Matlock Top 10

The 2022 Matlock Top 10 begins with a relatively easy roll out to Warrencarr through Darley Bridge, where the first of the 10 challenging en-route climbs begins – with a steep ascent up onto Stanton Moor. The first half of the climb, up to Stanton Lees, will be familiar to those that have ridden the original route, the second half is all new. Just after passing through Stanton Lees you do get a brief respite, where the road flattens out and even heads downhill, but the final section is steep, averaging around 10%, making this climb a tough opener and a good warm up for what is about to come!

A beautiful contouring road brings riders from Stanton in Peak to Pilhough, followed by a steep descent where caution is needed – watch out for the bend at the bottom! Over the river Wye and into Rowsley and the foot of Rowsley Bar and its infamous hairpins. Climb number two and arguably the hardest, with an average gradient of over 10% and if you ride the steepest parts of the hairpins a max gradient well in excess of 25%! Take it easy on the early slopes, don’t go too deep too early and remember that there is still 1 km / 0.6 mile of climbing to the summit once you exit the steepest section under the trees.

Shortly after the summit the route turns south and heads down Darley Hillside to Two Dales and the foot of the third climb, Sydnope Hill. The descent is very steep and narrow in places so please descend with care! The climb up Sydnope Hill, is another really steep one, whilst not quite as hard as Rowsley Bar, this is still a very challenging climb. The toughest gradients come towards the bottom, there is a very welcome respite two thirds up with a short descent which will allow some recovery before the final pitch to the summit.

From the top of the climb the route head south west to Matlock via Farley, the descent is initially very mellow and easy going making it a good place to refuel, coast and recover. The first three climbs were brutes but with Bank Road and Riber Road next up things aren’t about to get any easier. Take care descending through Farley, it gets quite steep and there are plenty of park cars. At the roundabout turn left and onto Matlock’s famous Bank Road, a climb steeped in history and one that wouldn’t be out of place in an Ardenne Spring Classic. One of the shorter climbs of the route but with a steep constant gradient between 12-17% for most of its length, only easing towards the top. A short descent and a steady climb up the other side to Starkholmes and to the foot of Riber Road. One of if not the steepest climbs in Derbyshire and one that has played host to many national hill climb championships. It is very short but with gradients over 25-30% you would hope so. Pray for good weather as in the rain traction is extremely limited! 5 down, 5 to go!

From Riber Castle the route makes its way down to Lee Bridge via a lovely descent through the Derbyshire countryside. The next climb up to Holloway can easily be dismissed when looking at the profile, however with an average gradient of over 9 percent and maxing out 18%, this climb is very similar to Bank Road, combined with the fatigue of the last 5 climbs, underestimate it at your peril! From Holloway the descent to Whatstandwell is very quick, but steep in places and watch out for oncoming cars on the narrow sections!

Climb number 7 Alderwasley is the longest climb so far at over 2 miles / 3.5 km. The gradient isn’t any easier, with steep pitches throughout the climb including one of over 20%. Pacing is once again key, take it easy and enjoy the scenery – if you can! Just over the summit at Wirksworth Moor there is the option, for anyone finding the going too tough, to skip the next two climbs and rejoin the route for the final climb.

A quick descent down to Wirksworth, take care passing the park cars, to the foot of the Wirksworth climb, which compared to previous years has been extended. The first 1 km / 0.6 miles of the climb on West End and Brassington Lane are the toughest but the final new pitch is no push over. The legs will certainly be getting tired by now but just two climbs remain.

Shortly after the summit the route heads north for a fast descent down towards the Via Gelia, be warned the route doesn’t turn right onto the main road but instead turns right just before and begins the penultimate climb to Middleton. Tired legs and a punishing 8.8% average gradient may make this relatively short climb feel significantly longer than its 1.34 km / 0.8 mile length. Over the ninth summit, through Middleton and down to historic Cromford and onto the final climb of the Matlock Top 10 – Bonsall.

At 4.4 km / 2.7 miles this is by far the Matlock Top 10’s longest climb and heads up to the highest point of the route at 348 metres / 1142 ft of elevation. The gradient varies all the way up and the final section is pretty flat, so don’t look at the 4.8% average gradient and think that the steep climbing is all done, there are plenty of steep pitches on this one too! However what the climb does provide is mini respites all the way up, which will allow those with wary legs a chance of some recovery. At the top Chapeau that is all 10 climbs completed.

The descent back to the finish via Winster, Wensley and Darley Bridge is very quick but the road can be very busy, take your time, descend with care and roll back to the finish where it will be time to revel in the accomplishment of completing the infamous Matlock Top 10.

Entry Fees

Entry Fee: £24

Entry Limit: 250

Entries open on the 24/12/21

Online entries will close on the 3/7/22 or when the entry limit is reached

Late entries from 4/7/22 cost additional £3 and subject to availability – please check

Event Venue

The Whitworth Centre,
Station Road,
Darley Dale,
Derbyshire,
DE4 2EQ

Facilities

Covered HQ
Toilets
Post event hot drinks & snacks

Parking

There is a medium sized Pay & Display car park at the Whitworth Centre, once the onsite parking is full please park sensibly on the streets nearby i.e. don’t block any residence drives.

