Arrive in the evening at the Gliffaes Hotel, either by car or we’ll collect you from Abergavenny train station. (Trains from London Paddington typically take 2hr 30 mins, on the Great Western service, via Newport: see National Rail Enquiries.) A plate of pasta will be waiting for you at the hotel.



Saturday

After breakfast, we set up and check over the bikes before setting off at 8.30am. The mechanic and pro cyclist will be there to help. 

Ride Summary:
A big day on the bike, climbing up and down the Brecon Beacons. The Usk Valley divides the rugged uplands of the Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains. It is one of the most beautiful valleys in Britain and is at the heart of the Saturday training rides. We will head past the sentinel peaks of the Brecon Beacons – Pen y Fan and Corn Du – and south into the old coal mining valleys of South Wales. 

Ascents will include the 9.5km climb past the Cray Reservoir to the pass at Bryn-rhudd; Rhigos Mountain, a 6km pull that feels like a big European climb; the 9km climb from Merthyr Tydfil past Pontsticill Reservoir - all of them are excellent preparation for the Etape.

There are several long descents with good lines of sight - ideal for getting used to the sort of high speed descents the Etape entails.

The route follows a mix of quiet A roads, B roads and some minor roads: overall, the surfaces are fine. 

The support vehicle will tail you all day, and meet you at the top of every climb with snacks and fresh water bottles, as well as clothing. 

Back at the Gliffaes:
We arrive back at the hotel late afternoon. Re-fuel with protein drinks. Tea and cake in the hotel. A sports masseur will be on hand from 4.30 to 6.30pm: sessions are 20-30 minutes each, depending on demand. There's then time for a soak in the bath. At 7pm, in the hotel conference room, there will be an hour-long seminar dedicated to successfully completing cyclosportive events. This comprises two 30-minute presentations:  - Rob Penn will give a 30-minute talk, illustrated with photographs, on the Etape 2010 route, with a profile and analysis of the route; - The second presentation will depend on which weekend you attend: it may be given by a sports nutritionist, and focus on what you need to eat and drink on the big day; it may be given by a mechanic and focus on bike set-up. Dinner in the first-class restaurant at the Gliffaes Hotel. Sleep.

A more leisurely start: we set off, after breakfast, on a more compact ride around the Black Mountains: 105kms, with 1,600m of climbing. View a profile of the ride here: http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=wcbknvxxvntyojjx
After a warm up along the back road to Crickhowell, we start the first, and toughest climb – 500m of ascent over 6kms, onto Llangynidr moor. We then skirt through Brynmawr and Blaenavon to reach the top of Tumble mountain, for a cracking descent with excellent lines of sight, to Abergavenny.

Crossing the River Usk, we head north into the Black Mountains, following a quiet road through the beautiful Llanthony Valley. This is part of the route of the ‘Tour of the Black Mountains’, widely acknowledged as the toughest cyclosportive in the UK calendar. The climb begins gently, following the River Honddu, but the intensity increases as the road snakes through Capel y Fin and out onto the open moorland beneath Hay Bluff. 

A fast, sweeping descent, mainly on minor roads, brings us down to Talgarth where the last ascent begins: a gentle climb back over into the Usk Valley, between the sculpted peaks of the Black Mountains.

We arrive back at the hotel early afternoon with time to shower, have a quick, late lunch and pack up the bikes before transferring back to Abergavenny train station.