Why do Brits love hill-climbs so much?

Judging by their popularity, hill-climbs seem to chime with our national character. We asked eight notable hill-climbers just what it is they love about wheezing lungs, burning legs and pain-scored faces...

(Image credit: Andy Jones)

Despite being one of the shortest on the domestic calendar, the hill-climb season is one that attracts riders from all areas of the sport — whether it is domestic pros vying for podium spots at the Nationals, hill-climb specialists looking to force their way into the reckoning, or just a weekend warrior looking for a bit of pain and suffering to finish off their season.

>>> ‘I feel awful now’: Dan Evans on his amazing power output in National Hill-Climb victory

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Paul Knott is a fitness and features writer, who has also presented Cycling Weekly videos as well as contributing to the print magazine as well as online articles.  In 2020 he published his first book, The Official Tour de France Road Cycling Training Guide (Welbeck), a guide designed to help readers improve their cycling performance via cherrypicking from the strategies adopted by the pros.