Etape Royale

Although the Etape Royale is unlikely to take place in 2019, what about trying another of our events instead - the Martin Currie Rob Roy Challenge. For 2019, there is a cycle only option - the Etape Rannoch. It's an epic 56 mile cycle from Kenmore, heading towards Kinloch Rannoch and on to circumnavigate Loch Rannoch. Then you climb your way out of the shadow of the mighty Schiehallion mountain on the return to Kenmore. If you register before the end of January, you can grab the early bird discount... http://www.wildfoxevents.co.uk/events/rob -roy-challenge

We emailed everyone one on our mailing list on 2nd March. If you would like to stay on our list, don't forget to respond to the email by Opting In. If we haven't heard from you by 25th May, we will remove you from our mailing list.

The Etape Royale is a very special sportive but in order to make it viable we need either the support of a sponsor, or several thousand participants.
We received overwhelmingly positive feedback when the Event took place in 2015 and 2016 and there has also been great support here on Facebook.
We would have been delighted to run the event again if demand was high - but this has not been the case and without a sponsor, it is with great sadness that we have had to cancel plans... for the 2018 event.
We apologise for disappointing you. If you have any questions do not hesitate to e-mail us at info@wildfoxevents.com
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"The Etape Royale is an inspired route and has a brilliant atmosphere. What other sportive boasts taking in a ski resort, royal estates, whisky distilleries and over 100 miles of the most beautiful scenery that the Scottish Highlands has to offer? ” #MarkBeaumont - Broadcaster, Adventurer, Speaker & Author
And the section of the Etape Royale route between Ballater and Tomintoul is also part of the #snowroads, which features on Countryfile this evening (18:20 BBC1).
... Interested in taking part in the Etape Royale 2018? Register your interest. We are not sure of the date yet, but it will be a Sunday between mid August and mid September 2018. https://endurancecui.active.com/‚Ķ/pri‚Ä ¶/49599852/primaryForm‚Ķ
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One of our other events was filmed this summer by the BBC The Adventure Show. The programme featuring The Artemis Great Kindrochit Quadrathlon is showing tonight at 7pm, BBC 2 Scotland. Or catch it on the iPlayer.

The Etape Royale has been postponed for 2017 and both the 100 mile Closed Road Event and the 50 mile option will return in 2018. The Etape Royale has received overwhelmingly positive feedback since we launched it in 2015, but it is a very special sportive and isn’t viable without significant sponsorship.
We look forward to launching the 2018 Etape Royale and welcoming you back to this stunning and unique route.

Did you get a buzz from taking part in a closed road Etape recently and can't wait until 2018 for your next closed road event?
The Etape Royale, on 10th September, is another closed road event (with 50 mile and 100 mile options) and has been described by Mark Beaumont (cyclist, adventurer, broadcaster): “What other sportive boasts taking in a ski resort, royal estates, whisky distilleries and over 100 miles of the most beautiful scenery that the Scottish Highlands has to offe...r? The Etape Royale is an inspired route and has a brilliant atmosphere.”
Registration is open: www.etaperoyale.com
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21 Reasons to take part - #9 - Its recommended by Mark Beaumont Mark rode the event in 2016 (18th September). This year the Etape Royale is on 10th September. Why not secure your place now? 50 miles or 100 miles. www.etaperoyale.com

British record breaking cyclist and adventurer, Mark Beaumont, who has just finished cycling around the coastline of Britain as a warm up for his attempt to break the world record and cycle round the world in 80 days has completed the Etape Royale twice. Once on his road bike and once on a Pennyfarthing!
“What other sportive boasts taking in a ski resort, royal estates, whisky distilleries and over 100 miles of the most beautiful scenery that the Scottish Highlands has to off...er? The Etape Royale is an inspired route and has a brilliant atmosphere.” Mark Beaumont - Broadcaster, Adventurer, Speaker & Author
The 2017 Etape Royale takes place on 10th September. There are two circular routes (50 and 100 miles), which both start and finish in Ballater, Aberdeenshire.
www.etaperoyale.com
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21 Reasons to take part - #8 - Cycling is Good For You! As seen yesterday on the news; a five-year study of 250,000 UK commuters linked using a bike with halving the risk of cancer and heart disease. So why not take on the Etape Royale (50 or 100 miles)? It would give you reason to train and with 141 days to go, there's plenty of time to build up your distances slowly. Registration is open now! www.etaperoyale.com

