Event Details
2018 Tour of the Black Country
Event website: Cycle Classics / Tour of the Black Country
Summary: Modelled on the epic Paris-Roubaix professional race, the Tour of the Black Country sportive includes 14 gravel and cobbled sectors, varying in length from 600m to 1800m, all of which are passable on a standard road bike. Returning to its original format in 2018, with the original organising team, it is roughly 120 km long, taking in 22km of cobbled roads, stony farm tracks and gravel bridleways in the West Midlands, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Staffordshire. Each gravel and cobbled sector is rated according to difficulty; one star being the most straightforward, five stars being the most difficult. Many of the roads are virtually traffic-free, despite being located close to Birmingham, and the majority of the unpaved sectors are closed to all traffic. The route finishes, as does Paris-Roubaix, on a large outdoor velodrome, at Aldersley Stadium on the outskirts of Wolverhampton.
Fees: £30
Entry: Online via the British Cycling website or on the day (subject to availability)
