Route Preview

Adam Jones

Nick Hodgson

Emma Karslake

John Hale

Caroline Buckland

Marcus Adey

Nicky Shaw

Adam Cottingham

Jonathan Pugh

Trystan Sanders

John Wilson

John Barnes

Will Miners

Patrick Turpin

Simon Vale

Tom Stephenson

Harvey Tye

Tayyab Dilmohamud

Di Taro

Lizzie Dunthorne

Thomas Reynolds

Ben James Bollans

Mick Tomkinson

Jonny Packham

Dot Perkins

Jonathan Riding

Jon Regler

James Gill

Andrew Hodgkinson

Sanjay Laidlaw

Pat Wirenski

Jenny Rice

Amy Powell

Jack Tyler

Rupert Kellie

Ben Chuilon

Calvin Friedman

Mark Kowalski

Steve Cole

William Ogborne

James Neal

Ian Trevis

Sean Parrett

Kit Menzies-Wilson

Lulu Sheard

Joscelin Smith

Jess Golding

James Scrivener

Kirsty Paterson

Aaron Hoyle

Alison Dockney

Alex Maling

Crew 4

Crew 3

Crew 2

Crew 1

Welcome to this year’s coverage of The Wild West Country, which is yet again looking like it might be fairly warm and dry, following a soggy spring. It’s Rob Gardiner here and I’ll be quickly introducing the event before I hand over to Niel Copeland and Kitty Dennis.

## Introducing The Wild West Country
This fixed-route event is 837 kilometres long, with just over 11,000 metres of climbing, and sticks almost entirely to paved roads. Beginning and ending in the Cotswolds, it loops through the southwest of England, an area renowned for its short, steep climbs and narrow lanes.

We again have a staggered start this year, so riders will be departing in small groups at two-minute intervals.

## What is new for 2024?
We have a few small changes for 2024. The most obvious is our change of start and finish location, which is now The Bike Drop in Brimscombe near Stroud. They are a Community Interest Company and you can read more about them [here](https://theperfidiousalbion.cc/2023/11/introducing-the-bike-drop/). But for riders, it means a steep climb straight out of the gate and up onto Minchinhampton Common.

The other significant change is a reworking of the route between Dorchester and Salisbury. While some of this is just switching to slightly more scenic roads, we have also moved CP3 to Kimmeridge Bay on the Isle of Purbeck.

This idyllic bay lies at the end of a private toll road with beautiful views over the dramatic coastline. However, it is only open from 08:00 to 20:00, meaning riders outside this time will turn back and get a 15-minute time adjustment instead. But those who ride all the way to the CP will find themselves metres from the ocean, next to some crumbling boatsheds.
<iframe src="https://ridewithgps.com/embeds?type=route&id=45866908&metricUnits=true&sampleGraph=true&hideSurface=true" style="width: 1px; min-width: 100%; height: 700px; border: none;" scrolling="no"></iframe>

# The Route in More Detail
## A fast start
The riding begins very slowly with a steep climb up Brimscombe Hill, but it soon speeds up as the riders cross the gently rolling landscape of the southern Cotswolds, so progress will be fast. After 90 mins or so, the riders will drop off the escarpment and speed towards Bristol.

This deceptively fast progress will be a feature of the first 150km of the route. Passing over Clifton Suspension Bridge and descending Cheddar Gorge, the riders will be treated to some of the tourist sights. However, a headwind on this section is highly likely.
![P1021477](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6fVoHuYHNp70cCJygIp0dm/b17914715440e39a4f0ad8d4272a005b/P1021477.JPG)

## The climbs begin
Once the riders pass Bridgwater (not one of the aforementioned tourist sights), the difficulty begins to slowly ratchet upwards as the climbs become steeper and more frequent. Their fresh legs will likely get them over the Quantocks with little difficulty, but the toughest section of the route lies at around 200km.

Here, they begin the first of two ascents of Dunkery Beacon, which are swiftly followed by the Porlock Toll Road. Although gentler than the main road, this is still a tough climb after what precedes it.

The following section contains yet more climbing through Exmoor and over to Woolacombe, before they finally happen upon some respite on the Tarka Trail. This multi-use path is the only flat bit of tarmac for miles and will likely be empty by the time most riders reach it, if they do not stop before then.
![DSC07773](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6oZtHZkIpI2Y6IHRzjSTGV/72e4c5202657f39a042203f02bf39312/DSC07773.JPG)

## Across Dartmoor and towards the Purbecks
The recovery on the Tarka Trail does not last long before Dartmoor appears. The route crosses the national park via a succession of tough climbs, culminating with Haytor, which is at roughly the halfway point on the route. For the riders who have gone through the night, they can expect to be getting here around sunrise.

Some gentler riding will follow as the riders make their way through Exeter, before they begin a beautiful stretch of Devon and Dorset coastline. For the next 100 or so kilometres, the climbs are a little smaller but just as steep and unrelenting.

This section culminates with the last few sharp climbs on the (misleadingly named) Isle of Purbeck, with spectacular views over the coast below. From the beautiful ridgetop road, the route drops towards CP3 on the coast. The final 1.5km are on a toll road with views over Kimmeridge Bay, where the CP is located.
![PXL 20240302 102446788 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2BnZTjBidFrljvDX5Ju9pk/f222bab2e9554438cf6242cf5ab1994e/PXL_20240302_102446788__1_.jpg)

## Inland and away from the hills
Swinging north, the route leaves the coastline behind. This inland riding brings with it much gentler gradients and faster roads, as the rolling countryside resumes. In fact, this section is relentlessly rural and actually offers surprisingly little in the way of resupply, which may present an unexpected challenge for riders.

With just over 100km to go, the Wessex Downs will rise up and greet the riders with a carved white horse. They will then fly between the standing stones of Avebury’s ancient circle, as the flatlands south of the Cotswolds offer up some precious easy riding.

A final loop of the idyllic Yanworth Valley is included to give a taste of the best of the Cotswolds (and some bonus climbs), before the route swings back towards the finish.
![image-12](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5c0XuSYCEKVoT6ZYUchCNC/03502c3d042551ef701f598faf209418/image-12.jpeg)


Niel Copeland

Kitty Dennis

Wild West Country 2024 Tracking and Commentary: The Wild West Country is a display of some of the finest roads in the South West of England and ticking off some National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty via some short sharp climbs and winding lanes.

Wild West Country 2024 Tracking

The Wild West Country is a display of some of the finest roads in the South West of England and ticking off National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty via some typical West Country short sharp climbs and winding lanes.

The Wild West Country 2024

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The Wild West Country 2024

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