Historic Horseshoe Pass welcomes Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Women 2024 riders on race’s second stage

The Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Women made a return this year with the Four stage event starting in Welshpool, in the heartland of mid-Wales, and finishing on Sunday 9th of June in Greater Manchester.

The race’s second stage started and finished on Chester Street in Wrexham’s City Centre on June 7th, with the route taking the peloton over the historic Horseshoe Pass, the famous mountain pass situated in South-East Denbighshire.

The A542 road runs from Llandegla to Llangollen over the Horseshoe Pass with the highest point reaching 417 metres (1,368 ft). The road travels in a horseshoe shape around the sides of a valley, giving it its English name.

The rider’s category 1 climb began roughly 110 km into the stage, and saw the riders scale the steep climb for 5.8 km in total before heading back into Wrexham City Centre. The average gradient of the Horseshoe Pass is 5.2%, but at some sections of the pass it can steepen to double digits, with the steepest 100m coming in at a gradient of 11%.

The pass has previously hosted the British National Hillclimb Championships and is a well-known challenge in domestic cycling.

Tony Ward, Corporate Director, Economy and Environment said:

“It was a privilege to welcome such talented cyclists to Denbighshire as they made their way through the second stage of this prestigious race. The mountain pass is a popular destination for many tourists and locals.

The Horseshoe Pass is an iconic part of Denbighshire, and is a brilliant challenge for cyclists and walkers alike. Known for its stunning, winding road, the pass is a breath taking region of our County, and is host to some truly unforgettable views from its peak.”

To find out more about the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Women visit https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/tourofbritain/.

Image credit: SWpix.com