21 Reasons to take part - #7 - Long, sweeping downhills! Along the route of the Etape Royale there are plenty of climbs that will challenge you, but the pay back is miles and miles of lovely downhill sections. www.etaperoyale.com

21 Reasons to take part - #6 - Fantastic Scenery The route takes in the Cairngorms National Park and two regions of Aberdeenshire, including Royal Deeside, and Moray. That’s a lot of fantastic scenery and countryside for just one sportive. www.etaperoyale.com

This is the stunning and beautiful Cairngorms scenery that awaits you if you take part in the Etape Royale. 10th Setpember 2017, starts in Ballater.

Scotland is calling and now is the time to visit! Follow our 3 easy steps to book your trip… Useful information for anyone thinking about coming to Ballater to take part in the Etape Royale in September..

There are some big climbs on the 100 mile Etape Royale route, including the Lecht. This movie shows lots of the 2016 participants tackling the climb. See if you can spot yourself or your friends...
The climb is 3km long and has an elevation gain of 245m. The average gradient is 8%, with a maximum slope at time of 20%. The climb has some sharp kicks up including the final ramp up to the ski resort. Although tough, it’s possible to ride the full climb and the views all around y...ou are just rewards for your effort. Make sure you include a few hills into your pre-sportive training!
Thanks very much to Gylen Boardman for the footage.
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Now you've seen Mark Beaumont tackle the Etape Royale on a Pennyfarthing, listen as he recommends the route - this was shot prior to the 2016 event. He took part in 2015 and 2016 on his road bike. The date for 2017 is 10th September 2017. It's a100 mile closed road route, or a new shorter circular route (about 50 miles). www.etaperoyale.com

21 Reasons to take part in the Etape Royale #5 As seen on TV The Etape Royale featured on ITV’s The Cycle Show in 2015 when Scottish adventurer Mark Beaumont rode the full 100 miles on a Penny Farthing! He recommends doing it on a road bike though, and the date for 2017 is 10th September. Register now at: http://www.etaperoyale.com/

Etape Royale country - beyond words, but not beyond reach!
Based outside Scotland, thinking of doing the Etape Royale but wondering how to get there? The Etape Royale Event Hub in Ballater is just an hour from Aberdeen. Aberdeen is well connected globally with its own international airport, railway station, ferry terminal and bus station. Use the new Visit Abedeenshire website to plan your trip in easy steps: www.visitabdn.com/plan-your-trip/getting- here

21 Reasons to take part in the Etape Royale #4 What goes up must come down! There is no denying the number of hills to ride up in this sportive (on both the 100 and 50 mile routes), but that means there are also lots of fabulous descents to enjoy, too. You’ll love the fast, flowing and sweeping downhills, especially because it’s a closed road sportive. 10th September 2017, Ballater. Register at http://www.etaperoyale.com

You can always recall the bad and GOOD of the day.. At 34 miles I hit a stone and the back tyre went flat in seconds. I did a tube change and took off again . The damage was worse than I originally thought and a few miles later I was looking at another puncture with the tube coming out of the previously damaged sidewall. I had exhausted all means of a temporary fix with my kit and therefore resigned myself to the back of the sweeper bus as I had no more tubes or repair gas cylinders. Minutes passed and along came the motor bike support team to help out ,then came another and between them they temporarily repaired the sidewall to get me to the 56 miles feed station where he had radioed ahead making sure that they had a tyre and were aware of my plight as I was only running at half pressure.

At the feed station the mechanics quickly took a look and set about the repair.They knew I was keen to get going and told me not to worry that they would have it fixed in the time it took me to refuel myself. The feed station was well organized and had really friendly people working there.... Bike repaired and then it was all go! When your out there on your own in the trying to cover as much ground as possible as quickly as possible your focused on getting to the finish.......

It's afterwards when you recall...the extra mile people went..The support riders who tailed me up through to the 60 mile section the elderly woman at the fuel stop sharing a joke with me about rocket fuel in my drinks bottles and the chat on Saturday night in a shop doorway with event organizer David Foxx-Pitt. Thank you all for your hard efforts many which may go unnoticed... Not by me though!

See you next year...I've got a time to beat!

