Here’s another classic piece of symmetry between the map and the elevation profile. The stage flattens out after a bit of a brute of a start, and that’s mirrored on the map and the route heads east/north east. There’s plenty of forest again on this stage – four sections in total – and although the road weaves its way between pockets of small lakes, there are no river crossings.
The road is lumpy downhill flat out of the pen for two miles before a savage wee climb kicks it: the one hundred and fifty feet that are gained in a mile represents the toughest climb of the stage, and a quarter of it too. The climb tops out just before right hander at three miles then the road drops back down – to the lowest elevation of the stage – at six miles. That’s followed by a lumpy four mile climb that gains back most of the lost elevation.
By the time you reach the yellow kite, the vast majority of the climbing has been done and the second half of the stage is a pretty timid affair elevationwise, which just means that it’ll be fast. It’s gently lumpy downhill from miles eleven to fifteen, then gently back uphill again to nineteen. As you exit the third forested section at nineteen miles, there’s a sharp down and up before you enter the three mile lumpy flat finishing straight which passes back through the final wood before the finish line.
Distance: 24 miles / 38 kilometres
Ascent: 581 feet / 177 metres
RGT Magic Road: vSGaUcCvAIlj
Max elevation: 470 ft
Min elevation: 317 ft
Total climbing: 580 ft
Total descent: -542 ft
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