Climbing Where Races Daren't Tread

Thereare summit finishes no major race in Britain has dared go to, but Simon Warren has. And he’s eager that you, and the pros, should too.

There are probably a myriad of perfectly good reasons but there’s no escaping the fact that last year’s Tour of Britain, was, well, a bit flat, and let’s be honest flat doesn’t entertain anyone, not until the final kilometre at least. What we bike racing fans want are hills, big hills and more than that we want, we demand, a proper summit finish.

There have been a few in our national tour in recent years and granted they provided spectacle, but we could do better, much better. Out there lie roads that could truly entertain, climbs so long and high that they would not look out of place in a Grand Tour and it’s about time we used them. Alright, there may be some legal issues, some forms to fill in, people to pay off but that’s stuff for men in suits to work out between themselves, all we need to ask is, “Would the Vuelta use them?” If the answer is yes, and it’s always yes, then we must use them.

Every year the Tour of Spain’s organisers seem to unearth a climb steeper, more remote and downright crazier than the year before. If it’s paved, if it’s wide enough for a car and finishes at the top of the world then it’s fair game, so it’s about time we followed their example. Of course there are certain practicalities that need consideration — room at the top for a finish line, space to get the infrastructure up — but remember, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

So what are you waiting for Tour of Britain? Let’s use the natural resources at our disposal, let’s squeeze more out of our topography, let’s send our national tour to the top of a crazy mountain top and let’s make Britain’s tour great again.

Great Dun Fell 

Height gain 638m 

Total climb distance 7.45km 

Average gradient 8.6%