HUNDREDS of cyclists are expected to descend on the Vale this weekend for the fifth annual Evesham Cyclefest.
The popular two-day event kicks off tomorrow and will see everyone from cycling amateurs to professionals put their pedal power to the test on a number of courses throughout the scenic Vale throughout the weekend.
This year’s event will raise cash for their new charity partner, the Evesham-based Tracy Sollis Trust which funds research, support and equipment in the fight against leukaemia.
A number of events will be taking place across the two-day festival. Tomorrow there will be a mountain bike race at The Valley, with a number of courses and race categories for under six’s, under-eights, under 12’s, 16’s and youth, adult novices and a Challenge Cup.
The off-road course proved popular with competitiors last year and in 2018 the smallest cyclists will complete a short course, moving up to 10 laps for the Adult Challenge Cup race.
All participants will receive a medal and through the generous support of traders at The Valley, there will be prizes for the top male and female racers in each class. The course is suitable for all MTB bikes, cyclocross bikes, and for U12’s all childrens bikes will be suitable. Just make sure each rider brings a helmet.
Registration will be on the day, 9am for children and from 12.30pm for adults. Prices are £3 for the under six’s and eight’s, £5 for the under 12’s, 16’s and 18’s and £10 for adult novices or £15 for the adult Challenge Cup competitors.
Then on Sunday there will be a 12 mile leisure ride through the scenic Evesham countryside and a two mile children’s ride.
And for cyclists looking for a challenge, there is also the Evesham Sportive Sunday. A number of routes include a 34 mile ‘frolic’, a 73 mile ‘romp’ or a 101 mile ‘challenge.’
All the routes take in places that the CycleFest committee love to ride themselves – from the magnificent Salters Lane, chocolate box Snowhill village, the iconic Saintbury Hill, Georgian Pershore, the Capability Brown landscape around Croome, to the ever popular route around Bredon Hill and back into Evesham.
The route will be signposted, with fully stocked feed stations, chip timing, mobile mechanical and medical support and returning for a medal and well earned cake at the finish
All of the rides start and finish on the Crown Meadow. Registration will be from 7am with cyclists departing from 8am. Registration for the leisure ride will be from 9am with the registration for the children’s ride from midday.
“Why not make it a family affair and cycle out with your children or grandchildren? Stop half way and have an ice cream at the Broadway Food Festival, enjoy the views and take it as easy as you like. Come back to a round of applause and a medal,” organisers Cycle Evesham Vale said.
E-mail [email protected] or log on to www.facebook.com/cycleeveshamvale for more on the group.
