The 3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross Race is often described as Britain’s toughest and most iconic cycling challenge. It covers around 38 miles across the Yorkshire Dales, combining rough tracks, steep climbs, rocky descents, and classic Dales road sections. Riders tackle the summits of Ingleborough, Whernside, and Pen-y-Ghent, carrying their bikes for much of the uphill terrain and battling the unpredictable Dales weather along the way.
This year, Will Scholey took on the challenge for the first time. We caught up with him to talk about his training, race experience, and what it takes to conquer the 3 Peaks for the first time.
What made you want to take on the 3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross Race?
It’s always been on my radar. I’ve grown up right on the doorstep of the race, and over the years I’ve helped support riders and the event itself. I’ve always wanted to do it – it’s such a local legend – and this year just felt like the right time. My cycling has been going well again recently, and it seemed like a good challenge to aim for.
Tell us a bit about your background in cycling.
I started racing during the 2020 and 2021 seasons as a youth rider. I’ve always been into sport, and I’m now studying for a degree in Sport and Exercise Science at Lancaster University, which fits in nicely with my training and racing.
What kind of bike and setup did you use for the race?
I rode a Cube Cross Race C:62 Pro. I kept the setup as minimal as possible – a waxed chain and lots of small weight reductions, including a 3D-printed Selle Italia saddle. Everything went perfectly from a kit point of view: no punctures, no mechanicals, and the bike felt spot on all day.
How did you approach your nutrition and hydration?
I used OTE Sports products, which I already knew well because I’d been involved in a third-year university research project that was sponsored by OTE. Through a lot of trial and error, I actually made my own race nutrition plan – down to every gram of carbohydrate.
During the race, I used OTE gels and bars, and OTE hydro tabs for hydration. I think I got the nutrition spot on, but I still need to work more on my hydration, as I definitely underestimated how much I needed in the heat and ended up cramping quite a bit towards the end!
You mentioned you had some great support on the day – tell us about that.
Yeah, I couldn’t have done it without my dad! He was following the route on an e-bike — one of the 3 Peaks Cycles hire bikes from the shop in Settle — and he’d retrofitted it with a bespoke rack to carry spare wheels made by the very talented John Crossland, and a basket full of nutrition on the front. It was quite a head turner! Having him there made a huge difference, both practically and mentally.
How did the race itself go?
I wasn’t too nervous in the run-up, but as soon as I was on the start line the butterflies really kicked in!
I set off around 300th and managed to work my way up to the top 100 by the summit of Ingleborough. The climb up Simon Fell and onto Ingleborough was brutal – it’s seriously steep! I used to run, but I’m a bit out of practice, so I definitely felt it. Still, I made up a lot of time on the road sections, and having a bit of youth on my side helped on the climbs!
The descent from Ingleborough was another story… the top section is rocky and technical, and that was tough. Lower down it turns into fast grass and bogs – one of which saw me go right over the bars! Luckily I landed on my feet, but I had to run back up to fetch my bike. Let’s just say descending is still a work in progress for me.
There’s a good stretch of road before Whernside, and I moved up quite a few places there — apparently I was in the top 10% of riders for the road sections, which I’m really pleased with.
The climb up Whernside itself is just a slog — it feels endless, especially in the heat. Cramp kicked in towards the top, which didn’t help, but once over the summit I was happy to be heading downhill again (even if I lost a few more places taking it carefully).
After Ribblehead, it was back into the rhythm of another fast road section, then onto the final climb up Pen-y-Ghent. That’s a steady grind, and I just kept pushing, even though I realised I wasn’t going to make my goal of a sub-four-hour finish.
I crossed the line in 4 hours 16 minutes, finishing 14th in the MU23 category and 161st overall.
That’s an amazing result for your first attempt! Looking back, what were the highlights and low points?
The best thing for me was that everything went according to plan. I felt well-trained, I was at peak fitness, and I was really happy with how the bike and kit performed. The road sections were definitely a strength too – all those training miles paid off!
The worst parts were definitely the cramping and the heat. I hadn’t expected it to be so warm, and it really affected my legs in the later stages. Also, my descending confidence needs a bit of work – but that’ll come with more experience. Missing the sub-four-hour target was a bit frustrating, but it gives me a goal for next time.
Will you be back next year?
Definitely! I loved it. It’s such a unique race – brutal but brilliant. My plan for the coming months is to keep racing cyclo-cross: I’ve already done one event since the 3 Peaks, and I’ll be competing in both the North West and Yorkshire Cyclo-Cross Series over winter.
Then in spring, I’ll switch back to road racing, with some crits, time trials, and hopefully a BUCS training camp.
Any final thanks or shoutouts?
Absolutely. A huge thank you to my mum, dad, and girlfriend for all their support during training and on race day. Also a big thank you to 3 Peaks Cycles in Settle for all my race kit and ongoing support, and of course Russell in the workshop for prepping my bike for the race – it really made a massive difference!
✏️ Interview by 3 Peaks Cycles
📷 Photos courtesy of Will Scholey & the 3 Peaks Cycles Race team, Darren Athersmith, Sam Mashford, Roots and Rain, Rachel Harvey, Patrick Frost and Mike Clark.
