Newcastleton Cross-Border Classic Sportives

2014 - Third time's a charm

Join us in the stunning Scottish Borders and Cumbrian and Northumberland landscape for this early season cycling weekend. The village of Newcastleton is nestled in the land of Reivers and Romans and the routes on offer provide the perfect opportunity to explore this wild, often overlooked, area of mainland Britain.

Enjoy the quiet twisting lanes, open Roman roads, challenging climbs and seemingly never-ending descents while taking in the magnificent scenery of Eskdalemuir and Kielder Reservoir with maybe the odd glimpse of Hadrian's Wall - few sportives can boast such a varied and interesting journey through two millenia of Britain's chequered history.

The weekend will feature two routes heading south into England on Saturday and two heading north through Scotland on Sunday using the established Southern Borders Loop cycling routes so riders can choose to do as little as 45 miles or up to 160 miles in a weekend!

Entry costs just £17 for one day or £30 to take part on both days until January 2014 with all the usual services and support on offer. Find out more on the Event Info page.

The Route

Both routes head south out of Newcastleton village centre and immediately start heading up into Kershope forest and wind gently through the quiet Cumbrian lanes through Bewcastle towards Askerton Castle. (Feed Station at 18 miles.) Just after the feed station the shorter route branches off to the west before heading back north to the village.

The longer route turns east towards Gilsland crossing over Hadrian's Wall and joins the old Roman road, making the long, exposed drag east following the route of the wall. (Pray for a tail wind here or just get your head down and pedal!) At Tower Tye it turns north across the rolling Northumberland landscape towards Bellingham (Feed Station approx 45 miles) before setting out on the lonely road to Kielder Reservoir. Enjoy the glorious views and the stillness of Europe's largest manmade forest as you follow the reservoir's shoreline to it's northern tip and Kielder village. (Feed Station approx 65 miles) From here there's just a short climb to cross over the border and then it's almost downhill all the way back to the village start.

The routes head north and gradually climb up through Wauchope Forest on the quiet road to Hawick. The short route splits off just before Hawick and heads east towards Bonchester Bridge. (Feed Station approx 20 miles.) It then starts the long, gradual climb up and over the forest again but the car park at the summit marks the start of a very long and very rewarding descent back to Newcastleton.

The long route continues through Hawick and heads west on the B711, climbing up to Alemoor Reservoir. (Feed Station approx 25 miles) Elevation remains high as it skirts Craik Forest following a variety of small Burns. At Ettrick the route turns south and climbs high into the forest before starting what feels like a never ending descent down through Eskdalemuir (and last time we were there, they'd just finished resurfacing the road - this truly is a road cyclists dream road!) (Feed Station approx 50 miles) and on into Langholm. Now comes the sting in the tail with the final climb over Terrona Hill back to Newcastleton.