Hell of the Ashdown Challenge 08

The new Rapha Condor Recycling.co.UK team ride the first Sportive of the 2008 season

2007 action

The new Rapha Condor Recycling.co.UK team must rate the HELL of the ASHDOWN's tough new route, as they are using this winter Sportive as training. It now has a total of over 2,000 metres of climbing to increase its fearsome reputation!

In addition to a series of the most daunting hills that the Catford CC have managed to find south of London they have thrown in a climb commonly know as 'The Wall', truly the Hell of the Ashdown. This was considered so hard that the Tour de France gave it a miss when the stage crossed Ashdown Forest in 1994. Although it has been included in other road races, most recently in the last stage of the 2007 Revolution 5 Day. This featured 'Killer Climb' takes the riders up the steepest gradient from Coleman's Hatch up Kidds Hill to Gills Lap then on to the ultimate heights of Ashdown Forest's wild moorland at Kingstanding.

The Ashdown has a formidable reputation, this season officials cut it out of the Junior Tour of Sussex because of the "treacherous conditions in the Ashdown Forest area due to heavy rain it was decided it was too dangerous to risk sending the riders over the proposed course".

The new way-marked course starts at Knockholt Pound and winds its way through Kent, Surrey and Sussex on quiet country lanes

that few will have known existed . There is only one set of traffic lights on the whole 65 mile route!!! (and even those could have by-passed).

On the way it encounters many hills but the major long climbs that the riders tackle are:

Toys Hill - Hollow Lane (Dormansland) - Kidds Hill (THE WALL) - 'Col de Groombridge' - Ide Hill - Star Hill (the sting in the tail).

Those who find this a bit daunting will no doubt choose to ride the Devil's deTour Challenge which covers 30 miles of the route but cuts out the most southerly climbs although it still tackles the Toys, Ide and Star hills.

Entry
- £8 to Register in advance on www.catfordcc.co.uk and get a guaranteed ride with a
- FREE invitation to the Pre-HELL Party in 'BROMLEYS' function room at Bromley, Kent
on the previous evening
- £10 Entry on the day, signing on from 8am (come early)

Organiser
Bryan Stout, 8 Belcroft Close, Hope Park, Bromley, Kent BR1 3TL
Tel: 020 8464 8124 - Email: bryan.stout@ntlworld.com