Video: Is this new 100km sportive the toughest in Ireland?
The Birren, just one of the five peaks awaiting the riders this coming for "The hardest 100km you’ll ever do".
At a glance you’d say to yourself: “No bother”. But on closer inspection of the new Man of Sperrin sportive, the fear would set in quick enough.
It’s only 100km, but don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security. The profile of the route looks like a queen stage in a Grand Tour.
And while the peaks are obviously nowhere near as high as the Giro, Tour or Vuelta; this is a very testing route.
It’s billed as “The hardest 100km you’ll ever do”.
And with five peaks packed into the route, you will definitely sleep well after it.
The event starts and finishes in Owenbeg – in The Sperrins, Co Derry – and immediately after the start takes in the climb of Benbradagh.
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It boasts a stretch of 27 per cent gradient, representing a very tough start.
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The organisers say when they held a test event last year many of the riders were forced to dismount at that spot of the climb known locally as ‘the bridge’.
After Benbradagh there follows the climbs of The Birren, Slieve Gallion, Ballynagilly and The Brown Knowes.
That’s 6,000ft of climbing, all covered in just 100km. There is an easier route, with two peaks rather than five.
That Two Peaks route also starts in Owenbeg and takes in The Birren and The Brown Knowes and is just 23 miles.
Have a look at the profiles below and get all the information you need by following this link.
It’s on this coming Sunday - June 11th - so you’ll need to get your skates on.
The Five Peaks
The Two Peaks
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