The Isle of Man CC (Cycle Challenge) course was exactly the same as that of the Isle of Man TT, ie a clockwise route from the start / finish at the TT Grandstand on Glencrutchery Road in Douglas.
It was a magnificent ride with ever-changing scenery from rural pasture to sweeping views across the Irish Sea. The highlight is the mountain section past Snaefell (a Norse name meaning ‘Snow Mountain’) between Ramsey and the Creg-Ny-Baa pub on the descent back into Douglas. The course distance was 37.7 miles (60.7 km) with 2132 ft of ascent; two laps is 75.5 miles with 4264 ft of ascent and three laps is 113.2 miles with 6396 ft of ascent.
During the sportive the roads were open to normal traffic so all cyclists must ride responsibly and obey the Isle of Man traffic laws. For this reason the start was staggered at 30 second intervals. All junctions were signed and all right-turn junctions marshalled. On registration riders received full course notes, course map and elevation profile and a GPX file to upload to a GPS unit.
If there was bad weather on the mountain (high winds and / or fog) on the day of the event then as a contingency we put our riders on the coastal road from Ramsey through Laxey. This will made the lap slightly longer (39.25 miles), but with a similar elevation to the mountain road and great sea views. We only did this if absolutely necessary and in conjunction with the IOM police unit.
Greenrock provided both medical and mechanical support. There were marked support vehicles travelling around the course and one motorbike to ensure everyone’s safety and deal with any issues promptly.
Refreshment stops at the TT Grandstand and at the TT marshal hut at Quarry Bends 2 (halfway around the course) provided IOMCC cyclists with fruit, snacks, energy bars, isotonic powder and tablets and water. At the TT Grandstand there was also tea, coffee and hot chocolate.
The course record on a bicycle is 1hr 23min 48sec which Peter Kennaugh set during the Nelson Trophy Memorial Mountain Time Trial on the weekend of the Isle of Man CC in September 2015. The Manx Team Sky pro rider broke Chris Boardman’s previous time of 1hr 23min 54sec which had stood unbroken since 1993.
Course key facts
1 lap = 37.7 miles (60.7km) with 2132 ft (650 m) of ascent
2 laps = 75.5 miles (121.4 km) with 4264 ft (1300 m) of ascent
3 laps = 113.2 miles (182.1 km) with 6396 ft (1950 m) of ascent
