The inaugural Enervit Tour of Cambridgeshire Gran Fondo, taking place this weekend (June 6-7) in Peterborough, has currently attracted over 6,000 riders, with participants coming from all over Britain and Europe, and aged between 16 and 80.
The two-day event is billed as the first of its kind in Britain, and comprises a 28-kilometre (17 miles) time trial on Saturday, June 6, and a 128-kilometre (79.5 miles) mass participation ride on Sunday, June 7. Both events will be run on closed roads and are part of the UCI World Cycling Tour.
Leading British time trial riders Matt Bottrill and Julia Shaw are among the 700 riders taking part in Saturday's TT. The top 25 per cent of riders in the event will qualify for the places in the UCI Amateur World Championships in Denmark in September.
>>> Cambridgeshire to host UK’s first ever Gran Fondo
As Sunday's Tour of Cambridgeshire is a Gran Fondo and not a sportive, racing is allowed. Riders will be timed, with the fastest 25 per cent qualifying for the UCI Amateur Road World Championships. A prize of £1500 will be awarded to both the fastest male and female riders on the day. All participants are expected to maintain a minimum of 19.3kmh (12mph) average speed.
"With 6,000 places already taken from riders across the UK and Europe, the Enervit Tour of Cambridgeshire promises to be a world class event," said Tom Caldwell from event organiser Vericool Sports Management.
"The response to the Gran Fondo format similar to that popular in Europe has been incredible and it will be great to see so many people on the day being competitive or simply enjoying the countryside riding on closed roads."
Although the time trial is sold out, places are still available for Sunday's Gran Fondo, with online entry closing at midday on Friday, June 5. For more information on the event, and online entry, visit www.tourofcambridgeshire.com.
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