When I did this last year it was the hardest thing I have ever done, but also the most amazing, I trained for 9 months and believe me if I hadn't I'd still be there now haha. I would recommend the Etape Royle is one challenge you have got do, because believe me I'll never forget it, very well organised and the most beautiful scenery you will ever see. ÔøΩÔøΩÔøΩÔøΩÔøΩÔøΩÔøΩ

Top event. Best organised event we've been to and we've completed Marmotte and Etape du Tour but this surpasses them easily. Great friendly people, lots of signs, volunteers everywhere, food stations, all in stunning scenery with closed roads. Awesome and well worth the drive up from Norwich. Thanks to the porridge (butchers) and coffee (cafe) opening at 4.30am now that's community spirit. Bravo to all involved

This was my first ever cycling event, having never even owned a bike up until the start of the summer holidays - Blimey, what an introduction it was!

My aim was just to finish and not get off on any of the hills... So I was delighted to have not only achieved that, but to come 11th in the 65 mile Queen of the Mountains!



Definitely up for 2016. It was the most amazingly well organised event I have ever been to. Won't say I enjoyed every single minute, but it couldn't have been any better!



The Marshalls, that some people thought a little over cautious, were very much appreciated by the likes of me, a complete novice. It gave me the confidence to give it some welly down the hills, where I'm not usually very brave, in the knowledge that I won't suddenly hit a 90 degree bend in the road without plenty of warning!



The only thing that could have been an issue for some, is the bags from Rhynie not being at Ballater when we got there. If it hadn't been such amazing weather, everyone would have known about it if I was cold and wanted my fleece from my bag! I also had food in there I could have done with, but luckily someone very nice bought me a burger. :-)

The buzz that this event created locally was fantastic! I run a nearby B&B and we were fully booked with participants. From the amount of enquiries we had, we could have filled 4 times over! The feedback from them all was very positive and all will be coming next year (fingers crossed it happens!) Congratulations on what I believe was a brilliantly organised event.

Thanks for all your efforts with yesterday's Etape Royale - loved it! How did you manage to book such good weather? A big thanks to all the volunteers too - much appreciated. A HUGE personal thanks also goes to the security guy who stopped some wee tink nicking my bike off the top of my car on Saturday evening...you're a star!

Terrific event. I was a wee bit apprehensive about starting in the dark as I don't cycle in darkness at all, but glad to say any fears I had were unfounded as we rolled out of Ballater at 6am. It all added to the occasion. Very well marshalled so huge thank you to all the volunteers. I didn't use any feed stations but all looked well stocked. Hope it becomes an annual event in the calendar and I am sure will help attract more people to the area as the roads are fantastic for cycling on and the scenery just magical. Well done to everyone involved. Chapeau.

Starting in what felt like the middle of the night, a full moon helped, along with the hundreds of blinking bike lights! Soon we were blessed with sunrise and a cold, fresh morning and weather that we had only dreamt of. It was a spectacular route, when you remembered to lift your head and look around. I met many friendly folks on the way round and this felt a bit more 'social' than other Etape events I have done - probably due to the scale of the challenge and everyone wanting to survive it! The stops were well placed. The roads were great condition. The marshals well placed and hazards all well identified with protection in place - very safe event! Improvements for next year - CNP could have put on a better spread of product range/choice and Dufftown was the most popular stop (half way), could have done with more toilets. Minor improvements, but amazing how well this was arranged and run given it was the first event - chapeau to the organisers! Will now be trying to get many of my friends signed up for next year.

Phenomenal views at dawn. What an incredible place to be for a sunrise - in a peleton of fast riders practically flying over the rolling hills with valley fog and inverted cloud highlighting all the terrain. Great signage and friendly marshals, locals all out to egg you on, what a fantasic event! Will be doing it again, for sure.

I did the 65 miles this year but would aim for the 100 next year, hopefully with some mates. The scenery was superb and the challenges just about right. Your admin and logisitics appeared to me very smooth, including all the camping and parking etc around Rhynie. Your marshalls were happy and helpful and appeared is all the right places, I tried to thank them but please pass on that they make a huge difference to the spirit and atmosphere of an event.



Looking forward to next year – especially if you can lay on the weather too.

