CYCLISTS are expected to flock to Evesham this September as the Cyclefest returns and Olympian Chris Boardman will once again make an appearance.
Now in its fourth year, the popular event held on Saturday 2 and Sunday, September 3 will see everyone from cycling amateurs to professionals put their pedal power to the test on a number of courses throughout the scenic Vale.
Olympic Gold Medalist Chris Boardman will once again be the guest of honour and will be leading out the Sportive race. His firm, Boardman Bikes, who will be opening a performance centre at The Valley, are the headline sponsor of the festival.
The event was first launched in 2014 to raise funds for the Bell Tower appeal. This year’s charities will be the Alzheimer’s Society and the Worcestershire Young Onset Dementia Service.
A number of events will be taking place across the two-day festival. On the Saturday there will be a mountain bike race at The Valley, with a number of courses and race categories for under-eights, under 18’s, youth, adult novices and a Challenge Cup.
On the Sunday there will be a 16 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 Escapade Sportive. A number of routes include a 34 mile ‘frolic’, a 73 mile ‘romp’ or a 101 mile ‘challenge.’
Visitors to the Cyclefest Event Village on the Crown Meadow will be able to view Boardman Bikes’ new bike range. There will also be able to view plans for the cycling centre at The Valley which includes a cycling-specific wind tunnel and performance testing lab.
There will also be range of other activities including the Wychavon climbing wall, Kaos’ circus skills arena, and Bonkers Activities will be putting on a skate and scooter display.
Sophie Wetherall, Chair of Cyclefest, said: “We hope that this event will be bigger and better than ever. We’re passionate about promoting cycling in our local community; it’s good for the environment, fun for all the family and here in the Vale of Evesham it really is the perfect way to enjoy the beautiful countryside that surrounds us.
“And we don’t want to keep this to ourselves. With so many great locations and sites that are easily accessible on a bike, we believe that our town could become a real hub for ‘cyclotourism’ and we hope this event is one way of raising awareness of just how enjoyable a cycling holiday in Evesham can be.
“The event will highlight the many fantastic cycling routes in our area and celebrate just how much fun it is to get out there into the fresh air on your bike, as well as raising much-needed funds for a number of good causes.”
Visit www.entrycentral.com/eveshamcyclefest for more information and to sign up for events.
