News: Less Than Two Weeks To Closed Road Etape Cymru

It is now less than two weeks until the closed-road Etape Cymru, which takes place on Sunday 9th September 2012 on fully closed roads in the stunning Welsh countryside.

With over 3000 meters of climbing, the 92-mile route is sure to test even the most seasoned sportive rider. Starting and finishing in Wrexham, riders will get a chance to take on challenging climbs such as Panorama, The Shelf, Worlds End and the infamous Horseshoe Pass.

The challenge of tackling the lung-busting climbs will be rewarded by a rolling route through quaint Denbighshire and Wrexham villages such as Llangollen, Carrog, and Minera. This is a course that really showcases the spectacular views of the Clwydian range, an area of outstanding beauty.

On top of the fantastic scenery, atmosphere on the climbs will be reminiscent of Tour de France mountain stages, with the support of local residents out in force to demonstrate the hospitality that the Welsh are famous for.

Taking over the Etape Cymru for 2012, experienced event organisers Human Race, gathered comments from riders at the 2011 event and have made some major changes from last year’s inaugural event to deliver a brilliant experience.

The event is definitely not one to miss, and has even caught the attention of London 2012 Olympic medallists. Olympic rower and silver-medallist Chris Bartley will be swapping boat for bike and joining riders to take part in the sportive.

“I am really looking forward to taking part in the Etape Cymru,” said Bartley. “There are some really tough climbs in the route, so it is going to be a hard day in the saddle.”

The event also has the backing of Olympic Team Pursuit gold medallist, Geraint Thomas MBE, who is the Etape Cymru ambassador. Voicing his support for the sportive, Thomas said: “The route of the Etape Cymru in North Wales is amazing and people from all over the UK are going to have a fantastic day out, it’s the kind of route that makes me proud to be a Welsh cyclist.”

He continued: “The great local support that we’re famous for is going to make this a very special day on the cycling calendar. I wish the best to everyone who is riding the event, it’ll be tough but the closed roads are going to be a top experience.”

With the event and its road closures being supported by Wrexham and Denbighshire council, the Etape Cymru will be a perfect opportunity for participants to take on some of the toughest roads in Wales. Here, they can take part in the safe and secure closed-road environment normally only experienced by professionals.

Riders will be well looked after by leading sports nutrition supplier Zipvit Sport, the official partner for the sportive. ZipVit will supply energy bars, gels and recovery drinks from its Project ZV sports nutrition range to the feed-stations along the route, which will be continually re-stocked to ensure all riders have enough food and drink to stay energised and hydrated.

The more spectators there are on the day, the better the atmosphere will be. Families and friends of riders are encouraged to attend the event and support the riders, with spectator points available along the route. Official Charity Partner of the event Macmillan invite all spectators to join them at their Team Macmillan cheer point near the Britannia pub on the Horseshoe Pass climb.

Funds raised from participants for the Official Charity Partner will be used to help Macmillan support not only people affected by cancer, but everyone their cancer has an impact on, from partners, to children, to friends and carers. The local charity partner is Nightingale House. The charity provides specialist palliative care services, completely free-of-charge, to patients and their families across a wide area stretching from Wrexham, Flintshire and East Denbighshire to Barmouth and the border towns including Oswestry and Whitchurch.

With final preparations for the event gearing up, and less than two weeks of training time left until the big day, the Etape Cymru is all but ready to get underway. Ambassador Geraint Thomas added: “The Etape Cymru is one of the toughest closed-road events in Britain and as a proud Welshman I am delighted to support it. Good luck to all the entrants, cycle hard, keep smiling and enjoy your day and the North Wales hospitality!”

Entries close on Wednesday 5th September and entry costs £55.

For more information about the route, or to enter please visit: http://www.etape-cymru.co.uk