More than 2,000 people will take to their bikes when one of the UK’s most respected and established cycling events, the Virgin Money Cyclone Festival of Cycling, returns to the North East next week.

A three-day festival event, the Virgin Money Cyclone sees cyclists of all ages and abilities take to some of Newcastle and Northumberland’s most scenic roads and cycleways in celebration of a the sport.

Festivities open on Friday June 19 on the banks of the River Tyne with family ride, the Tyne Six Bridges, starting and finishing at the Cycle Hub. Awarded freestyle mountain bike stunt team, Savage Skills, will wow crowds with a free live demonstration. Those inspired to get pedalling can take part in a Rollapaluza race where participants ride a mounted bike to the fastest 500m sprint, while local trader Kielder Organic Meats will dish up summertime favourites to mark the start of the festival weekend.

Saturday June 20 sees riders assemble at the Newcastle Falcons Rugby Club, Kingston Park, for the annual Virgin Money Cyclone Challenge rides. Scores of spectators line the Challenge ride routes that trace the path of professional cyclists ahead of Sunday’s competitive races. The village of Stamfordham comes to life with the Virgin Money Cyclone, a hive of activity with community groups running popular fundraising stalls.

The Virgin Money Cyclone picks up pace on Sunday June 21, the official start of summer and a day of serious race spectating for the North East. Over 200 riders – including some of the world’s best – will contest internationally recognised men’s event, the Beaumont Trophy, and Women’s National Road Race, the Curlew Cup. Past years’ winners include Dame Sarah Storey and Sir Bradley Wiggins, who this year brings his British Continental team to race the Beaumont Trophy for the first time.

Virgin Money Cyclone Festival of Cycling Founder and Organiser, Peter Harrison, said: “I’m overwhelmed each year by the amount of people who turn out to celebrate cycling and support people riding in Virgin Money Cyclone events.

“With so many world-class athletes on the starting line for Sunday and in the region training in the days leading up to their events, it’s a fantastic chance for local people to see some of the country’s sporting heroes in action in the North East.”

The Virgin Money Cyclone Festival of Cycling returns to Newcastle and Northumberland June 19 – 21. For full event information and to plan your festival weekend, visit www.virginmoneycyclone.co.uk

Let’s start this ride report at the end. Why? Well I’d say the last few miles of the Wolds 123 are just about as good as it gets for a sportive ending. The mild tail wind flattering us a little but the steady inclines do nothing to reduce us to anything below 20mph and with two separate sections that have no trouble spitting you out at well over 40mph, this is a great end to a great day in the saddle.

Rewind about 4 and a half hours or so and it’s a drizzly, threatening morning and we’re stood outside the KP Club in Pocklington deliberating what to wear. These parts, although not on our regular club run list are still familiar to us and we know only too well that the Yorkshire Wolds can make your life hell with a seemingly constant head wind and changeable weather ready to catch you out at any time.

Our plan for the day is to ride steady however inside I know this isn’t going to happen. You see there are two things you never do –  1) set off dead last, and 2) ride with two uber competitive and very fast brothers. Sibling rivalry is inevitable and I know I’m the one who will suffer.

Despite all this we leave the tranquil KP Club and set off at a pace in line with our ‘steady’ plan. Very gentleman like indeed. About a mile in though I hear an almighty screech which should be followed by a ‘BANG’ but we’re save the last bit. A combination of wet roads, brand new never tested carbon rims and an ill placed manhole cover nearly end our day before it’s really started. Accident avoided and off we go maintaining our sedate pace with the agreed plan of picking it up a bit after the first climb which may not be a monster but drags on and already reduces some to walking – in sympathy we utter “it’s gonna be a long day for those guys”  carry on and seriously pick up the pace as planned. From here on it’s chain gang for our trio most of the time and the whilst I’ve no problem pulling my own on the flatter sections, the bigger hills highlight our differences in ability so it’s tough going. One saving grace is every time I latch back on I’m sheltered by the two 6ft 4 riding buddies at least until it’s my time to lead!

Whilst often overshadowed by the Yorkshire and Cumbria National Parks, The Wolds really do have a charm to their own and Thixendale is one such place that is a real treat with the winding road taking you through a small yet very picturesque valley. We will visit this area again with less joy later but for now all is smiles for miles : )

The miles flow by without major incident and we find ourselves at the only feed station of the day and gorge on flapjacks, coffee and fruit under the impression that the organisers want everyone to re-group before setting off again. This plan changes as it becomes apparent some riders are a long way back and the original plan of all setting off from the feed station as a ‘second start’ isn’t feasible today. It’s a nice idea though on what has always been billed as a cross between a competitive sportive and a club run.

