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This event will be run under Cycling Time Trial (CTT) rules.
!!!!!!! ALL RIDERS MUST WEAR A HELMET AND HAVE A WORKING FRONT AND REAR LIGHT!!!!!!!
Riders must be at least 12 years old and under 18s require parental consent.
The £3 CTT levy is included in the £6 entry fee. And you still get a free pie and raffle ticket.
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1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Signing on at Diggle Band Club
Riders will need to arrive at least 30 minutes before their ride time for race numbers. Under 18s will need parental consent.
2:00 PM - 3:15 PM
The hill climb
First ride off at 2pm last rider off at 3:15pm if event full. Race number corresponds to start time.
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Prizegiving and raffle
This will take place in the Band Club where every rider will get a complimentary Saddleworth pie. Riders get one free raffle ticket.
Sponsors
All prize money - Grasscroft Property (grasscroftproperty.com)
First Open and first Female
Lusso - Greater Manchester cycling apparel manufacturer (Lusso.bike) - any gloves or socks, a buff and a one-off 20% discount code
Restrap - Yorkshire specialists in bikepacking luggage (restrap.com) - £30 voucher
Raffle
Weaver and Wilde - award winning coffee and steakhouse (weaverandwilde.co.uk) - 2 x £25 vouchers
Dark Woods - (darkwoodscoffee.co.uk) - coffee gift bag
Saddleworth Clarion - litre of triple matured Whyte and Mackay scotch whisky
...and more to come
About this event
For a third year Saddleworth Clarion and Manchester and District CTC have teamed up to run the Beard Cup Hill Climb. It will also be the National Clarion Hill Climb for 2025.
The hill climb is approximately 1.7km long on Huddersfield Road in Diggle village. It starts just after the crossroads of Carr Lane and Harrop Green Lane and ends approximately 200 metres before the junction with A62. See this link for the course route. https://veloviewer.com/segment/1862153/Beard+Cup+Hill+Climb
PRIZES
Overall fastest Rider - Cash prize of £30
Female - First - £30 (unless OFR), Second £20
Open - First - £30 (unless OFR), Second £20
Tourist - Open - First £20, First Female £20 (unless OFR)
Under 18 - First girl £10 (unless OFR), First boy £10 (unless OFR)
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Touring bikes must have full mudguards a rack or saddlebag large enough to carry spare clothes or lunch), working lights, tools, spare tube and a pump.
BEARD CUP
In addition to individual prizes the club with the 3 fastest riders will win the prestigious Beard Cup for the year.
To encourage inclusivity teams must have at least one female.
The time of the three fastest riders in a club is added up to find the winners.
(Riders on e-bikes are not eligible for prizes)
Spot prizes to be awarded by The Committee
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Saddleworth Clarion transgender policy for participation in competitive events:
Male
A transgender male (female to male) May compete in the Open Category
Female
A transgender female (male to female) Must compete in the Open Category.
Non-binary
A person who asserts they are non-Binary neither male nor female. Must compete in the Open category
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Under 18 riders must have parent consent signed at the band club prior to riding and any rider wishing to compete under 13 additionally must be accompanied but not assisted by and adult.
NOTE FOR LATE ENTRANTS
Rider numbers and start times will be allocated the day before the event. Any entrants that register after this time will find out the their start times & race numbers at the HQ. Entries can be made online until 2:30pm on 28.09.25 (race day).
Signing on opens at 1pm. There is a car park at the band club but this may fill up so allow time to find alternative parking. Collect race numbers from the Band Club where hot drinks are available (donations to the club). The bar at the band club will be available throughout for the purchase of refreshing drinks. After riding please return your race numbers to the band club and collect your pie. The presentation of prizes will take place in the band club shortly after the event along with the raffle.
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Rider Safety Information for Beard Cup Team and Individual Hill Climb – Sept 2025
· Riders must stick to their ride time or they may forfeit their entry. Ensure you are queueing up on the road a few minutes before your start time to ensure the timekeepers can complete their job.
· The course contains some potholes on the way up especially near the top of the hill. Riders should remain vigilant.
· Riders should take care when descending back down to the band club the road surface on the descent has an uneven surface for a considerable distance.
· ALL riders must wear a helmet.
· Please be aware this is a public highway with roads and entrances joining it – remain vigilant.
· All under 18 riders must have a signed parental consent form completed before receiving their race numbers
(https://www.cyclinguk.org/sites/default/files/document/2019/09/parental_and_photo_consent_v1_editable.pdf - also available to complete in paper format at the start line)
· Anyone who does not want photographs of themselves shared must let the control know who they are and their rider number.
· There will be a photographer at an appropriate place on the course – photographs will be shared with all participants after the event and these may later be used by the ride organisers for publicity/promotion.