CYCLING CLIMBS OF THE DRAGON RIDE 2020 THE ROADS THAT MAKE THE EVENT BY SIMON WARREN elcome to your exclusive climbs and wide open spaces. Just after guide to the climbs of the the 50 kilometre mark those on the 2020 Dragon Ride where Medio route split to immediately take Wyou’ll find insight into the 10 key on the full 8.9 kilometres of Bwlch ascents that shape this great event. Bryn-Rhudd which leaves the Gran Taking in the best scenery South Wales Fondo and Dragon Devil heading has to offer the routes this year have west to face up to Black Mountain. been given a dramatic shake up. Although not my favoured side, this As you can see everything has been climb is still a huge challenge and turned on its head and for the first time although it lacks the signature curves in over a decade the routes are being and bends of the northern face it does run in a clockwise direction. I say pass through arguably better scenery as everything but that’s not quite true. The it crosses the spine of the ridge. What two signature climbs of the Devil’s you miss climbing the north side you’ll Elbow and Devil’s staircase remain in get to enjoy descending as you flow place and in their correct orientation but through its sweeping corners on the everything else has been masterfully rapid passage into the valley where at re-enginered to present you with a the 84 kilometre mark the Gran Fondo fresh and invigorated challenge. Unless separates to leave just the brave to you’ve signed up to ride the full Dragon head north to find the Devil’s Staircase. Devil then you’ll not manage to tick off The ‘Staircase’ is etched into British all the climbs in this guide on your day cycling folk law having found fame out and let’s face it, 300 kilometres is a and notoriety via it’s inclusion on the hell of a long way. The opportunity to parcours of the Milk Race many years ride the one and only Devil’s Staircase ago. There’s some grainy footage on though, is a challenge many will not be Youtube that’s well worth checking out able to resist. if you like scenes of powerful Russians Starting and finishing in the familiar grinding impossibly big gears up 25% surroundings of Margam Park all four slopes. Not to mention 1980’s cars being routes now head out to the west before pushed uphill by hordes of spectators returning from the east and all start as they stutter to a halt on the vicious with the vicious twin ramps of Sardis gradient. This long excursion north is of Hill. This will shock the legs into action course worth it not just for the climbs then a short while later following the but the approach road to the Staircase junction at Glynneath the Macmillian is simply sublime and seems a million route breaks away and heads east to miles from anywhere. Looping back Hirwaun. Continuing up Glynneath south the Dragon Devil links back up Hill the other three head on their way with the Gran Fondo on the foot slopes into the mountains in search of giant of Bwlch Cerrig Duon which they tackle together before merging with the Medio DEVIL’s STAIRCASE A47 Fondo to take on the remainder, and the 1.3 KM 12.5% toughest part of Bwlch Bryn-Rhudd then ABERGWESYN LEGEND making their way to the timed climb, BEULAH A483 UNDERSTANDING THE FACTFILE AND RATINGS the Devil’s Elbow. You know instantly that anything labeled ‘Devil’ is going LLANWRTYD to present a challenge and the Elbow WELLS LOCATIONS TOP TIP certainly does. Climbing gently through RHANDIRMWYN SUGAR LOAF HILL the valley on the narrowest of roads 2.6 KM 6% On each factfile you will see a small colour Each Factfile includes a brief tip to help you coded graphic of the four Dragon Ride routes. get to the top of it in the best shape, together through the gnarled scenery, it’s hard MYNYDD On that graphic, highlighted in white you will with the climb’s key statistics and of course not to gulp when you see the final bends EPYNT also see the location of each particular climb. the map to show where the climb starts and come into view. Ramping up the firstA482 You can use this to see which climb appears on finishes. Also is the approximate time needed LLANDOVERY which route and whereabouts on that route it to ride each hill, timed over the distance left hand hairpin you better get yourself appears. Only one route