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The Jack Clements Memorial Little Mountain
Time Trial Course
Course Description - K22/39
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Rob Wood (Echelon Cycles)
riding to a fine 3rd place in 2007
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The first 4 miles heading south from Great Witley are never
flat and provide some initial strength-sapping lumps and short,
high-speed descents on a relatively quiet, wide B-road. The
next 6 miles to Hallow are probably the flattest miles of
the event though with enough twists and turns to maintain
concentration and interest. On the 7.5 miles along the A443
through Holt Heath and back past the HQ, pure testers will
come into their element with long drags and gently rolling
roads - this is a good single-carriageway A road for both
cars and bikes alike.
Turning left after Great Witley onto the B4203 you'll find
the first real hill of the event, though this may seem unfairly
severe given that it's not one of the timed climbs! Over the
top and you're immediately on a very long, very fast descent
to the River Teme where bike-handling and nerves will come
to the fore. When you cross the river you're at the foot of
the first timed climb, Stanford Bank.
Sapey crossroads marks the top of Stanford Bank and is followed
by another almost flat section of the course. The road does,
however, drop in and out of a couple of fairly steep sided
small valleys before a steady drag to the left fork onto Bromyard
Downs. The unfenced road across the Downs gently descends
for over a mile before decanting riders onto the A44 and the
flying descent through the bends of Bringsty Common. At the
foot of the descent the road briefly levels alongside the
River Teme before a sharp left turn over the river to Knightwick
and the foot of Ankerdine Hill.
Breathless and suffering, but with almost all the hard work
done, from the top of Ankerdine you can enjoy a long, fast
and non-technical descent to Martley. However, be warned!
From Martley to the finish, as you count down the marked last
three miles, there are two or three cruel, sharp hills. The
last finally takes you up above Great Witley and all that
is left is a few hundred metres of downhill to the finish.
Even the weariest rider can fly past the chequered board at
full speed!
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