The Tour of the Black Country sportive is 100 km long and takes in 20km of cobbled roads, stony farm tracks and bridleways in the West Midlands, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Staffordshire. Modelled on the epic European Classic ‘Paris-Roubaix’, it includes 15 unpaved sectors, varying in length from 400m to 2000m, all of which are passable on a standard road bike. Each sector is rated according to difficulty; one star being the most straightforward, five stars being the most difficult. The roads are virtually traffic-free, despite being located close to Birmingham, and the majority of the unpaved sectors are closed to all traffic. The route finishes, as does Paris-Roubaix, on a large outdoor velodrome, at Aldersley Stadium on the outskirts of Wolverhampton. 

The Tour of the Black Country will be held on Sunday 4 May 2014. Entries, priced at £25, will open in February. There will also be the option of a shorter 60km route.

Info for Riders

The Tour of the Black Country is 100km long and takes in 20km of cobbled roads, stony farm tracks and bridleways in the West Midlands and Worcestershire. Modelled on the epic European Classic ‘Paris-Roubaix’, it includes 15 unpaved sectors, varying in length from 400m to 1800m (all of which are passable on a standard road bike) and finishes, as does Paris-Roubaix on a large outdoor velodrome at Aldersley on the outskirts of Wolverhampton. The Tour of the Black Country would normally be graded '2', based on the distance and the amount of climbing but given the difficulty of some of the unpaved sectors, a rating of '4' is more realistic. As with any unpaved roads, there is a slightly increased risk of punctures, but mobile mechanics will be on-hand to sort out any technical problems. A broom wagon will also be provided. Although not separately listed, a shorter 60km route will be available on the day. Indoor changing rooms, showers and plentiful car parking are available at the venue.