Once we see everyone else has set off again (and some time ago) we too head on our way and despite once again agreeing to take the pace down a few notches we soon resume the previous strategy of ‘basically smashing it’, dropping me on the now very frequent climbs, re-grouping and smashing it some more. By the time we reach Hovingham my legs start to bite and are really suffering. OK I’m still holding a strong pace but the gap to the first two is widening making it harder to keep up. Keep up I do though (mostly due to understanding ride partners) until we hit Terrington Bank. Whilst not a challenging climb at all, it reduces me to a very steady pace and cursing the fact my good climbing legs from the previous Tuesday nights ride haven’t gotten out of bed with me today.

Eventually we reform our trio and I try my hardest to convince the other two to go it alone. I’m making good time, passing everyone we come across and feeling very strong on the flatter parts but in no way can I hold my own anymore. I lose count of the times I offer to finish alone but they’re having none of it and insist we stay together. This probably eventually adds 20-30 minutes to their finishing time and I curse having to work hard to keep up but in retrospect I’m glad we stayed together.

Again the miles roll by managing to keep the cramp twinges to a minimum in preparation for the biggest effort of the day. About 60 miles in we hit a series of short steep climbs that I’d relish on a short ride but not so today, and I once again bid the others farewell knowing what’s lurking over the next brow. A 20% climb that stays leg crunchingly steep for a good 5 minutes reduces many to walking and at least one chain snap for some poor soul. It’s tough but manageable at a steady pace and passes without too much trouble leaving us a fast last 17 or so miles back to the KP Club.

A puncture halts progress during our second visit to Thixendale and the climb out of the valley drops me unceremoniously but rather predictably out the back (yet) again.

From here it starts to get a bit silly again and the pace stays very high right through with each of us taking good turns on the front. Whilst I get dropped once more with about 3 miles to go it doesn’t bother me seeing as I glance down at my mud splattered and sweat soaked Garmin and I’m climbing (albeit only about 5%) at 19.5mph with legs now hinting at cramp with every revolution. In a nutshell Damian has fu??ed off at a hellish rate prompting Guy to chase him down while my legs say something like “don’t even think about it mate”. Finally regrouping for the last descent we roll in all agreeing it’s been a great day out. The weather cleared up not long after the start too and delivered the sun, dried the roads and very un-Woldsy like gave us a little tail wind for the last few miles.

Back at the KP Club we’re treated to a free pint and spag bol whilst enjoying the stunning surroundings and the standard recounting tales of the day before heading back home.

So should you do this ride in 2015. Hell yeah. It’s similar to the Pock Pedal but about 20 miles shorter whilst still bringing you just short of 6000ft of ascent so yes it is a challenge but the route itself is nothing to be scared of.  I will most definitely be back next year and likely with a much bigger group of friends to ride with. Rich and Hafi (Baldwin Titanium) have put on a brilliant ride and should be applauded. Nice work chaps.

This story starts way back in 2012 on the same ride and about 45 miles or so in to what would eventually be a very long and ‘character building’ day. Poor pre ride nutrition and a pace far too hot to maintain resulted in the worst cramps I’ve experienced both before and since. Quads, Hams, Calves all painfully cramped on both legs to the point of seeing ‘worms’ constantly wriggling under the skin. Couldn’t stand, couldn’t sit, and with 60 miles of challenging terrain still left to navigate. Whilst the route that day left a positive impression on me, the experience didn’t so ever since then I’ve vowed to go back and give it another go.

Fast forward 2 years and once again I’m on the start line at the Newcastle Falcons’ stadium amidst the great atmosphere enjoyed at the event, looking forward to another century and hopefully an awesome day out on the bike.

Morning prep still wasn’t great opting for more time in bed as opposed a good hearty brekkie but hey ho some things will just never change. My riding buddy for the day (cheers Paul Annetts) is similar rider to me – both strong and powerful riders but with a preference for shorter rides rather than 100 mile+ and both pretty average when the gradient kicks up for any real length of time. We’d do pretty well in a sprint train but sadly we’d probably be an hour too late to contest it!!! So pretty well matched for a day out on the bike.

Our game plan for the day was simple, enjoy the ride. Couldn’t care less what our time is, we just want to get out there, ride well and finish with a big smile and great memories – oh and preferably no cramp.

