GUN HILL

LEEK, STAFFORDSHIRE

You begin the climb up Gun Hill outside The Lazy Trout in the village of Meerbrook. The slope is gentle at first, bending slightly left then later right as you pull away from the scattered houses and head into the cover of trees. After this kink the gradient starts to bite and it becomes a completely different climb. It’s steep now and the surface is rough and broken. This twinset of obstacles will seriously slow your pace. Exiting the shade of the trees, the road begins to step its way towards the exposed summit, first hard, then easing, then hard again; each step up tougher than the one before, until you reach a large sweeping right-hand bend. This marks the beginning of the end of the steep stuff. In a race, this is where the strong riders would give it their all, consolidating any advantage they might have over those distanced on the lower slopes. Switch down a gear and build your momentum to claim the finish at the brow.