From everyone at Ecosse Northboats, we want to thank everyone involved for a really wonderful event. The organisation was first class and everything went smoothly on the day. I think if the weather hadn't been so good it could have been a hard going 100 miles but that said, there was still enough support to make it bearable. There was no shortage of warning signs and plenty of marshalls waving flags and offering advice, far more than you see from many other events. The food stops were excellent, well managed and the snacks were very enjoyable. There was lots of friendly chat and encouragement plus the mechanics were a welcome addition (one of our group needed their services at Tomintoul)! The start was efficient, however, we were in different start waves, even though we'd put down the same team name. This was frustrating at first but we weren't looking to go quick and we're happy to start in a later wave. At the finish, there were adequate facilities and the addition of the bouncy castle was great for kids. There could have been a couple of signs to show the way back to the carpark and exit of Ballater, but a couple of us getting confused was probably more down to our tiredness! A word to all the spectators who were out cheering and waving of homemade banners, they are a massive help to riders and lovely to see them, especially as the ride may inconvenience many of them as we pass by. We hope the ride returns next year as it is a great way to finish off the season, and we will be looking to enter again. Thanks again, Pete. Chairman, Team Ecosse Northboats.

Fantastic route, excellent organisation, great support .....this was my first cycle event and the day couldn't have been better, even the weather played it's part.

Only gripe would be the 2 1/2 hour round trip on Saturday to pick up my number, surely for the entry fee it could have been posted out.

Fantastic event, well organised and supported. The warm welcome from the locals was much appreciated and my family and I will definitely be back for a visit.

Thanks to the couple who stopped and lent me a spare splint link after I had given my spare to a rider only for my chain to snap 30 miles later. Without them stopping my day would have been over. Can't wait for next year.

Fantastic event at The Royal Etape!



Probably the best organised & safest event that I've taken part in, although a bottle of wine the night before had not been part of the original training plan. Couldn't believe how well it was signed.....



Absolutely brilliant & extremely challenging 100 mile route inc. a killer King of the mountains section.... weather was stunning and I loved every minute of it (well almost every minute)

Fabulous event, really well organised, and I will definitely do it again if possible.

My only (very mild) criticism would be that the "slow down" signs were a little too ubiquitous. Some dangerous corners on the route for sure, but I think you are in danger of "crying wolf". Perhaps save them for the real danger spots??

A suggestion also for next year. It may be an idea to have a marshalled pedestrian crossing area at the "RockSalt and Snails" end of Ballater high street, so that we are not dissuaded from patronising all the local businesses who were splendid in their support.

See you next year!

Excellent event and great organisation... Except that nobody told me there were pies at the Lecht!

It was brilliant swooping along at the start in a stream of red tail lights followed by watching the sunrise.

I got asked at the end what the worst bit was. I have to say it was the last 60 miles :)

But I've forgotten the pain already.

Brilliant! Although I know there were difficulties, overall this helps put the Ballater name out there and visitors will come back! In 2016, possibly look at the road closure arrangements and enable better access to shops at the end of Bridge Street near the river. Please come back and let's make 2016 fantastic for the cyclists and Ballater!

Absolutely first class event. Echoing other people's reviews; the organisation, marshalling, feed stops were all brilliant not to mention the local supporters who turned out in force across the entire route.



Double leg cramp going up the Lecht ruined my time but the soup and pie at the top were very welcome and pushed me to the finish.



The sunrise over Tarland was epic. Same weather for next year!

A great day which was very well organised and a route that provides more than enough challenge. Very much helped by very favourable weather for a change! Nice to get a medal and freebie at the end as a momento.

However due to the early start in the dark there was high potential for a pile up somewhere near mile 3 when a rider just infront of myself hit a slotted drains cover in the middle of the road almost taking him down and losing a drinks bottle in the process. Only his quick reactions to remain upright and get to the roadside with luck that nobody behind hit the loose bottle avoiding what would have been quite a crash since the group was still bunched at an early stage.

You can always recall the bad and GOOD of the day.. At 34 miles I hit a stone and the back tyre went flat in seconds. I did a tube change and took off again . The damage was worse than I originally thought and a few miles later I was looking at another puncture with the tube coming out of the previously damaged sidewall. I had exhausted all means of a temporary fix with my kit and therefore resigned myself to the back of the sweeper bus as I had no more tubes or repair gas cylinders. Minutes passed and along came the motor bike support team to help out ,then came another and between them they temporarily repaired the sidewall to get me to the 56 miles feed station where he had radioed ahead making sure that they had a tyre and were aware of my plight as I was only running at half pressure.