It’s funny, on the start line there’s a bit of conversation although nothing too intelligent, but as soon as we get going it’s back on to the same topics we covered in the bar over a few beers last night (great prep once again) basically general chit chat and putting the world to rights. As usual there’s the plethora of adrenaline fuelled guys and girls smashing it from the gun but we stick to our game plan and tick along nicely, holding our own and slowly moving up from group to group but without forgetting this was a long day in the saddle not to be taken lightly.

Save for the odd idiot riding on the wrong side of the road (I assumed he has the rare ability to see round blind corners) and the typical bloke who overtakes only to slow down right in front of you and then sit back on your wheel for the next 10 miles, the first 40 or so miles flow by nicely in the glorious sunshine. (For anyone doing this in 2015, take care on the ‘dangerous descent’ after the first feed station. You only realise why it’s dangerous right at the bottom when the 20% descent leads you on to a small patch that looks like they just didn’t bother building it!! – take care)

As the route profile suggests this is a tough ride with over 8300ft of climbing pretty evenly spread across the first 90 miles (the last bit is a nice flat run home), and whilst the roads are a bit sketchy in places it’s nothing to put you off. The reward for all your effort is a terrain somewhere in between the Dales, Moors, and Wolds.

Back on the road we’re fast approaching the start of what is undoubtedly the hardest part of the route and is also the start of my troubles back in 2012. The route takes you up over bleak moor land with endless dragging climbs, steep descents and then very steep climbs all on narrow raods where the edges just blend in to the fields at the side. This in turn obviously puts off any traffic and I can’t recall seeing one car for miles on end. At home we spend most of our time riding in the Dales and this is just as tough no question.  This time though I’m cramp free and feeling great. Others clearly aren’t having quite such a good time as the number of ‘walkers’ breaking the rules and pushing carbon really starts to increase until we pass one poor soul who’s snapped his rear derailleur clean off on a steep ascent with around 40 miles still to go and in the middle of nowhere. Not ideal.

The following 20-30 miles follow the same pattern of tough climbing, fast descending, bit of flat, then repeat. This is hard riding country but every steep ascent rewards with truly stunning views so not one complaint passes our lips. As we enter the 3^rd feed station at around 75 miles it dawns on me that not only have I not cramped but I also feel pretty fresh and just as eager to keep riding as I was at the start. This only increases when we randomly bump in to a friend so our duet becomes a trio for the remaining miles. We ease the pace a little to accommodate our newly found trio’s varying legs soreness and with the knowledge that the climb everyone dreads is approaching –The Ryals.

The Ryals are whispered about in tales of woe around these parts and with heavy legs they are a challenge not welcomed by everyone. They may not be long but are wickedly steep and whilst split by 100 meters of flat, the 2 sections of the climb come straight after each other so you’re just celebrating beating one as the other creeps up. At a guess I’d say they are around 20%, dead straight and they reduce about half of the riders I can see to the ‘walk of shame’. Fortunately and rather unexpectedly I’m still feeling great so have no problem on them and we all continue on our merry way.

Then suddenly out of the blue we get overtaken by a rather serious looking girl who’s clearly riding with ambition  – “I’m not having THAT lads” and in a show of defiance I quickly over take her again, we both chuckle but she’s clearly not impressed at being caught and as I sit up to wait for the other two she speeds off up the road, again with another chuckle. After about 3 minutes she can still be seen about 200 meters up ahead and suddenly it happens –the red mist. I get the pistons firing so the catch doesn’t take long and for the next 15 minutes I’m the fastest moving thing for miles!!

Any way my sense of urgency eventually dies down and the three musketeers reform at the feed stop for the last stretch home, which save for the odd slight incline is an easy enough few miles that we hit pretty hard but without incident. The strong pace eventually reduces us to a duet again and so we finish as we started, both with huge smiles and a high 5.

To say I had a score to settle with this ride is an understatement but now it’s also fair to say it is the best sportive experience I’ve ever had, no question  – and I’ve ridden quite a few. Everything from the route, the weather, the organisation, well stocked feed stations and of course my riding buddies were spot on and faultless. OK smoother roads in parts would be nice but you can’t have everything can you!!

No question we’re signing up for next year and you should too.

In the interest of appealing to our many female followers and users we thought we would hand over the reigns to Liz Annetts, a very good friend of North Yorkshire Cycling for this one…………

Whilst I’d heard of the Colomba Chemo Classic sportive I’d only heard some of the guys at our club talking about it so despite not really knowing too much I’d already come to the conclusion it must be a pretty hard ride to tackle at the end of the season. So when the Ladies first mentioned the idea of riding it I looked on the website and whilst I knew the distance wouldn’t worry me too much, the amount of climbing would be beyond my capability.  However after much persuasion I finally let myself be talked into registering and my motto for the day became “It’s better to finish last, than never to have the courage to start”.