We highly recommend car sharing wherever possible

Registration

Opens at 7:30 am

Closes at 9:00 am

Please do not try and register more than 1 hour before your allocated start time – this will help congestion and reduce queuing time.

In order to make sure there is steady stream of participants through registration please do not turn up more than 1 hour before your designated start time. That way the queue will be minimised.

Please ensure you plan your journey to the event so you can register and start on time.

Registration Process

At registration you will sign on and then event staff will provide you with the following in a sealed plastic bag: 

EVENT MAP

NUMBER BOARD AND ZIP TIES

SPORTident TIMING CHIP
You will be required to self-strap your Si Timing Cards (dibber) to your wrist and wear it for the duration of the event. If you require assistance please ask an event staff member for help, but participants are urged to do it themselves.

Participants will be required to use their SPORTident timing chip at the START, FINISH and DOWNLOAD. Details of how to do this will be explained in the EVENT SAFETY BRIEFING VIDEO (released a week before the event).

*The SiTiming Chip is being loaned to you for the day, take care of it, if you lose it you will be charged £30 for a replacement.

****The Golden Rule – if you are unable to complete your course you MUST let the organisers know either in person or telephone that you have retired. If you do not, you will be held responsible if the police is called out to search for you. A central telephone number will be provided on all event route maps.

Rolling Start Times

There will be rolling start windows of a maximum of 40 riders every 10 minutes – choose your allocated start window when entering.

 7:50 am – 9:10 am

Choose your start window wisely – choose an earlier start window if you are concerned about the cut off time!!

You will be able to start anytime you wish within your designated 10 minutes start window.  

Start Process

ARRIVE AT THE START READY TO RIDE – participants must only arrive at the start line at their allotted time and must arrive ready to go, with all the compulsory equipment. 

SELF DIB TO START – participants are required to self dib into that SPORTident START box using their SPORTident timing card (dibber).

Pre-event Video Briefing

Rather than having a start line briefing we will now be recording a video briefing that will be available to watch online before the event. A transcript of the briefing will be available to read and details will be emailed to all entrants in the week beforehand.

You will not be allowed to start without having watched/read the briefing!

Cut Off Time / Finish Time

You must have gone through the cut off point by the designated time. If you fail to reach the cut off point before the prescribed time you must to follow the signed cut off, signs will be removed from the full course from 11:30 onwards.

CUT OFF POINT – WIRKSWORTH MOOR
38.9 km / 24 MILES – 11:30

If you take the cut off please inform a member of the event staff at download.

It will be compulsory for all riders to follow the signed cut off from 11:30 onwards, this is to ensure all riders reach the finish on time.

FINISH CLOSES AT 13:30 PROMPT!!

Compulsory equipment

Roadbike – must be roadworthy and in good working order

Front & rear lights – required only in bad weather / poor visibility (strongly recommend at all times)

Helmet – hard shell helmets conforming to CE standard EN1078 (not caving, climbing or canoeing types)

Waterproof jacket*

Fully Charged Mobile phone

Money (in case you get stranded somewhere!)

Form of ID

Spare inner tubes – minimum of 2

Road pump (CO2 canisters do not count)

Multitool – including a chain tool

Sufficient food and drink to last 2-3 hours worth of riding – feed station is not to be solely relied upon

Event map – emergency contact numbers will be printed on the back of the map

Event officials will disqualify anyone who in their opinion does not meet the above compulsory equipment criteria.

*The requirement to carry a waterproof jacket may be relaxed in the event of warm weather but at all other times it is required.

Course Signage

The route will be signed with distinctive blue arrows on a yellow background attached to lampposts/signposts/telegraph poles.

The route will be well signed however on long sections of unbroken road where the route is obviously straight on then it won’t be signed – just keep going straight! At difficult junctions where navigation isn’t easy we will put out confirmation arrows after the junctions.

If at any point you are unsure as to your location or think you may have gone off route, please refer to the map provided. Do not continue on hoping to re-find the route, the Peak District is very easy to get lost in!

Care signs will be placed at the side of the road before dangerous junctions/descents – please adhere to them – they are there for your safety! Some of the descents are steep – please take care and remember it is not a race!

Please respect all other road users at all times!

Code of Conduct

By entering this event you are agree to the following code of conduct – anyone seen to be breaking any of these will be EXCLUDED from the event plus all future events, and in serious cases a full report will be sent to British Cycling.

Observe The Highway Code At All Times

This event is held on open roads and you must obey the highway code at all times – ZERO EXCUSES!

Non Competitive Event – NO RACING

This is a non competitive event and you are forbidden from racing. If you want to race, this event is not for you – please enter a road race or a time trial. We take this extremely seriously!

No Urinating in public

Do not use the side of the road as a toilet – please use the marked public toilets on the map

No Rude or Abusive Behaviour

You must be polite and respectful to all road users (cars, horses, bikes, pedestrians etc.), event staff and marshals and any other members of the general public. This includes riding in a controlled manner and being able to slow down if confronted with ramblers, horses, farmers etc. in the road. You have no more right than they do to be on the road so please be respectful. This also includes being loud or swearing as you pass through villages – something that is regularly complained about by locals regarding cycle events.

