EFR Island Circuit ~ 3* Corto Fondo
Who's it for?
This course caters for the rider who is confident on the roads, can climb a hill without stopping and is eager to undertake something a little more challenging before taking on the big bays and some of
Jersey's classic climbs. If you've completed the
2* Randonee Ride, and want
something to stretch you a little further, then this course is ideal for you.
Course Description Go past the garage
and take the first left to head for Corbiere Lighthouse. Dive in to the bay, be aware of the strong cross winds, and climb out
the long sloping side. Carry on for
500 metres, turn right just before the garage and drop down La Pulente
in to St Ouen's Bay where you clear the 10 km marker.
Ride all the way to the end of the bay and follow the road
around, and up, Hydrangea Avenue. Halfway up this, the
third climb, take the sharp hairpin left and head for the Battle
of Flowers Museum. Pass the museum and head to the end of
the road and the yellow line junction. Take a left turn
and enter the "Bal Tab" circuit, where, half way
around, you'll sail
through the 20 km marker.
Follow the road around to the headland and take the cut through to head for Les
Landes Race Course. Keep on this road all the way to the
top of Greve de Lecq and drop down in to the bay. There's
a long drag out of the bay which brings you all the way back to
the St Mary's 20 mph lane
and the Ecole Francaise, where we again pick pick up the
Randonee Course. From here, it's a straight road all the
way to St John's Church, the 30 km marker
and halfway around the lap. Keep going to Haute Croix, go over the junction, head to
Trinity and ride around the back of the church. Take a right and a
left and pick up the
main road heading for Durrell Wildlife. But you turn off
before you get there. After the church you
crest a rise, and as you drop down you take a tight left kink
with a high wall alongside it and head for a sharp right. This is where you turn "left" down the short Rue du Becquet and
head for the top of Rozel, and the Route des Cotes du Nord.
If you miss it and go past the "zoo", take the next turn left
and you'll get to Rozel that way.
Safely drop in to Rozel Harbour and take the short, steep,
fifth, climb out of the bay. After the main climb
ends there is a long drag of 300 metres, where the road turns
sharp left. Follow this road and when it kicks up again,
at the 40 km marker, take the left turn to head in to the dip for St Martin's Church.
At the main road, turn left get and head for Ransoms. Keep
going, drop down off the top
of the island, in to Gorey. It's now a "straight" run in,
along the flat coast road, all the way back to town. As you
pass La Roque Harbour, you hit the 50 km marker. Carry on all the way to Harve des
Pas and head for the sixth and final climb of the day, the
deceptively challenging Mount Bingham. Drop down on to
the sea front and pass the Old Harbour, heading for town. When you get to the Normans Building, just before the Steam
Clock, you've reached your destination. Another fantastic
ride, well done.
Course Profile
Distance and elevation; 57 kms long, 584 metres of altitude climbed.
What Next?
What's a Fondo?
Here's a
selection of the
European events we've taken part in over the last
decade... The French and other European's call them
cyclo-sportives.
Garmin Course Download...
How did I do?
Starting at the Sugar Basin Slip, head west to the bottom
of St Aubin and climb up Mont Le Vaux, the first of our six hills.
Keep the Shell Garden on your right and ascend to
the very top of the climb at Noirmont Corner Shop. Keep on
the main road, go straight through Red Houses junction and head
for La Moye Garage. 
Six climbs; St Aubin's Hill, Corbiere, Battle of
Flowers, Greve de Lecq, Rozel and Mount Bingham.
When you can comfortably tackle this rides 56
kilometres, you're ready to tackle the
4* Medio Fondo
Ride. A little longer, a little hillier, a little harder;
but you're ready.
A Fondo is an Italian-style, organized, timed, cycling event.
They're not just a bike ride, they're a way of life in Italy.
The glorification of everything that makes being a cyclist one
of the most rewarding pastimes, sports, lifestyles there is.
The food, the people, the atmosphere make it a day you will
never forget. Corto, is Italian for small.
Now you've ridden the circuit, why not open a Strava account and
upload your results to their site and join
Equipe Flamme Rouge, it's all free to compare your
results to those of other riders in the island.
