Tour de Perthshire

EVERY JULY thousands of amateur cyclists from across the world hit the high roads of France for a chance to play professional cyclist for the day. The event, known as L'Étape du Tour (literally, Stage of The Tour), has for the past 16 years allowed ambitious enthusiasts to pedal the same route as a Tour de France race stage. Open to anyone between 18 and 80, the étape is a mass-participation (cyclosportive) event – think the cyclists' equivalent of the runners' mara

Tomorrow more than 2,000 cyclists from around the UK gather in Pitlochry for the second étape Caledonia. While its Gallic inspiration is normally held over famous mountain passes in either the Alps or the Pyrenees, the Scottish event won't lack challenging terrain or breathtaking scenery. Perthshire was chosen for those very reasons and the organisers have come up with a route that doesn't require Tour de France mystique to impress. Starting and finishing in Pitlochry, the 81-mile loop runs out and back along the shores of Lochs Tummel, Rannoch and Tay, and incorporates a total ascent of some 1,949m – that's 500m more than a hike to the top of Ben Nevis.

With such a challenge on offer, it's a good job there won't be any cars to distract riders from the view or the pain in their legs. The entire route is off limits to motor vehicles for the duration of the ride and it is this traffic-free approach that makes the étape Caledonia unique among the UK's other cyclosportive events. So, just as in the Tour de France, riders will have both sides of the road to play with, room to zig-zag up the climbs and safety to take the racing line on the descents without the prospect of oncoming traffic to spoil the fun. "These are the safest and most professional cycling conditions that people can enjoy anywhere in Britain," says Helen Gorman of organisers Perfect Motion.

The similarities to professional cycle racing don't end with the traffic-free roads. Participants in the étape will be watched over by the same Mavic support crews who normally spend their day tending to the mechanical needs of professionals in some of Europe's top races – that's like having Premier League physios pitch-side for your Sunday league kick-about. Riders will be expected to be able to fix their own punctures, but the Mavic crews will be there to help with most other mechanical mishaps.

Riders are looked after just as well as machines, with strategically placed feed stations en route to keep those human engines topped up – the outpost at the top of the Schiehallion climb is sure to provide a particularly welcoming sight.

The chance to ride 81 miles of Scotland's most challenging and picturesque roads without a car in sight will be worth the entry fee alone to most keen cyclists, but there's the added bonus of knowing your efforts are also raising money for the event's official charities, Action Medical Research and Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres. The étape is also proving a boon for Perthshire's tourist industries.

Last year's event was reckoned to have brought in around £190,000 to the local community and this year's increase in competitor numbers should see that amount rise nicely.

Despite such economic benefits, not all locals have been entirely welcoming of the event, with some voicing concerns over the temporary closure of roads.

Organisers have responded by upping the required minimum average speed to bring down the total length of time the roads will be closed.

Those riders who aren't able to keep to the schedule won't be abandoned at the roadside but will instead be swept up by the event's "broom wagon" and returned to the safety of Pitlochry for a massage and a feed at food writer and TV presenter Nel Nelson's pasta party.

Although some of the more ambitious competitors will be looking to clock the fastest time for the course, the étape isn't a race. Most will simply be in it to enjoy the route, the closed roads, the camaraderie found in riding in such a large event and the satisfaction of completing the distance. (Those with a competitive spirit might be keen to know that last year's fastest time was three hours 48 minutes, recorded by Ed Woodhouse, with Catriona Phin the fastest woman finisher only a minute and a half behind.)

As Gorman put it: "The emphasis is not on the winners, it's on people taking part, challenging themselves and achieving personal goals."

Round-the-world cyclist Mark Beaumont is among those with his name on the start list. For him at least, this particular challenge should be the equivalent of a short Sunday stroll. sm

For more information, visit www.etapecaledonia.co.uk