So this ride picks up the route in the Holmfirth, loops over the hills into Derbyshire for a (very!) short section before heading back into Yorkshire towards Sheffield. It is a tough route, certainly the toughest section of the whole of the Grand Depart, and not just for the amount of climbing. Large sections are technical and steep, involving racing on narrow, twisting and rough roads. It is going to be exciting come 6th July...
My route for the day started with the climb to Holme Moss. At 524m, it isn't the highest point of the Grand Depart. This honour goes to Buttertubs by 1m! But it is the only Cat 2 climb of the two days in Yorkshire, which means more points will be awarded at the top for the Polka Dot jersey than any of the other climbs, so it is likely to see some action from riders keen to wear one of the jerseys for a few days. A good reason to be in the break on the stage?
The climb starts with a steady warm up from Holmfirth along the Holme valley. Use this as a chance to catch your breath, because when you get to Holmbridge, you turn a corner and are hit by the steepest part of the climb. It is only a couple of hundred metres long at 13%, but the abrupt change in gradient makes it feel more severe!
From the top of this ramp, the gradient steadies as the road heads through the villages of Holme and Lane, where the climb starts properly. From here it is a fairly steady gradient of around 10% for 2km to the top. This doesn't sound too bad. but it is usually into a head wind and, for the final and most exposed kilometre, you can see the top all the way!
The summit, and the descent that follows is a glorious place if you like exposed and remote peat moorland. It really does feel like you've suddenly left urbanisation behind as the road plunges down a deserted moorland valley with just a narrow strip of empty tarmac to follow.
At the valley bottom, the route joins the normally busy Woodhead Pass road and turns sharply back on itself to head back over the Pennines into Yorkshire. Now as one of the main roads crossing the Pennines, and particularly popular with HGV, this isn't usually a road I'd usually ride. But early on a sunny Sunday morning, it was just perfect. A steady and constant gradient, smooth tarmac and a low Autumn sun to pick out the moorland colours. It's not a climb that will stretch the Tour riders, but it will be ridden at pace as the teams will want to position their leaders near the front for what is coming.
From the top of the pass, the road descends towards Sheffield on fast open roads. Round the Flouch roundabout - the road was clear and I wanted to go around it the wrong way like the Tour riders will do - the route carries on descending through Langsett before flattening out on the run in to Midhopestones where the fireworks must surely start. This is a fast section of road (+50km/h) even for me. For the Tour, with the teams desperate for a good position for their leaders, this will be full gas and the peloton will likely be strung out in one long line getting ready for the sharp right turn onto the much more technical Mortimer Road.
Now perhaps at the risk of exaggerating this a little, the pressure to be at the front for this turn will be nearly as much as the first section of cobbles in Paris-Roubaix. This is a sharp left ninety degree turn off the main road, immediately into a short but noticeable descent into the first of a series of technical climbs and descents. Coupled with a rapid deterioration in the road condition, manhole covers and narrowing of the road, these are all ingredients to make the teams want to be at the front. Like stages with cobbles when used in the Tour, the race won't be won on these roads leading into Sheffield. But it can be lost, and the contenders will be racing to be at the front out of danger.
Mortimer Road itself is a steep and twisty climb to start before flattening out and heading to the summit at a much steadier gradient. The top marks the start one of the most dangerous sections of the route though, so expect the pressure to be on in the bunch to get to the top in good position. Here the road descends at grades up to 25% down a twisting, technical and loose road before crossing the bridge in the valley bottom and swinging sharply uphill to climb the opposite side of the valley at a similar grade. The descent features a sharp hairpin near the bottom where the tarmac on the inside must be more than 30 degrees! Always loose and invariably wet as it is shaded by trees, expect some action here.
The climb out of the valley is very steep to start before steadying off and skirting the edge of the moors to the top. Here the route turns off the Strines road and heads towards the village of High Bradfield. Although the rapid ups and downs of the route are behind the riders for a while, the pressure is still on with a fast descent down to the villages following by a dangerous blind turn onto a minor road and a sharp climb with tight bends to leave the village. Once at the top, there is a short respite again as the route keep to the tops for a few kilometres of gradual descent before heading more steeply downhill on rougher roads to Oughtibridge.
Once again, the character of the route here is a fast and technical descent followed by a steep climb. This time it is Jawbone hill up to the village of Grenoside. This hill is short by European standards, as all of them are today, but it is still a steep and testing climb up to 15% grade. It will favour a powerful climber and could be an ideal spot to chance a breakaway for the finish. Just a few seconds at the top could be enough. The top also marks the end of the very technical roads so the pressure from the yellow jersey teams might ease unless there is a contender in trouble behind them. This easing could be enough to allow someone to stay away.
From Grenoside. the route skirts Sheffield with a steady climb over the hillside between Hillsborough and the Don valley and the finish line. But the fireworks aren't over yet. Jenkins Road is a short but very steep road with a reported gradient about 30 degrees - this isn't a typo - around the inside of the bend. There is even a handrail on the footpath. Now you can take the outside of the bend to ease the gradient, and it is only short. But with the finish only a few kilometres from the top, a strong rider would need only a handful of seconds to steal the stage win.
From the top, there is a descent back to the valley before looping back to the Don valley, turning towards Sheffield and the finish line near the Arena. At last!
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