EFR Island Circuit ~ 2* Randonee
Who's it for?
This course caters for the rider who
is confident on the roads and has climbed a few hills but
doesn't yet feel ready to take on the big bays and some of
Jersey's classic climbs. If you're building up for a
charity ride, or just want to go out for a non-competitive
challenge, then this course is ideal for you.
Alternatively, if you're a racer, this is an ideal recovery circuit, or somewhere to get some quality sweet-spot or speed endurance work. As long as the wind's in the right direction!
Course Description
Starting at Bel Royal Slip, head west to the bottom
of St Aubin and climb up Mont Le Vaux, the first of our two
hills. Keep the Shell Garden on your right and ascend to
the very top of the climb at Noirmont Corner Shop. Keeping on
the main road, go straight through Red Houses junction and head
for La Moye Garage.
At the garage, turn right and head down La Pulente in to St Ouen's Bay and hope you have a tail wind to blow you through the 10 km marker. Ride all the way to the end of the bay and follow the road around to the right and go straight up Hydrangea Avenue (Mont Pinel) to St Ouen's Parish Hall. You're now on top of the island and that's the last of the two hills! Take a short right, then immediate left, before the Farmers Arms and head for the Windmill.
As you pass the Windmill, prepare to take the left on to St Mary's 20 mph lane and pass in front of the Ecole Francaise. From here, it's a straight road all the way to St John's Church and the 20 km marker. Keep going past the church and carry on to Haute Croix. Go over the junction and head to Trinity Church and keep going until you reach the junction at the Parish Hall. Take a right and a left and pick up the main road heading for Durrell Wildlife.
After the main
gates, follow the road
right, around the corner, keeping St Martin's Arsenal on your left.
Take the first left, at the white walled
cottage, to head for St Martin's Church. Once again, keep
on the main road and head for Ransoms. Drop down off the top
of the island, in to Gorey, the view of the castle indicates you've sailed through the 30 km
marker.
Take the sharp right at the bottom of the castle's hill. It's now a "straight" run in, along the flat coast road, all the way back to town. As you pass the Le Squez Light house, you clear the 40km marker. Carry on to Harve des Pas and finish at the bottom of Mount Bingham. If you've anything left in the legs, you can climb over it. If not, just turn right and head for the tunnel or turn on to the cycle track and ride around the hill to come out at the foot of the Albert Pier.
Top effort well done.
Course Profile
Two climbs; St Aubin's Hill at 2 kms and
Hydrangea Avenue at 12 kms.
Distance and elevation; 44 kms long, 367 metres of climbing.
Alternative Routes
If you'd prefer to ease yourself in to tacking the
full route, there are alternative routes you can take to shorten
this ride in to manageable chunks. Here's a few "bail
out options" should you wish, or need, to take them...
What Next?
When you can complete
this 44 kilometre route without undue stress, or suffering the dreaded leg
ache the following day, you're ready
for the next level, the 3* Corto Fondo Ride.
What's a Randonee?
A Randonee is an organized cycling event that can be
timed or untimed. The timed events publish the results in
alphabetical order as they are not ridden as a competition.
They are ridden for the fun, the pleasure and the sheer joy of
riding your bike with your friends.
Here's a selection of the European events we've taken part in over the last decade... The French and other European's call them cyclo-sportives.
Garmin Course Download...
Follow the link below and download the
ride to your Garmin of choice and just follow the directions,
couldn't be easier. But keep your eyes on the road at all
times and keep safe...
How did I do?
Now you've ridden the circuit, why not open a Strava account and
upload your results to their site and join
Equipe Flamme Rouge, it's all free to compare your
results to those of other riders in the island.
