Breast Cancer Care's Bike Blenheim Palace, 21 Aug 2011

A Festival of Cycling - Bike Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace is delighted to announce the fourth annual cycling festival at Blenheim Palace. Breast Cancer Care’s Bike Blenheim Palace will take place in the summer this year on Sunday 21 August. Previously an autumn event on the Palace’s calendar, this move for the 4th event will mean a brighter morning, longer daylight hours and a warmer day. Attracting over 5,000 people in 2010 this unique event has established itself as one of the most exciting cycling events in the country and includes:

•A beautiful 60 and 100 mile Sportive through the Cotswold's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

•A tough 20km Time Trial all on the closed roads of Blenheim Park

•The staging of the amazing 2011 Brompton World Championship

•Family rides in a beautiful and safe car free environment

In 2011 Breast Cancer Care continue to be official charity and title sponsor and have introduced the brand new marathon distance Pink Ribbonride. This is a fantastic new challenge and Breast Cancer Care are inviting all to join them in the 26 mile ride through the beautiful Park and into the Cotswolds, and help raise money for people living with breast cancer.

This unique event has something for everyone from the competitive cycling fanatic to families looking for somewhere safe to ride their bikes in beautiful surroundings. Take part in one of the races, browse the Event Village including specialist retailers and additional arenas for Bike Polo, and M.A.D mountain bike stunt team, or simply come to watch the cyclists young and old take to the beautiful winding roads of Blenheim Park.

Need more information?

www.bikeblenheimpalace.com/

Moonriders London to Brighton, Friday 16 Sep 2011

Moonriders London to Brighton

Combining the iconic 100km London to Brighton route with the unique sensation of night cycling, up to 1000 moonriders will depart Alexandra Palace from midnight to experience the thrill of riding on deserted roads, devoid of traffic and illuminated only by torchlight. Accomplished road cyclists will aim to complete the course in under five hours, whilst others may take a more leisurely pace!

Setting off from midnight on Friday 16 September, Moonriders will pedal through eerily quiet London streets and past some of the capital’s most iconic landmarks before breaking out onto the open country roads of Surrey and Sussex. Pausing en-route for a hot-meal stop, riders will aim to complete the 100km course just as the sun rises over Brighton Pier. This ultimate Capital to Coast night ride will help to raise valuable funds for five of the UK’s leading charities working with people affected by cancer, Breast Cancer Care, CLIC-Sargent, Have a Heart, Macmillan Cancer Support, and the Prostate Cancer Charity.

- 100km night group road cycling
- Fully signed and controlled route
- Suitable for road, hybrid, mountain, folding bikes - tandems!
- Staggered departures dependent upon pace preference
- Rest stop with hot-meal en-route
- Support riders, bike mechanics, medics, and vehicle cover
- Rider breakfast – family, friends, supporters welcome
- NEW! Complimentary rider coach and bike return service!
- £89 event cost + fundraising pledge to partner charity
- Fundraising support and event jersey
- Online resource, GPS route data, rider safety pack
- Corporate teams and group entries available - call the team!

Need more information?

www.moonriders.co.uk/

Pedal for The J's, Sunday 03 Jul 2011

Pedal For The J's

The J’s Hospice ‘Pedal for the J’s’ bike ride takes in some of Essex’s most beautiful villages. There is a choice of three rides of 15, 35 and 50 miles. All routes will start and finish at Admiral’s Park in Chelmsford with the 15 mile route taking in the Easters and the longer ones travel north towards Little Easton and then back through the Rodings.

Registration is £10 (£5 for under 16s) and we ask participants to raise sponsorship if they can. Registration is open now and you can register online by visiting www.thejshospice.org.uk or download the attached registration form.

The J’s Hospice provides hospice care in the home for young adults. Due to improvements in medical care and technology, the population of young adults with life limiting conditions is growing. But at 19 years old, these patients have outgrown children’s services and need age appropriate care and support. Our team provides hospice, medical, nursing and respite care for patients, carers and their families. We also provide emotional and bereavement support. Our long term aim is to build a stand-alone building in Essex with in-patient beds. It will be the first specific young adult hospice in the East of England.

Need more information?

www.thejshospice.org.uk

Lakeland Loop Cyclosportive, April 10th 2011

What is the Lakeland Loop?

The 4th Lakeland Loop takes place on Sunday April 10th 2011, starting from the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel in Great Langdale. The route initially climbs over Loughrigg Terrace and descends to Grasmere, from where it heads North through Keswick and climbs Whinlatter pass. From here the route heads East and South through Gosforth to Eskdale Green and the infamous Hardknott and Wrynose passes. With those challenges completed there is one final ascent from Little Langdale to reach Blea Tarn and start the descent into Great Langdale to finish at the New Dungeon Ghyll. The route is approximately 69 miles and can be described as 'very challenging'. Experienced cyclists will require gear ratio of 39/27 as a minimum requirement, a compact chainset or triple chainset is strongly advised as the hardest climbs are close to the end of the route and are generally reached in a fatigued state. Protective helmets (ANSI standard) are strongly recommended due to the steep descents found on the course.

How is the route marked?

The route will be marked with signs and road markings. The signs will be as shown on the right and the road markings will consist of an arrow in yellow paint. Are there food stops?

There are 2 food stops which will provide cold drinks and refreshments for competitors. The first food stop is at the bottom of Whinlatter pass at Lorton Village Hall (approx 26 miles) and the second is shortly after Santon Bridge at Santon Bridge Village Hall (approx 52 miles). For a more accurate description of the food stop location view the route card below.

What do I need to do before the day?

Ensure your bike is in a roadworthy condition for the route, brakes are particularly important on the descents! Print a route card and description to bring with you, the route is well marked but this will act as a back up and also has the emergency contact numbers. Bring tools, spares and some money, there is no sweeper wagon so you need to ensure that you can get back if you should have mechanical difficulties. It is strongly advised that you wear a hard shell cycling helmet (ANSI standard or similar). This is compulsory for anyone under the age of 18 on the day of the cycling event (minimum age for the event is 16 years on the day).

What do I need to do on the day?

You will need to register when you arrive and registration will be open from 7.00am in New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Walker's Bar. At registration you will collect your event number, foodstop wristband and timing chip. Toilets will be available in the Hotel, but public toilets are also available on the approach to great langdale as you pass through Elterwater village. Car parking is available at the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.

On the day the start times are between 8.00am and 10.30am, you choose your own start time but a maximum of 20 riders are able to start every 4 minutes. The start has to be controlled in this manner for safety reasons for both the public and riders. Slower riders should start early to account for the extra time required to complete the distance and faster riders should start towards the end of the field to avoid early arrival at feedstops. In 2009 times ranged from 3 hours 46 minutes to 8 hours 51 minutes, so start accordingly. The finish is the same location as the start, refreshments and bar meals are available at the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.

Need more information?

www.epicevents.org