Leeds - Preston - Cycling Simulator - Online Cycling Manager

Leeds - Preston is a race with lot of categorised climbs, with no fewer than eleven, of which the underlined eight are at least partially cobbled, which must surely bring joy to the heart of precisely nobody who has to actually ride this race.

The riders will set off from Leeds on their hellacious journey, which could most definitely be considered as "Hell of the Yorkshire". The early parts of the race are fairly benign, to ease the riders into the proceedings and allow a break to form. After about 30 kilometres, however, we get our first taste of cobbles as the riders take on The Hough, a 500m cobbled stretch, albeit in much better condition than Ploughcroft Lane or Trooper Lane. The mostly consistent 13% is pretty tame in comparison to Trooper Lane.

After 3 kilometres of descending narrow roads the riders hit the iconic Shibden Wall. The average is as near as can be to 15%, but it gets higher, reaching up to 25% as riders curse the day that they were born. This is the climb that approaches the slope from the east, and then turns to the north; going straight on at the summit takes us down Ploughcroft Lane, and if it's wet, descending 13% cobbles is a bad, bad idea.

The climb up Trooper Lane starts at the bottom by the entrance to the old cemetery, at Swan Bank Lane, with a broad cobbled ramp that is a taster of things to come. Swan Bank veers to the left, while Trooper Lane is straight ahead, looking ominously steep. The lower section is tarmacked, before breaking out into the cobbles proper after the first big hair pin.

Then it rises in a straight line, with a gradually increasing gradient, before turning to the right and emerge at the summit, at 237 meters above sea level. At this point, the riders get a bit of a rest. The groups on the road should be splintered all over the place by this point, and so they will relish the chance to have 10 or so kilometres of respite. The feeling of smooth tarmac that isn't slanted uphill at 20% will make them happy.

Luddenden is a real gem of a village. Hidden away up a little valley, it's like wandering into a film set. And here is where the next climb is. With only 200 meter, but 21.8% Old Lane is the shortest of the climbs in the race. Before the riders descent down to Hebden Bridge for more climbs. The Buttress at Hebden Bridge, is an another old road going straight up the hill side. It is probably the original lower section of the current road into Heptonstall. The riders then turn into the climb up to Heptontstall, a pretty village at the top with cobbled streets.

It is still possible that at this point no real attacks have come; groups will be splintered more by attrition than anything else. But with only two cobbled climbs remaining, the action can be delayed no further. This action comes in the form of Thwaites Brow, one of Britain's most savage cobbled climbs. Cobbles are in poor condition and smoothed over with occasional tarmac blotches on the pavé; once more gradients get over 20%, and though not all of the climb is cobbled, we do have over a kilometre of ascent here where attacks can be made or broken. Following on from this there is a brief downhill before our final berg of the day, Hainworth Lane. Only 400-450 meters of this ascent are on the cobbles, but they are the most important. If you want to break away from your rivals, this your change. 62km remain at the summit of Hainworth Lane, and no they are not flat. But they aren't exactly destructive either - a descent, then a couple of kilometres uphill at 3-4%, before a similarly shallow downhill towards the line. The final 2 kilometres are absolutely straight into the centre of Preston. Where you shouldn’t be afraid of a bunch sprint.