Etape Caledonia organisers launch English closed roads sportive, Etape Pennines

IMG, organisers of the Etape Caledonia and Etape Hibernia, have announced a new event in the North East of England, the Etape Pennines, which will see its inaugural edition a year this Sunday, on 7 October 2012. The closed-road event will see riders tackle a course of 78 miles in County Durham, with full route details still to be announced.

One thing that will be guaranteed though, is plenty of climbing, with the North Pennines featuring some tough ascents as well as Killhope Cross in the Wear Valley, which at 2,056 feet is England’s highest classified road.

Online entries are already open, however, and given the success of the Etape Caledonia are likely to sell out very quickly, despite the lack of detailed informatio.

So if you want to take part in the debut edition of what is likely to become a regular fixture on the calendar, you’d better be quick - despite the lack of detailed information currently available,

The entry fee is £61, and like the Etape Caledonia the event will raise funds for the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity.

With the women-only Cycletta series, launched earlier this year, losing its fully closed roads status after discussions with relevant police and councils due to the relatively low numbers of riders who entered, Etape Pennines is likely to be England’s only sportive on fully closed roads next year.