features all ten climbs marked, this time will be slow for some but fast ready for some serious time in the pain DRAGON DEVIL but all four contain three of them. for others, so see how you fair. cave. You’ve got to give this one all youA40 SENNYBRIDGE A40 have, if not to top the leaderboard or Crai A4215 LLANGADOG FACTFILE post a good time on Strava but just to MEDIO FONDO Keep a steady pace until beat your mates. The added impetus CRAI HEOL TOP TIP GRAN FONDO SENNI the steep bends come into view. A4067 an officially timed section gives is not to When you arrive at the first bend BWLCH CERRIG DUON HEOL SENNI be underestimated and it will spur you on 5.2 KM 3.7% ride wide to the right to minimise imon Warren 2019 | www.100climbs.co.uk imon Warren S the gradient and conversely at to dig as deep as you can. Once you’ve BLACK MOUNTAIN the next one ride to the left. given your all up The Elbow continue 5.3 KM 5.8% BLACK LENGTH 1825m south to meet up with the Macmillan MOUNTBWLCH BRYN-AIRHUNDD DEVIL’s ELBOW 4.1 KM 3.9% 1.8 KM 10.3% HEIGHT GAIN 188m route and together all four line up to do AVERAGE GRADIENT 10.3% FOREST GLYNNEATH HILL A470 FAWR battle with the final two huge obstacles, 3.2 KM 5.4% MAXIMUM GRADIENT 17% Righos and The Bwlch. APPROX CLIMB TIME 11mins 2km There’s no point in being fresh for YSTALYFERA GLYN-NEATH A465 A465 the journey home and the more you A474 INCLUDED ON MACMILLAN 100 MEDIO FONDO GRAN FONDO DRAGON DEVIL leave on the road the more calories you HIRWAUN ext, photographs, design and illustrations copyright © RHIGOS T can consume afterwards so smash it up MACMILLAN 100 5.6 KM 4% ABERDARE uide. RATINGS MAP KEY these climbs. Once crossed it’s all down NEATH G hill to the finish, the perfect way to end SARDIS HILL yclist’s The climbs are all given a rating out of ten, Ride Route C a tough ride. 1 KM 5.5% A4233 ten being the toughest and you may notice oad A R A Road 123 So which ever route you have chosen A the scores of some have changed from their B1234 ide: appearance in my previous books. This is B Road A4063 R to ride I hope you enjoy the climbs of THE BWLCH because I’m rating them in the context of the M4 4.35 KM 5.8% Minor Road ragon south Wales, enjoy the unique character D event, so naturally the Devil’s staircase now STATION MAESTEG A4064 gets a 10, instead of a nine as it had previously Rail line of each one, soak up the scenery they PORT START take you though and of course the TALBOT held. The rating is an amalgamation Hill route S F limbs of the of gradient, length, the likely hostility FINISH TING START FINISH C challenge of beating these famous RA of the riding conditions, and the Town TOWN ycling 10/10 2km roads. Simon. C condition of the surface. Scale SARDIS HILL PONTRHYDYFEN, PORT TALBOT The first change on the new routes will hit all riders after 15 kilometres in the saddle and although short includes two nasty little ramps. Heading east to west on the B4287 from Pontrhydyfen to Neath, Sadis Hill kicks up from the junction with Ton Mawr Road and within a hundred metres hits around 14%. The pitch of the slope is further accentuated by the tall brick walls either side which are remnants of an abandoned railway bridge. Continuing to rise harshly past a couple of houses it’s not too long before you reach the gentle middle section. Take the chance to catch your breath here as before you know it the second ramp arrives to take you to the top. Longer than the first hard stretch but not quite as steep it begins abruptly then fades as you approach the summit. Passing over a small bridge, the trees either side recede and the houses of Cimla begin before you arrive at the top at the small crossroads. 200m Ramps up like a wall 150 at the start 100 Steep gradients return A465 0m 250 500 750 1000 B4434 FACTFILE NEATH TOP TIP Don’t go in all guns blazing on the first steep ramp or you will Cimla suffer towards the top, leave any heroics for later in the day. B4287 TING LENGTH 1140m HEIGHT GAIN 71m RA AVERAGE GRADIENT 6.3% Pontrhydyfen 3/10 MAXIMUM GRADIENT 14% A4107 APPROX CLIMB TIME 4.5mins 1km INCLUDED ON MACMILLAN 100 MEDIO FONDO GRAN FONDO DRAGON DEVIL GLYNNEATH HILL GLYNNEATH, NEATH PORT TALBOT This climb appears minor in the grand scheme of things, but underestimate it at your peril.