The 100km Tour of the Black Country takes in 20km of cobbled roads, stony farm tracks and bridleways in the West Midlands and Worcestershire. Inspired by the epic European classic Paris-Roubaix, it includes fifteen unpaved and cobbled sectors and finishes on a large outdoor velodrome, at Aldersley Stadium.

We are very pleased to announce the participation of Jess Varnish, Olympian and two-time world record holder!

The most testing of the unpaved sectors is the steep, cobbled ‘Waltonberg’; a steep 22% monster of climb which requires total commitment and concentration. The final unpaved sector is a gravel track which leads in through the stadium’s large metal gates, and directly onto the back straight of the velodrome, just as in Paris-Roubaix. 

Given the event’s origins and links to Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of the Black Country will have something of a French theme. Riders will be provided with a selection of French patisserie items both at the start and at the feeding stations, and every finisher will receive a glass of champagne. Not forgetting the event’s solid Black Country roots, everyone who completes the course will also be presented with a lump of genuine Black Country coal.

How does the experience of riding on an unpaved or cobbled road differ from that of riding on a tarmac road? Race organiser, Francis Longworth, who recently rode the course of Paris-Roubaix gives his view:

"The first thing that you notice is the noise: the rumble of the bike and the grind of gravel under the tyres. The chain slaps around like mad, and pebbles get flicked upwards into the spokes. The wind seems much louder than on a normal road. 

“Riding on one of these roads feels a bit like sticking your head out of a train window! As well as the noise, there are also the shocks to the body: juddering handlebars, jolts from the pedals through the knees and increased g-forces all round. Trees, hedges and fields - much closer than on a normal road - flash past in the opposite direction. You don't just experience these sensations passively though - not like you would in a car. You generate the sensations of speed yourself, through your muscles, and you experience them in a very visceral way. The harder you pedal, the more intense and exciting these sensations of speed become". 

Perhaps some of this explains the enduring and growing appeal of Paris-Roubaix, an event recently described by recent top-ten finisher Bradley Wiggins as "the biggest race in the world. Bigger even than the Tour de France". The Tour of the Black Country aims to bring some of the Paris-Roubaix experience to Britain.

Riding this event? Check out our article on riding the cobbles and balancing on uneven surfaces.