← All eventsEtape du Dales
~112mi / ~3,600m Yorkshire Dales sportive from Grassington/Threshfield. Big-mileage day stacked with iconic Dales climbs (Fleet Moss etc.) and long exposed high-moor crossings. Mini Etape option. Next edition ~mid-May 2027 (approximate).
One of the UK's hardest mass-participation sportives. 112 miles and 11,800ft through the Yorkshire Dales, out and back from Grassington in mid-May.
The day is defined by four brutal climbs: Fleet Moss, the highest paved road in the Dales, then Coal Road, Buttertubs Pass and the long moorland drag up to Tan Hill.
No single Alpine col, just relentless steep pitches and exposed high-moor crossings, often into wind. A 6 to 11 hour day that punishes anyone who trained only for distance or only for power.
Is Etape du Dales for you?
- Riders chasing one of the UK's toughest sportives who want a real climbing day, not a flat century.
- Durable climbers who pace themselves. The route stacks four hard climbs over a long day, so it rewards riders who ride Fleet Moss within themselves.
- Riders comfortable with a long day out. At 6 to 11 hours, durability and fuelling matter as much as raw climbing power.
- Anyone happy on exposed, weather-beaten tops. Fleet Moss and Tan Hill are fully open to the wind, often the biggest energy drain of the day.
Training plan for Etape du Dales
A training plan for Etape du Dales isn't a generic base build. Beina reads the event's exact demands, looks at your specific profile and the time you actually have, and maps a highly adapted plan to the start line.
- 11,800ft of steep climbing over 112 miles, with valleys that never let you settle
- Four hard climbs strung across the loop: Fleet Moss, Coal Road, Buttertubs and Tan Hill
- Fully exposed high moors where wind and cold can drain more than the gradient
- A 6 to 11 hour day that bonks anyone who under-fuels in the first half
- 2x20min sweet spot and 20 to 30min threshold climbs to build sustained Fleet Moss power
- Steep-ramp reps on 12 to 20% pitches to prep Coal Road and Buttertubs
- Long hilly endurance rides building from 3 to 7 hours, with fuelling rehearsed
- Back-to-back weekends: a hilly Saturday plus a durability Sunday
- Built from your current fitness and the time you actually have
- Adapts every week as Beina learns how you respond
- Syncs your sessions straight to Garmin and Wahoo
- One clear next session, never a wall of spreadsheet