At the feed station the mechanics quickly took a look and set about the repair.They knew I was keen to get going and told me not to worry that they would have it fixed in the time it took me to refuel myself. The feed station was well organized and had really friendly people working there.... Bike repaired and then it was all go! When your out there on your own in the trying to cover as much ground as possible as quickly as possible your focused on getting to the finish.......

It's afterwards when you recall...the extra mile people went..The support riders who tailed me up through to the 60 mile section the elderly woman at the fuel stop sharing a joke with me about rocket fuel in my drinks bottles and the chat on Saturday night in a shop doorway with event organizer David Foxx-Pitt. Thank you all for your hard efforts many which may go unnoticed... Not by me though!

See you next year...I've got a time to beat!

When I did this last year it was the hardest thing I have ever done, but also the most amazing, I trained for 9 months and believe me if I hadn't I'd still be there now haha. I would recommend the Etape Royle is one challenge you have got do, because believe me I'll never forget it, very well organised and the most beautiful scenery you will ever see. ÔøΩÔøΩÔøΩÔøΩÔøΩÔøΩÔøΩ

Top event. Best organised event we've been to and we've completed Marmotte and Etape du Tour but this surpasses them easily. Great friendly people, lots of signs, volunteers everywhere, food stations, all in stunning scenery with closed roads. Awesome and well worth the drive up from Norwich. Thanks to the porridge (butchers) and coffee (cafe) opening at 4.30am now that's community spirit. Bravo to all involved

This was my first ever cycling event, having never even owned a bike up until the start of the summer holidays - Blimey, what an introduction it was!

My aim was just to finish and not get off on any of the hills... So I was delighted to have not only achieved that, but to come 11th in the 65 mile Queen of the Mountains!



Definitely up for 2016. It was the most amazingly well organised event I have ever been to. Won't say I enjoyed every single minute, but it couldn't have been any better!



The Marshalls, that some people thought a little over cautious, were very much appreciated by the likes of me, a complete novice. It gave me the confidence to give it some welly down the hills, where I'm not usually very brave, in the knowledge that I won't suddenly hit a 90 degree bend in the road without plenty of warning!



The only thing that could have been an issue for some, is the bags from Rhynie not being at Ballater when we got there. If it hadn't been such amazing weather, everyone would have known about it if I was cold and wanted my fleece from my bag! I also had food in there I could have done with, but luckily someone very nice bought me a burger. :-)

The buzz that this event created locally was fantastic! I run a nearby B&B and we were fully booked with participants. From the amount of enquiries we had, we could have filled 4 times over! The feedback from them all was very positive and all will be coming next year (fingers crossed it happens!) Congratulations on what I believe was a brilliantly organised event.

Thanks for all your efforts with yesterday's Etape Royale - loved it! How did you manage to book such good weather? A big thanks to all the volunteers too - much appreciated. A HUGE personal thanks also goes to the security guy who stopped some wee tink nicking my bike off the top of my car on Saturday evening...you're a star!

Terrific event. I was a wee bit apprehensive about starting in the dark as I don't cycle in darkness at all, but glad to say any fears I had were unfounded as we rolled out of Ballater at 6am. It all added to the occasion. Very well marshalled so huge thank you to all the volunteers. I didn't use any feed stations but all looked well stocked. Hope it becomes an annual event in the calendar and I am sure will help attract more people to the area as the roads are fantastic for cycling on and the scenery just magical. Well done to everyone involved. Chapeau.

Starting in what felt like the middle of the night, a full moon helped, along with the hundreds of blinking bike lights! Soon we were blessed with sunrise and a cold, fresh morning and weather that we had only dreamt of. It was a spectacular route, when you remembered to lift your head and look around. I met many friendly folks on the way round and this felt a bit more 'social' than other Etape events I have done - probably due to the scale of the challenge and everyone wanting to survive it! The stops were well placed. The roads were great condition. The marshals well placed and hazards all well identified with protection in place - very safe event! Improvements for next year - CNP could have put on a better spread of product range/choice and Dufftown was the most popular stop (half way), could have done with more toilets. Minor improvements, but amazing how well this was arranged and run given it was the first event - chapeau to the organisers! Will now be trying to get many of my friends signed up for next year.

Phenomenal views at dawn. What an incredible place to be for a sunrise - in a peleton of fast riders practically flying over the rolling hills with valley fog and inverted cloud highlighting all the terrain. Great signage and friendly marshals, locals all out to egg you on, what a fantasic event! Will be doing it again, for sure.

