Typical North Cornwall Tor-ture
Councillor Arwen Folks starts a group of rides from Bodmin
Riding through Port Isaac where BBC's Doc Martin is filmed
Tough on a tandem - Cornish international Jody Vickery seen here as “stoker”
As Ruth Nicholls from the Scilly Isles slumped across the finish line after the first North Cornwall Tor she confirmed it was tougher than child birth. Nearly 400 riders faced the challenge from the start and back to the finish in Cornwall's flagship leisure centre, the Dragon centre.
Although officially two routes, either 100-miles or 100-kilometres, many riders rode a hybrid route by intending to do the long but deciding to finish on the short route after some tough Cornish Tors had made a big impression.
For those who managed the complete long route, any will confirm just how tough it was. “The hardest bike ride I've ever done” said experienced Michael Ingram of Addiscombe CC. Hats off to Adam Thompson, a local rider and the youngest participant at 14 years. Adam completed the long route and rode with his proud dad.
There was a nasty sting in the tail on both routes - unrelenting climbing right up to the approaches to Bodmin on the shorter option with the wicked Bishop's Wood on the long. Having rained the previous day the surface was damp on the wooded 1 in 3 and only a handful of riders had the reserves of strength and control to rider up.
The jury is still out on the precise amount of ascending - 3,800 metres (12,500 feet) seems to be the figure. Regardless, riders are already calling this ride the toughest ever in the UK due to the unrelenting nature of the climbing.
Andy Babbage of Christchurch went to text his family after the rider and predictive text actually comes up with North Cornwall Torture...
Rest assured, next years ride will be no less challenging.
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