THE WIGHT STUFF

With Britain’s biggest bike race, the Tour of Britain, making its first foray onto the Isle of Wight, local cyclist and journalist Jack Elton-Walters took on the route of the race’s final, decisive stage to see what the Island has to offer

- Jack Elton-Walters

As I haul myself up the steepening slopes of Cowleaze, towards the southeastern corner of the Isle of Wight, I’m pleased to note that I am going a bit faster than the last time I went up here. Then, I was the lead-out man for my mate George, drilling it on the lower slopes of the climb before pulling over and almost coming to a halt. As George came round and rode away to improve the Strava KOM he already held, I caught my breath, then crawled to the top, where he was waiting.

I’m riding solo now, and still getting nowhere near his KOM time, but that’s not the notable part – he thinks there’s a good chance that he’ll still have it after Sunday 11 September. That’s the date the Tour of Britain rolls through these parts and George thinks they won’t necessarily take his place at the top of the virtual leaderboard. I don’t share his confidence but I’m definitely not going to be bothering it.

Reaching Cowleaze, it’s been over 100km since I rolled away from the seafront in Ryde, eager to get a taste of what the pros will experience on my local roads. 

All points of the compass

Starting on the north coast in Ryde and heading around the eastern corner in the opening kilometres, this route takes in all corners of the Isle of Wight. From that lap of the eastern edge, I make a courtesy visit to Sandown, before turning briefly north to the edge of Brading. Here I swing, with some trepidation, in a westerly direction – and sharply upwards.