September is here and the penultimate segment of this year’s competition brings us back to a familiar local climb. Wheely-down is known to the majority of club riders, being one of the most frequented routes to access Old Winchester hill from the Winchester direction.
The segment is around 1 mile in length and begins from the locally notable stone and metal art sculpture of the ‘shark’ which occupies a spot in the farm fields to the left of the road as you ride up Wheely down road, traveling Westwards from the main Warnford road.
The segment can be split into roughly two equal halves. The first half is a long false-flat drag that meanders initially through some tree cover and then navigates a steady path along the valley floor curving gently to the left, with a gradient that fluctuates gently between 1.5% and 3.5%. Be aware that after rainfall, this entire road can often have patches of sharp gravel washed from the embankments, that should be avoided wherever possible.
At the halfway point, the gradient changes dramatically, as the first sharp left-hand curve rises up and marks the point at which things will start to hurt. This first steep section pitches to a maximum of 10% before settling to more manageable gradients for the remainder of the half mile of climbing in front of you.
This test sees a broad left-right-left curvature to the lane, with gradients between 6% and 8% and will need a steady hard pace to set a good time.
The last hundred yards sees the gradient level off and although you are still climbing, the 3% to 4% you now face will feel much easier to cope with.
The run-in to the finish line will need a full-on sprint, crossing the line that is marked by the junction with Sailors Lane on your left and Riversdown road on your right.
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:
