News: Chiltern Festival

Chiltern Festival for a man-o-man hill climb or a Concors D’elegance competition for those with a classic bike  – event  on July 17

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News: Chiltern Festival
This years Chiltern Cycling festival prides itself on offering something for every cyclist whatever their favourite two wheeled discipline.

Following the opening of entries recently for two of its flagship events, both with very different twists on the “Classic” theme, that reputation is set to continue as places are filling fast for the event on July 17th

1. Classique Hill Climb – 1 mile Head to Head Climb to decide who will be the King of the Chilterns in 2016
2. Golden Age Classic Concors – Concors D’elegance competition to find the finest vintage inspired bikes and retro riders in the UK

First up is the Classique Hill Climb which in previous years has proved to be a highlight of the festival. Tempting specialist hill climbers out of their summer slumber to pit their wits against inform road men and club riders.

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It’s set entirely within the private grounds of the magnificent Penn House estate and follows the same format as previously. Times are taken from riders first climb, with the fastest 40 qualifiers getting the chance to race in the head to head round against their closest rivals.

The race culminates in the final dual for the King of the Chilterns title. Billed as the ultimate test of “Brain and Brawn” it’s not all about brute climbing power, a smart race strategy and positioning could give you an advantage in the later rounds.

It’s not every day you see the winner of a Hill Climb give a victory salute – last year Beeline Road Teams Dan Bigham sprinted clear of ex National Champion Tejvan Pettinger to be crowned King of the Chilterns.

Alongside some of the pro’s and elite climbing specialists, the organisers expect, entries are also open to local and club riders looking to see if their skills out of the saddle measure up. Nat Rizzi from the organising team says “Its a superb free spectacle the Hill Climb has become a real crowd pleaser – they get behind every rider from the start and appreciate that it’s not just about climbing power but race tac tics come into play for the final rounds”

The climb itself is close to a mile long and whilst gradients average just 10% the course twists and turns challenging riders all the way up, there’s even a short downhill section in the middle, before kicking up again to the top.

The tactical nature of the hill makes for great viewing, especially once the fastest riders from the first round are set off in pairs to try and qualify for podium places. By the time the best riders are ascending the hill for the third time the crowd is at fever pitch and the riders are racing man against man.

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Classic Concors
The second classically named event is the Golden Age ‘Classic Concors’. An absolute must, for fans of cyclings halcyon days, when bikes with motors were called mopeds (or Dernys at a push!) and wool was the sports fabric of choice. This Retro inspired Parade around Penn House’s lawns and drives attracts a vintage mix of bikes and riders all competing for the prizes on offer and bragging rights.

From best restoration of a pre 1989 machine to finest bike and outfit combo, the rules are intentionally lax and the atmosphere is wonderfully relaxed, it’s a great place to enjoy the simple appeal of cyclings heritage.

This years event is supported by Golden Age Cycles and alongside the 30 mile Amersham Classic which allows riders the chance to discover the Chiltern Hills before entering the Concors, there will also be a Vintage theme to the carefully curated stalls from Shabbytique whose french Brocante style market offers a superb selection of vintage clothing, gifts, homewares and singers.

Which ever Golden era of cycling appeals to you most its always been about looking the part without having to try to hard…

Alongside the Classic Concors and Hill Climb the festival consists of a full day of action from Road and MTB Sportives and children’s Go ride racing. There’s a velo village and bike expo, alongside gourmet food stalls, beer tent, music and much more.

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Full details can be found at chilterncyclingfestival.com

With FREE entry and parking it’s a great day out for all the family just 30 minutes from central London, you can relax in the grounds of Penn House whilst watching all the action this Summer.

Its all about the story behind the bike, finalist in the Concors D’elegance line up to tell their vela tales for the judges

ENTER THE HILL CLIMB

The GE Chiltern Cycling Festival on 17th July  and a full day of cycling action at Penn House estate situated between Amersham and Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire. Velo VIP tickets and Entries now open via  https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/140644/Chiltern-Cycling-Festival-Sportive-2016

For further information and details of the various events chilterncyclingfestival.com  view their video https://vimeo.com/104444902
facebook.com/chilterncyclingfestival and twitter.com/@chilterncycling

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