I did the 65 miles this year but would aim for the 100 next year, hopefully with some mates. The scenery was superb and the challenges just about right. Your admin and logisitics appeared to me very smooth, including all the camping and parking etc around Rhynie. Your marshalls were happy and helpful and appeared is all the right places, I tried to thank them but please pass on that they make a huge difference to the spirit and atmosphere of an event.



Looking forward to next year – especially if you can lay on the weather too.

From everyone at Ecosse Northboats, we want to thank everyone involved for a really wonderful event. The organisation was first class and everything went smoothly on the day. I think if the weather hadn't been so good it could have been a hard going 100 miles but that said, there was still enough support to make it bearable. There was no shortage of warning signs and plenty of marshalls waving flags and offering advice, far more than you see from many other events. The food stops were excellent, well managed and the snacks were very enjoyable. There was lots of friendly chat and encouragement plus the mechanics were a welcome addition (one of our group needed their services at Tomintoul)! The start was efficient, however, we were in different start waves, even though we'd put down the same team name. This was frustrating at first but we weren't looking to go quick and we're happy to start in a later wave. At the finish, there were adequate facilities and the addition of the bouncy castle was great for kids. There could have been a couple of signs to show the way back to the carpark and exit of Ballater, but a couple of us getting confused was probably more down to our tiredness! A word to all the spectators who were out cheering and waving of homemade banners, they are a massive help to riders and lovely to see them, especially as the ride may inconvenience many of them as we pass by. We hope the ride returns next year as it is a great way to finish off the season, and we will be looking to enter again. Thanks again, Pete. Chairman, Team Ecosse Northboats.

Fantastic route, excellent organisation, great support .....this was my first cycle event and the day couldn't have been better, even the weather played it's part.

Only gripe would be the 2 1/2 hour round trip on Saturday to pick up my number, surely for the entry fee it could have been posted out.

Fantastic event, well organised and supported. The warm welcome from the locals was much appreciated and my family and I will definitely be back for a visit.

Thanks to the couple who stopped and lent me a spare splint link after I had given my spare to a rider only for my chain to snap 30 miles later. Without them stopping my day would have been over. Can't wait for next year.

Fantastic event at The Royal Etape!



Probably the best organised & safest event that I've taken part in, although a bottle of wine the night before had not been part of the original training plan. Couldn't believe how well it was signed.....



Absolutely brilliant & extremely challenging 100 mile route inc. a killer King of the mountains section.... weather was stunning and I loved every minute of it (well almost every minute)

Fabulous event, really well organised, and I will definitely do it again if possible.

My only (very mild) criticism would be that the "slow down" signs were a little too ubiquitous. Some dangerous corners on the route for sure, but I think you are in danger of "crying wolf". Perhaps save them for the real danger spots??

A suggestion also for next year. It may be an idea to have a marshalled pedestrian crossing area at the "RockSalt and Snails" end of Ballater high street, so that we are not dissuaded from patronising all the local businesses who were splendid in their support.

See you next year!

Excellent event and great organisation... Except that nobody told me there were pies at the Lecht!

It was brilliant swooping along at the start in a stream of red tail lights followed by watching the sunrise.

I got asked at the end what the worst bit was. I have to say it was the last 60 miles :)

But I've forgotten the pain already.

Brilliant! Although I know there were difficulties, overall this helps put the Ballater name out there and visitors will come back! In 2016, possibly look at the road closure arrangements and enable better access to shops at the end of Bridge Street near the river. Please come back and let's make 2016 fantastic for the cyclists and Ballater!

Absolutely first class event. Echoing other people's reviews; the organisation, marshalling, feed stops were all brilliant not to mention the local supporters who turned out in force across the entire route.



Double leg cramp going up the Lecht ruined my time but the soup and pie at the top were very welcome and pushed me to the finish.



The sunrise over Tarland was epic. Same weather for next year!

A great day which was very well organised and a route that provides more than enough challenge. Very much helped by very favourable weather for a change! Nice to get a medal and freebie at the end as a momento.

However due to the early start in the dark there was high potential for a pile up somewhere near mile 3 when a rider just infront of myself hit a slotted drains cover in the middle of the road almost taking him down and losing a drinks bottle in the process. Only his quick reactions to remain upright and get to the roadside with luck that nobody behind hit the loose bottle avoiding what would have been quite a crash since the group was still bunched at an early stage.