Inspired by the weekend's Ride London? Today Lagardère Unlimited - organisers of the World Triathlon London in Hyde Park and Tri Liverpool, have just announced a major new sportive and professional cycling event for 2015 - Velothon Wales (www.velothon-wales.co.uk), taking place on 14th June 2015.
Building on the huge success of Velothon events in Berlin, Vienna and Philadelphia, Velothon Wales will include a 120km, fully closed roads sportive which includes Caerphilly Mountain and the famous climb of The Tumble, which features in the Tour of Britain.
Pre-Registration is now open (HERE) - sign up now with promo code TRI247 and you'll be eligible to enter at a 20% discount in the week-long ‘Priority Entry Window’ - full details below.
World Class Cycling Event Comes to the UK
Another giant has been added to the UK’s sportive and professional race calendar as Velothon Wales, an event that promises to deliver a weekend of cycling on a scale that Wales has never before witnessed, today opened for pre-registrations.
Taking place on the 14th June 2015, Velothon Wales will combine a closed road sportive with a capacity of up to 10,000 riders alongside a UCI sanctioned professional race that is likely to attract many of the world’s top riders and teams.
Starting and finishing in the heart of Cardiff city centre, the completely closed road sportive will take riders on a 120km route through the breathtaking Welsh countryside. With over 1,400m of climbing including Caerphilly Mountain and a King of the Mountain's Challenge on The Tumble climb in the Brecon Beacons – as featured on stage 9 of this year’s Tour of Britain – riders can expect a challenging day in the saddle. For less experienced riders, there is the option of entering a shorter 50km route which also boasts the safety of completely closed roads.
Upon completing the sportive, riders will have the unique opportunity to join thousands of spectators in witnessing the conclusion of the UCI sanctioned professional race. The exact UCI grading of the Velothon Wales professional race will not be announced until the UCI calendar is released in late September, however event organisers have indicated that the course will be identical to that of the 120km sportive, but with multiple loops of the Tumble climb and Caerphilly Mountain.
Velothon Wales is the latest event in the UCI Velothon Majors, a global series of cycling events organised by Lagardere Unlimited Events. Other events in the series include Velothon Berlin, Velothon Vienna and Velothon Philadelphia. Since its inception in 2009, Velothon Berlin has grown to be one of the world’s biggest and most iconic cycling events, welcoming over 14,000 riders and the world’s top pro’s including the likes of 2012 winner Andre Greipel, 2013 winner Marcel Kittel and 2014 winner Raymond Kreder.
Speaking of the event, Velothon Wales’ Race Director Roland Hofer said:
“We know there is a huge appetite for world-class cycling events, particularly in light of Ride London where over 80,000 people the ballot for the 2014 event.
“Having worked as Race Director for Velothon Berlin since 2009, I am hugely excited to be part of the team that will be delivering Velothon Wales. Each year Velothon Berlin attracts a stellar elite field which, combined with thousands of participants taking on the exact same route, creates a truly memorable day of cycling. We are looking forward to Velothon Wales emulating its success in every respect.”
Welsh Government Minister for Economy, Science and Transport, Edwina Hart, said: “Velothon Wales is an exciting new event and, as one of four Velothon events in the world, puts Cardiff and the surrounding area on a stage with cities like Berlin, Vienna and Philadelphia. It is another of the major sporting events we are bringing to Wales which all serve to build our reputation as a nation with an excellent pedigree in delivering major events that attract both locals and visitors alike.”
Jonny Clay, Cycle Sport and Membership Director for British Cycling, said: “We have been working closely with the organisers of Velothon Wales for over a year now and we are very excited with how the project has developed. Bringing together elite level road racing with mass participation events has proved to be a very exciting and successful method for staging major events in recent years and I’m confident that we will have thousands of people eager to take part, either as participants or spectators. When you add in the natural landscape of Wales and the vibrancy of the city of Cardiff, there is no doubt that Velothon Wales will be memorable event, not only for 2014, but for many years to come.”
Entries for Velothon Wales will be priced at £55 for the 120km route and £40 for the 50km route. Whilst the event is not yet on sale, you can pre-register now using the promo code TRI247. In doing so, you will be able to enter the event with a 20% discount during a week-long ‘Priority Entry Window’*. Given the premium nature of the event, demand is expected to be high and so event organisers are urging all riders to pre-register now and sign up during this window to avoid missing out altogether.
To find out more and view a short promo video, please visit www.velothon-wales.co.uk
Facebook.com/VelothonWales
Twitter.com/VelothonWales
* There will be an allocation of 2,000 entries available with a 20% discount. These will be sold on a first come, first served basis to everyone who pre-registered using a promo code. Upon these discounted entries selling out, pre-registrants will still be able to enter the event during the Priority Booking Window at the normal price of £55 and £40 for the 120km and 50km race respectively. Individuals will be notified of the start of the Priority Booking Window via email.
The deadline for pre-registrations is 15 September 2014.