October’s segment brings us closer to Winchester for the final month of this year’s competition. The segment that finishes off the year is one last used in our club competition in January 2022. It should be familiar to most club risers, being the hill that follows the end of the club’s Tuesday evening chain-gang summer route.
The segment begins at the foot of the hill on the Stoke Charity Road (just beyond the King Charles Pub in Kingsworthy) and climbs Northwards towards the railway line.
The right hand turn at the top of the first section marks the end of the steepest part of the overall climb. From here the road flattens slightly, with the railway on your left and fields on your right, before a very sharp left-hand turn takes you across the bridge that spans the London to Southampton railway main-line.
This is now just past the halfway point of the segment and the run-in to the finish line requiring you to bear left off the main Stoke Charity road. You take the unnamed farm road for the sprint-finish to the segment end point at the very peak of the hill, crossing the line with commanding views of the Hampshire countryside in all directions.
At just over half a mile in length with an average gradient of only 4.3%, this is expected to be a fast segment that will suit not only pure climbers, but also provide a good opportunity for the punchier more powerful riders in the competition.
Please remember to obey the rules of the road and remain vigilant when attempting to set a time on this segment. The link to the segment is here:
The link to the segment is here:
https://www.strava.com/segments/30678518