No Littering

Litter bags will be provided at the feed-station so there is no excuse!! Keep litter/wrappers/cartons etc in your pockets until you reach the feed station / finish.

No Short cuts

If you aren’t interested in sticking to the route and completing the challenge please do not enter. If you are seen to be taking a short cut you will not be classified as a finisher.

 

We organise our events because we want to showcase the fantastic yet challenging riding the Peak District has to offer and we want them to be friendly, enjoyable rides for everybody involved.

Please help us clamp down on anyone breaking the code of conduct by reporting any incidents of poor behaviour to any of the event marshals or officials.

Course Hazards

The Matlock Top 10 is held principally on small, steep lanes which are often very narrow and in places can be covered in a small layer of mud and/or gravel, which will require caution from all riders to descend safely and courteously. All riders must be ready and able to stop at any point as there may be livestock, walkers, horse riders, cyclists or cars on the roads. We will ensure that adequate caution/care signs are placed to warn you but riders must take care when descending at all times.

CARE signs are there for a reason – PLEASE ADHERE TO THEM

Please show respect to all riders and all other road users – the event roads are open to all traffic. Whilst riding on the smaller lanes or where traffic is busy please ride in single file. Please also be particularly careful of horses & riders and warn them of your approach and then pass quietly and carefully.

PLEASE RIDE IN SINGLE FILE ON NARROW LANES

Abandoning

If for any reason you are unable to continue but still able to ride please return to the HQ using your map as navigation.

All riders who decide to abandon MUST return to HQ to return your ‘dibber’ and inform us of your abandonment. We don’t want to be out searching for anyone after the event has finished!

GOLDEN RULE: All riders must report to HQ/registration to return your Si dibber and let us know you are safe. NO EXCUSES!

Emergency Numbers

We hope you don’t need these but they can be found on the back of your route map handed out at registration.

If you are in need of immediate medical attention please do not hesitate to phone the emergency services directly. (Please can you let someone at Event HQ know as well.)

Self sufficient

You are expected to be self sufficient and able to cope with punctures and minor mechanicals, etc.

This event is a challenge ride, not a race. It is you against the relentless terrain of the Peak District and you are required to carry adequate food and drink, along with tools required to fix normal everyday mechanicals such as broken chains, slipping gears and punctures.

In the event of a major mechanical there is an emergency support vehicle available. If you do have any major problems please contact HQ (emergency numbers are on the reverse of the map handed out at registration).

Please be warned that any medical emergencies will always take priority and it therefore may take some time for the emergency support vehicle to reach you. You may wish to arrange your own lift back to event HQ either by friends / family or a taxi – that is fine but please check in at the event HQ once you return as you must let us know you are safe and hand in your timing chip.

**Show some camaraderie and help out fellow riders in need!**

Feed Station

Feed Station – Remote
36.6 km / 22.7 miles – Closes at 11:20 am

You may fill your own water bottles but no plastic cups will be provided.

For hygiene reasons we will only providing individually wrapped food, this will primarily consist of OTE sports nutrition. 

 

FEED STATION SUPPLIES ARE NOT UNLIMITED i.e. they are not all you can eat buffets! All efforts have been made to provide all riders with sufficient sustenance, however, stock cannot be guaranteed. Please take responsibly and consider your fellow riders who have yet to visit the feed station.

Please note that feed station supplies are not suitable for allergen suffers.

Timing Awards

Men

GOLD – Sub 3hr 05 SILVER – Sub 3hr 30 BRONZE – 3hr 30+

Women

GOLD – Sub 3hr 40 SILVER – Sub 4hr 05 BRONZE – 4hr 05+

All finishers will receive a GOLD, SILVER or BRONZE finishing certificate. We also believe women should have separate timing awards to make gold certificates more achievable.

At the finish

You must stop at the finish line and self dib into SPORTident finish box which will be fixed to a table/stake. Failure to stop and dib will result in a non-finish.

After finishing please head to download.

Download

All participants must return to the event registration building to download their time, hand back their SPORTident timing chip and collect their certificate.

When you reach the download table you must:

SELF DIB

Self dib into the download SPORTident box.

REMOVE DIBBER

Remove the dibber using the provided scissors and place the dibber into the ‘dibber return’ plastic box and the used strap into the bin.

COLLECT CERTIFICATE AND RESULT PRINT OUT

You will be provided with your timing award certificate and ride time print out.

MINIMISE INDOOR CONGREGATING

Once you have downloaded and collected your post event refreshments, please leave the venue building as soon as possible. This will help reduced the number of people congregating indoors.

Take-away post ride refreshments

At download we will provide take away refreshments which will include Tea, Coffee, Juice, Cake and Biscuits. These will be take away only and you will not be allowed to stay inside the registration building to eat and drink. This will minimise the amount of indoor congregating.

Please help us reduce the waste at our events by bringing your own reusable cup!

Finish, Download and Refreshments close at 13:30 PROMPT!