourself in what is predicted to be one of the sternest and most challenging cyclosportives of the year.

This brand new end-of-season event, which will take place on November 4th, has been devised by Exmouth-based event coordinators M.I.G. Marcus Di Vincenzo, the chief organiser, says “The domestic sportive scene needs a spectacular fixture to provide a fitting finale to the calendar. We have highly trained manpower and the expertise to enable the Exmoor Beast to be safely and successfully tamed, providing you give it the respect it deserves and have prepared properly. If the awesome climbs don’t take your breath away, then the fantastic scenery certainly will and our aim is to make the journey from entry to post-ride recovery smooth, enjoyable and truly memorable.”

This celebration of the end of the sportive season begins on the evening before the ride when a spectacular firework display at Dunster Castle, the location of the grand depart, will set the mood for what the organisers promise will be an unforgettable weekend. There will be a large parking area in nearby Minehead for those heading for the display and, the following morning, this will be an ideal spot for family and friends to see the field as it passes through the seaside resort in the opening miles of the route. For those riders who want to save all their energy for the ride itself, M.I.G. will provide a free bus shuttle service between the Minehead parking area and the start. The shuttle will also be available on Saturday evening for anybody who wants a ride to the castle.

Distance options are 100kms or 100miles and participation in the first year will be restricted to 1500. The outline plan for next year includes the strong possibility of closed roads and an increase in the number of participants to 2500.

For further information and to enter on-line visit www.exmoorbeast.org