So with that in mind I got up at ridiculous o’clock on the 9th November and travelled up to Richmond with one of my friends. Full of excitement and nerves we met the other two ladies who would make up our own mini peloton up there and agreed we would just take our time and enjoy the day….famous last words!

Despite the forecast showing a cloudy day we set off in light rain, however considering this was November in The Dales we weren’t too surprised or put off. However just 3 miles in and we were stopped by our first mechanical of the day and whilst we weren’t entirely sure of the problem, it didn’t seem serious so a few tweeks and off we went.

A few more miles and a quick saddle adjustment it was time to start the constant fuelling I’d been told to keep up with. Being relatively new to longer distance riding I’d been warned about the cost of under fuelling on tough rides so had come prepared with bananas, gels and a variety of snacks to keep me going.

By now the rain had become decidedly heavier so out came the rain jackets – so much for the ‘cloudy’ day we’d been promised.

We continued on through various villages each with their own Dales charm (even in the rain) heading through Middleham and on to The Forbidden Corner. The going was good but it still felt like an absolute eternity to get anywhere. This part of the UK is tough enough to ride in during the summer in let alone in terrible conditions however as we started to rise further up in to The Dales the scenery was breathtaking and even on a miserable day like today I still found that I was surprisingly enjoying myself.

However all that changed when we dropped down a steep sharp hill before we started the Coverdale climb. Now I’m not good with hills…it’s safe to say a hate them with a passion, but the first part of the hill climb I was alongside my friend and neither one of us stopping because we knew if one of us did the other one would too. Making it to the top without getting off gave me a feeling of elation. My legs were heavy, dead, wet and cold and these really steep Dales climbs are usually beyond me so to make it up was a battle won. However we continued on slowly climbing until out of nowhere came another much steeper and much longer hill – I knew then my celebration had been a bit premature.

I attacked the first part as hard as I could but in the end it was just too much. I was exhausted, wet and as I looked up I saw one of my friends already off her bike which was the final straw. Only one of our foursome carried on and made it to the top – like a woman on a mission.  Our senses of humour never failed us as we tried to imagine what the view would look like if only we could see further than a few feet in front of us. We managed to get back on our bikes near to the summit by which time it was snowing sideways, and we began to realise how bleak the dales could be. God only knows how some others who’d driven a long way to get here felt.

One plus side of the encompassing bleak weather that the roaming Highland Cattle couldn’t see us. Apparently they had ran some of the men off the road some time earlier so we counted our blessings that we’d reached them under cover. Riding in these parts offers a rewarding experience with open country roads and stunning views but this brings with it the possibility of encountering roaming cattle so in these conditions it pays to be careful.

Incident free we got back on our bikes only for the saddle and rear wheel mechanicals to rear their ugly heads again and It was at this point that one of the ladies started to show signs of hypothermia so we knew we needed to get down off the hill quickly. The temperature had now dropped to below zero and whilst our bodies didn’t feel too cold, our feet and fingers were frozen and numb.

As we started to descend the fearsome Park Rash the problematic rear wheel suddenly had shards of metal flying off it yet every time we stopped there didn’t seem to be anything obviously wrong with it so there was no option than to loosen it off and continue. Even taking it very gingerly, it’s no fun going down a 22% gradient when you can’t feel your fingers to brake. The rushing water and tight hairpin bend didn’t help either but finally we all made it down safely.  A scary experience which I’m told is no better when it’s dry.

Our mission was to then get to Kettlewell where we had decided we would end our journey.  We ended up in Zarina’s Cafe where we warmed up and planned how to get back to Richmond to collect the cars.  The cafe was like a cyclists refuge, a lovely log burning fire with people warming around it and an extremely welcoming owner who looked after us very well. Fortunately for us we bumped into a friend who had driven up to repatriate her husband so our two car drivers got a lift back with them whilst my friend and I sat drinking coffee for the rest of the afternoon!

The management of the ride was brilliant with the organisers repatriating those who had abandoned back to Richmond and ensuring that each and every participant was checked back in. We weren’t alone in our abandonment and it was nice to see the organisers had put a plan in place for this.

Now whilst it may sound like this was a truly miserable day, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  My cycling companions were fantastic, the weather did not dampen our sense of humour and the cafe stop was the icing on the cake (literally). I’d certainly have no hesitation in attempting this ride again….although hopefully in better conditions next time.