Take Grinduro, quadruple the distance, substitute timing chips for Strava segments, add bikepacking bags and a sprinkling of self-sufficiency for a multi-day adventure across the Scottish Highlands.  This is the CrossduroScotland race…

The route – taking in 330km and 5,500m ascent – is based on the new #thebadgerdivide route which links several existing routes with one another to create a direct line, more than 90% off-road and rideable on adventure/gravel bikes, down the heart of Scotland from Inverness to Glasgow, cutting through glen after remote glen. 

The race is made up of 5 Strava segments encompassing killer climbs and technical descents rewarding the best all-round rider on the best all-round bike.  The five segments are aggregated automatically using the Matesrace website to create an online leaderboard, meaning the event is run for free.  Entrants just need to sign-up, turn-up, and take responsibility for their own actions.

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Huge challenging descent from Corrieyairack Pass (Image Credit: The Racing Collective)
CrossduroScotland Photo2.jpg, by The Racing Collective

The race is hosted by The Racing Collective, an informal collection of cyclists who believe adventure should be free.

The inaugural CrossduroScotland race will take place on 2-3 September 2017 and will be repeated on the first weekend of September each year.  For more details and entry go to:

http://www.theracingcollective.com/crossduroscotland.html

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Night-time riding is inevitable with this volume of riding (Image Credit: The Racing Collective)
CrossduroScotland Photo5.jpg, by The Racing Collective