One of our favourite UK sportives, the legendary Dragon Ride is back for 2020, taking place in the Brecon Beacons on Sunday 7th of June.
And the Dragon has a few surprises up its scaly sleeve for 2020. Firstly, the routes have been reversed for the first time since 2012.
"We have scoured the archives for records of when the route was last reversed," say organisers Human Race. "We have driven the length and breadth of the Brecon Beacons to check the roads, and it has all led to the four amazing new routes."
Dragon Ride is known as the toughest sportive in the UK, challenging thousands of cyclists each year to take on some of the best climbing in the country. The routes take riders on a tour of the beautiful South Wales Valleys, with dramatic Alpine switchbacks and stunning scenery along the way.
Four routes are on offer, starting with the Macmillan 100km route and going all the way up to the Devil 300km challenge.
For 2020 the organisers have also announced the introduction of camping for both the Dragon Ride and the three-day Dragon Tour. Located just minutes from the start lines, the campsite offers a convenient way to enjoy the event, get to know your fellow cyclists and tick off a bucket list challenge.
Priority entry to L'Etape du Tour 2020
An exciting new development for those looking for the ultimate sportive experience: anyone who enters the Dragon by 15th October 2019 will also get access to a priority window to enter L'Etape du Tour before the general public.
Widely regarded as the pinnacle of amateur sportive riding, L'Etape du Tour offers cyclists a chance to ride a mountain stage of the Tour de France.
Dragon Tour
Speaking of tours, the Dragon Tour takes place on 5th and 6th of June, returning to Glanusk Estate. 500 riders will tackle 2 or 3 days of tough stage riding across a choice of 2 routes each day, all equally beautiful and challenging, before finishing with their choice of route on the Dragon Ride on the Sunday.
Dragon Ride 2020: The routes
Let's take a look at each route on the Dragon Ride and what has changed for the 2020 event:
Macmillan 100: The 100km route has been completely reversed. Riders will now face Rhigos and the Bwlch from the opposite direction, which brings a new challenge and collection of new views - not to mention new Strava segments.
Medio Fondo: The "medium" option on the Dragon is now 100 miles long! This year sees the Medio route extended to 161km with an additional 80m of elevation, making it the longest and highest Medio Fondo ever for Dragon.
New sections have been added and the ever-popular Devil's Elbow has been kept and will be tackled in the traditional direction.
Gran Fondo: Slightly shorter than previous years, but still with an epic 3526m of climbing, riders will tackle the Bwlch, Rhigos and Black Mountain from the opposite direction as well as two new sections. The Devil's Elbow will be approached from the usual direction.
Devil: The organisers reckon this is the longest and highest route ever conceived for Dragon, stretching 300km and climbing over 4,900m in total.
Featuring all the favourite climbs in reverse, apart from the Devil's Elbow and Staircase, it's a fearsome challenge - thankfully the event-day organisation is among the best in the business, and so are the feed stops.
This is sure to be a new challenge for the Dragon faithful and more popular than ever with the cyclists looking for the biggest challenges in Europe.
Entries for the Dragon Ride 2020 are open now. Pricing is £47.50 for the Macmillan 100, £55.50 for the Medio Fondo, £60.75 for the Gran Fondo and £92.50 for the Devil. Discounted entries are available to riders who undertake to raise £200 for Macmillan.
Premium entries are also on offer, which includes a personalised iTab, complimentary event photos, and the official event jersey, which in 2019 was created by Rapha.
For more details and to book your place, visit www.dragonride.co.uk.
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