Limited amount of extra places go on sale for inaugural Vélo South

Sold-out closed road sportive reopens entries for September event

Vélo South is releasing a limited amount of entries this morning for the inaugural event coming this September.

After the first batch of entries sold out within four days of release, these remaining few places available at www.velosouth.com are also expected to sell out fast.

Taking place on Sunday September 23, 2018, the first-ever Vélo South will take 15,000 riders through the stunning West Sussex countryside. With 1,700 metres of climbing across its 100-mile route passing through Chichester and Horsham, the route features the magnificent rolling hills of the South Downs National Park.

>>> Training for a 100-mile sportive: tips to get you from 60 to 100-miles

The route will start and finish at Goodwood Motor Circuit, which was the setting of the 1982 World Championships road race.

There will be six mechanical assistance and food and drink stations on course, with a final KOM challenge at Harting Hill around the 85 mile point ahead of a downhill run in towards the finish at Goodwood.

Along with RideLondon and the Tour of Cambridgeshire, Vélo South is set to be one of only three closed-road sportives in the south of England.

The timing of the release of extra places coincides with the official confirmation of the event route which executive chairman of event organisers CSM Active, Jon Ridgeon has said has been a long time in planning.

"We are delighted to be able to unveil it," he said. "We believe the route shows off the very best of West Sussex and we are confident participants are going to be blown away with how spectacular it is.

"Vélo South is a huge event for the region and we are calling on residents, businesses and community groups to get involved, showcase West Sussex at its very best and make the most of what promises to be a truly unforgettable celebration of cycling.”

An interactive route map of the finalised course is available at www.velosouth.com.

With elevation graphs pinpointing where the challenging climbs are located, riders can get an idea of what is in prospect ahead of the big day.

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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.