BikeStow 3-Day breaks new ground
The second edition of the BikeStow 3-day in the West Midlands will culminate with a tough summit finish near the Welsh-English border, at the end of a final stage which will break new ground as it crosses the border several times using a circuit near the town of Presteigne which will be used for racing for the first time. The race for 2nd, 3rd and 4th categories was held for the first time last year, backed by cycle storage makers BikeStow, with leaders’ jerseys supplied by ProVision.
“We were relatively conservative in year one, using established circuits, and the race went smoothly and was well received by the riders, so we want to try and experiment a little bit in year two,” said organiser William Fotheringham of organising club Halesowen A & CC. “It’s also a good opportunity to bring in a new circuit, and I’d like to thank the Welsh Cycling Union for their help with this.”
Stage one on Friday June 23 is 30 miles on the flat circuit at Ellerdine in Staffordshire, while on Saturday June 24 the action moves to the more rolling course at Inkberrow in Warwickshire, with a short time trial in the morning, and 60 miles in the afternoon.
Sunday June 25’s 15-mile circuit based on Presteigne, Walton and Kington includes three short, stiff ascents on each lap as it switches in and out of Wales and England, before heading past Presteigne and up the climb of Beggars’ Bush for the finish. “We are using the harder side, from the north, but it’s not a crazily hard climb, it has pitches at 10% and it is about three quarters of a mile long, so it should suit strong all-rounders as well as climbers,” said Fotheringham. “Going up only once and with the punchy roads beforehand, there is a good chance for a break to get established as well.”
In 2022, the overall title went to Ben Chilton of Spectra, with stage wins going to Kirk Vickers (Holohan Coaching), Liam James-Morris (Wales Racing Academy) and William Abbott (InFlite).
Entries are welcomed from teams – with a minimum of three riders and maximum of five – and individual riders. https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/275962/BikeStow-3-Day-2023