Tour of Wessex 2008 route

topcattim

Am beginning to make plans for next year's big rides and am interested in the Tour of Wessex as it offers the chance to ride three consecutive days. But I can't work out if the routes start from the same place each day or if they involve transfers. Can anyone help me out with this, and even encourage me with their experiences from last year?

Shavedlegs

I did it a couple of years ago and unless it has changed each day starts in the same place. Try and park on the road and not in the fields because if it rains you'll be pushing your car out! Very irritating after a 100 mile race.

vermooten

Yes it starts from the same place each day. I think the organisers have got a permanent-ish HQ now, a few miles north of where it's started in the last 2 years. Well worth doing, fantastic scenery and routes.

topcattim

Thanks legs and vermooten!
Looks worth considering...but wil need a pass for the bank holiday!

bahzob

I believe the event will have a different start location from previous years.

Also on the Monday the event will have 2 options:
- start finish same location
- start finish 25miles apart (but following same route as pro race)

Also start time will be more civilised I think 10 rather than 7.

The routes also look a bit shorter than previous years but that is by the by in terms of difficulty as main thing is how many 20%+ climbs get included and (please not again) if a passing storm decides to wreak havoc.

See web site for more infohttp://www.tourofwessex.com/sportiveroute.html

Pendragon

Each day starts and finishes from Hadpsen House the new permanent location for the Tour of Wessex where there will be a festival taking place with music, an inter schools cyclo-x competition, MTB Enduro , MTB Trials competition, Go ride training, Cycle industry stands, fair ground rides, food stalls from local producers and the usual huge tea tent serving all manner of hot and cold foods.

The first two days are the exact same as the premier calendar and on day three there is an option to either start from Hadspen House or from Bridgewater, both routes are the exact same distance but the start from Bridegwater is the excat routes used by the Premier Calendar whereas the Hadspen start is 80% the same.

The sportive starts just mins after the premier calendar so you will have the opportunity to see how you measure up to against the best in the country. The usual standards apply as required by all UCI sanctioned events