Worcester to host the 2015 Friends Life Tour Ride sportive on Sunday 4th October
![]() |
News – Tour Ride for Worcester
Building on the success of hosting a stage of last September’s Friends Life Tour of Britain, the UK’s biggest professional cycle race, Worcester will host the 2015 Friends Life Tour Ride, a mass participation cycle event for amateur cyclists.
Taking place on Sunday 4th October, three route options for the Ride will be available, headlined by a 100-mile route, which will showcase some of the most attractive, and hardest, roads in Worcestershire. Entrants can also choose 75 and 35-mile options to suit their ability.
Starting from outside the University of Worcester Arena, all three routes will finish on Worcester Racecourse allowing for a closed-road finale to the Friends Life Tour Ride, just a short hop by bridge across the River Severn, giving participants separate Start and Finish locations accessed from the same car parking.
The Friends Life Tour Ride, which was launched in 2009, is the official sportive of the Friends Life Tour of Britain and Friends Life Women’s Tour races, giving amateur cyclists the chance to have the professional experience and enjoy a full supported ride with all route options incorporating elements of the 2014 Friends Life Tour of Britain.
The Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership is hosting the Friends Life Tour Ride, working alongside partner organisations, and recognises the role that sport has in boosting the local economy as the county celebrates a number of high profile sporting events during 2015.
Peter Pawsey, Executive Chair of the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “I am pleased to announce that this prestigious cycle ride will take place in the county in October this year and would encourage people to start training. Businesses may wish to enter teams and this is a great opportunity for both individuals and teams to raise funds for their chosen charities.
“We recognise the huge importance that high profile sporting events provide to local companies. For example, the Tour of Britain boosted the local economy by almost £1m last year and I would urge businesses to consider the many commercial opportunities that this event will provide.â€
“This is an exciting addition to Worcestershire’s high profile sporting programme of events taking place this year, which will help to put Worcestershire firmly on the sporting map of Britain. Another highlight will be the prestigious European Wheelchair Basketball Championships which the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership is supporting alongside Worcester City Council and Worcestershire County Council.â€
Taking place annually since 2009, last year saw the Friends Life Tour Ride take place in Stoke-on-Trent and the Peak District, with approaching 1,000 riders entering and riding alongside Mark Cavendish, for whom it was his official sportive in 2014.
In addition to having hosted the Friends Life Tour of Britain on three occasions since 2007, most notably in 2014 when World Champion elect Michal Kwiatkowski won Stage Four from Worcester to Bristol, Worcestershire is also a regular host of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series in Redditch, which has taken place annually since 2012 with both elite men and women’s races.
Entries for the 2015 Friends Life Tour Ride will open in the final week of February, followed by a revamped event website, together with details of all three routes
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Startlist: Ryedale Grasscrete Womens Grand Prix
- Startlist: 17th Ryedale Grasscrete Mens Grand Prix
- Features, Reports, Results
- Track Results: Youth & Junior Track Championships
- TT Result: Yorkshire VTTA 10m TT
- Crit Result: Kent League Circuit Races
- Result: East Sussex CA 100m TT
- Result: PDQ Race Series #6
- RR Result: Cheltenham & County CC Road Races
- Crit Result: King and Queen of the Bowl 10
- TT Result: Houghton CC 10m TT
- TT Result: Aylesbury CC 10m TT
- TT Result: Shropshire CCA Team Time Trial
- TT Result: Scottish 100m TT Championships
- News: Ethan Hayter extends contract with Ineos
- Track Result: Brooks Cycles Track League
- Crit Result: Ken Robertson Regatta Crits
- TT Result: Otley CC 25m TT
- TT Result: Border City Whs 10m TT
- TT Result: Tickhill Velo Club 10m TT
- TT Result: SCCA 10m TT
- RR Result: Surrey League/Redhill CC
- Commonwealth Games: Road Races
- Crit Result: LDN – Brother UK Summer Series 9
- Result: Cliff Pratt Deca Community Crits 8
- Youth Result: White Rose Youth League 7
- Crit Result: CCA Twilight Zone Crits
- Crit Result: CDPP Sport Crit Series 15
- Crit Result: Portsmouth Evening Circuits
- TT Result: Vags CC Club 10m TT
- Crit Result: City RC (Hull) Crits #7
- Crit Result: Holt Racing Pembrey Crits 15
- Crit Result: Dick Evans Memorial Summer Series 7
- Crit Result: Rowe & King ‘Maindy Classics 9
- RR Result: Simon Hook Memorial Road Race
- Crit Result: Yomp Bonk Crits Super Series 4
- RR Result: Andrews Trophy Road Race
- Crit Result: SACA Salt Ayre Tuesday League 17
- Youth Result: Isle of Man Youth league 15
- Crit Result: Cliff Pratt Deca Crits 7
- Crit Result: Behind The Bikeshed’s Summer Circuits
Other News on VeloUK
- News: Ethan Hayter extends contract with Ineos
- Startlist: Ryedale Grasscrete Womens Grand Prix
- EVENTS: Bath Cycling Club Road Races
- Startlists: Manx Telecom International Stage Race
- Startlists: Lancaster Grand Prix
- Startlist: Barnsley Town Centre Races
- News: Shimano 105 Di2 Ribble Range
- News: Ben Healy wins Irish national time trial
- Events: Fort Vale Colne Grand Prix is back!
- News: Pedal Club Lunch, June ‘22
- Latest Podcast: Brother Cycling UK
- Commonwealth Games: UK Islands
- Commonwealth Games: Wales
- News: British Championships on TV
- Commonwealth Games: Team England
- Startlist: Stockton Grand Prix Women
- Preview: 2022 Cicle Classic Day 2
- News: Mildenhall Cycling Mini-Fest
- News: Scottish CX Champs for Dundee
- Events: Bath CC Women’s Road Race
- Startlist: 2022 CiCLE Classic (Women)
- Startlist Stockton Grand Prix Men
- Startlist: Junior Men’s CiCLE Classic
- Riders: British Road Championships
- 2022 Women’s Tour
- Next Week: Women’s Tour
- New Shoes Anyone?
- News: Sammie Stuart goes UCI!
- News: Brother UK Sponsors Biggest UK Races
- Scottish Team for Commonwealth Games
- Events: BikeStow Three-Day
- Startlists: Junior Road Championships 2022
- Feature: The Pedal Club Lunch May
- Barnsley Road Club Races This Sunday
- Sunday: Proper Northern Road Race Series 2
- This weekend: 48th Totnes Vire Two Day
- 2022 British Road Championships Venues
- TOUR SERIES: Round 3 (Sunderland) (Men)
- Startlist: Tour Series Round 1 Guisborough
- 2022 Tour Series Rider Squads Revealed