Sportive

Six of the best UK roads

Hardknott Pass, Cumbria, England

The sweeping hairpins of Bealach na Ba form the UK's toughest climb (Pic: Stefan Krause, via Wikimedia Commons)
Northern Ireland's rugged coastline makes for some great riding (pic: Richard Watson, via Fusion Media)
The Tour of Britain peloton took on Marine Drive earlier this year (pic: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
The Hardknott Pass is the toughest climb in the Lake District (pic: Shirokazan, via Creative Commons)
Horseshoe Pass is set against a stunning backdrop in north Wales (pic: Simon Pix, via Flickr Creative Commons)
Haytor has become a regular feature of the Tour of Britain (pic: Paul Hayes-Watkins)

Hardknott Pass, Cumbria, England

A notably tough section of one of England’s fiercest sportives, Cumbria’s Hardknott Pass will be ingrained in the minds of anybody who has tackled the Fred Whitton Challenge.

One of the steepest roads in England, the slither of tarmac leading to the Hardknott Pass snakes up the hillside, switching back and forth with a maximum gradient close to 33 per cent.

A series of hairpin bends take riders from Eskdale in the Lake District to a peak of 1,289ft above, before a rapid, twisting descent to the Duddon Valley.

The steep descent then makes way for Wrynose Pass – a similarly tough climb – before leading riders into Ambleside. It may be beautiful, but you’re unlikely to have an easy day out on the bike.