The WXCRL Dorset Tour 22-24/08/2009

The last weekend of August (22nd-24th) sees the Tour of Dorset, a 2nd cat race for the more adventurous club rider and something of a monument in the calendar of the Wessex League. With four stages in three days, around the picturesque Isle of Purbeck in south Dorset, the terrain should mean that there will be little time to admire the view.  Beginning at 9am Saturday 22nd, there is a prologue time-trial, starting on flat heathland but ramping up sharply onto the gruelling Whiteways hill –  a local hill climb, whos day job is a testing range for the locally based tank regiment.   Come the afternoon, there is a XXkm road race along rolling roads around 6 laps of the XXkm Stokeford circuit.

 Day two (Sunday) begins at a much more reasonable 10am but brings the third and probably the hardest stage around Lulworth Castle, climbing the 5km hike from Wool to Lulworth camp 8 times over seven laps, with the finish being on the eighth climb after a total of XXkm. Those that survive will then have the fourth, final,  stage at 10am Monday morning –  The Lawrence of Arabia circuit, named after one time nearby resident TE Lawrence who’s house the circuit passes. Its still open the the public, assuming that you have the strength left, as are monkey world and the Bovington tank museum, both a mile or so inside the circuit.

 For the racers, though, its 5 times around the rolling course with the finish on the 6th climb of Clouds Hill, then back to the event’s base of operations at the D’Urberville hall in Wool for final results, prize giving and a cup of tea. With £XX for the winner and prizes down to XXth place, the race counts for 40 BC points for the winner, down to 1 point for 20th. Eighty places are available in total and at £60 for British Cycling and Wessex League members for well over 300km of racing represents excellent value for money. Take the kids along, send ’em to the seaside, make a weekend of it. Come on, you know you want to.