Riders from around the world took on Ilkley’s Hell of the North

Hell of the North took place on Sunday 5 October

Fifty cyclists from as far afield as California and the French Alps took on 110km and more than 2,000m of Yorkshire climbing as breast cancer charity Le Cure staged its inaugural Hell of the North ride in Ilkley on Sunday 5 October.

The riders, aged between 29 and 63, set off from Nell Bank and tackled a challenging route through Askwith, Fountains Abbey, Darley, Greenhow and Pateley Bridge before finishing with a climb up Barden Fell.

The event was supported by local businesses, including La Stazione, 93 Cycles, High Grange Devon and Ilkley Brewery, with friends and family welcoming riders back to Nell Bank.

Le Cure was founded in 2014 and has raised more than £4 million for breast cancer research at the Royal Marsden, funding seven research fellowships and specialist equipment. Its research has helped advance the use of “liquid biopsies” to detect cancer DNA through blood tests.

Event organiser and Le Cure co-founder Dan Cullen-Shute, who lives near Ilkley, said the event had been “Yorkshire at its absolute finest” and was the start of something rather than the end.

Le Cure Founders - Dan, Paddy, Tony [L-R]

Dan added: "We’ve been running the ride in the Alps for over a decade now: our Autumn Classics are designed to give even more people a chance to get involved, and to do their bit to cure cancer. Under Professor Nick Turner at the Marsden, Le Cure funding enables world-leading oncologists and researchers to pursue work that is already changing the way breast cancer is detected and treated. Cancer will be cured, and we won’t stop pedalling (or running) until it is - rest assured, this is our first Hell of the North, not our last.”

He also paid tribute to everyone who rode out on a rather fresh Sunday morning: "We can organise as many rides as we like, but without people who are willing to get up in the dark on a cold Sunday morning, some of whom are dusting off bikes, some of whom have bought them especially, none of it matters. Some Curistas are seasoned cyclists, others are total beginners: they’re all doing something extraordinary for an incredible cause, and whether it’s pedalling in Yorkshire this weekend, running the Royal Parks Half Marathon next weekend, joining us in France in August, or grabbing a Curista spot at the London Landmarks Half Marathon in April, we want to give as many people as possible the chance to get involved." 

The Hell of the North will return to Ilkley next autumn, potentially with a choice of routes allowing even more riders to take part. Anyone interested in riding in 2027, supporting Le Cure, or taking part in one of its other cycling and running events can find out more at lecure.org/contact