Five thousand cyclists. Eighty-one gruelling miles. One of Scotland’s highest mountains.
The Etape Caledonia, Britain’s first closed-road mass-participation cycling race, is not for the faint-hearted.
But then nothing worth doing was ever easy. Encompassing the beauty of Loch Tummel and Loch Rannoch before approaching the famous climb of Schiehallion, the route takes in some of the finest scenery Perthshire has to offer.
All 3,000 general entry places for the 2016 ride were snapped up shortly after they were released.
However, there are still charity entry slots on offer. Participants pay a £75 fee and pledge to raise £300 for the event’s charity, Marie Curie.
Also available are £170 premium passes which guarantee a start in the first wave of cyclists.MilestoneSophie Blackett is the Marie Curie Etape Caledonia’s event director. She is expecting the 2016 race to be the best yet.
“It’s going to be a very exciting year. This will be the event’s 10th anniversary and we’re currently planning how to mark that milestone in style,” she said.
This is Sophie’s third year with the Etape Caledonia.
“My first year was as route manager and now I’m event manager,” she continues, before admitting: “I haven’t actually cycled the whole route yet. I’ve driven it enough times to know how tiring it must be, though, especially going up Schiehallion.”
She is thrilled that the Etape has inspired so many similar rides.
“It’s great that so many other events have been launched off the back of our Etape,” Sophie continues.
“I think most of them regard us as still the best as well as the original sportive.”
The 5,000 cyclists who take on the course’s 81 miles span all ability levels.
“At the one end you’ve got elite cyclists who will complete the race in three and a half hours,” Sophie explains.
“And at the other end of the spectrum we’ll have people for whom this is their first ever cycling event.”
Sophie’s advice for novice riders is simple: “Train get out on your bike and clock up hours in the saddle. The more training you do, the better time you’ll have.
“It’s the difference between enjoying the beautiful scenery while you ride or gritting your teeth and getting your head down to reach the finish line.”
The primary purpose of the ride is raising money for charity.
Last year alone the event generated more than £300,000.
Many riders don the yellow jerseys of Team Marie Curie to raise vital funds to help people living with a terminal illness and their families.
Marie Curie’s James Wright said: “In 2013/14 Marie Curie supported 40,844 terminally ill people across the UK and we couldn’t do that without generous support from events such as this.”Big boostThe ride also brings an estimated economic boost of more than £1 million to the area.
“We’re very grateful to the people living on the route who allow 5,000 cyclists and their families to descend on their quiet little villages for the weekend,” Sophie adds.
“Local people and businesses have been incredibly welcoming to us.”
And Sophie says the event will be returning to the area for years to come.
“We’ve signed a deal with Perth and Kinross Council to hold it there for at least the next five years, so we look forward to it being there for a long time to come.”The Courier is the official media partner for Etape Caledonia 2016. For more information, visit etapecaledonia.co.uk.