News: Aberystwyth Pro Crits

Equal prize money at stake in new Aberystwyth professional pro-criterium races on  Friday May 26th at the AberCycleFest

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News: Aberystwyth Pro Crits

Bike Channel to cover ‘Pedal Power on the Prom’ this late May Bank Holiday week (22-31st), featuring the new ‘Ceredigion Grand Prix’ men’s and ‘Storck Bikes Women’s Grand Prix’ pro races.

No less than seventeen criterium races will take place in Aberystwyth town centre on Friday May 26th as AberCycleFest continues its traditional late May Bank Holiday slot. Offering equal prize money to the two elite evening races – the Storck Bikes Women’s Grand Prix and Ceredigion Grand Prix for the men, over 500 riders are expected to take part in what is the centrepiece of the festival.

With the familiar Tour Series franchise deciding against visiting Wales for 2017, the new races and indeed the popular Conquer the Cliff downhill and EDCO Knockout HillClimb will now be televised on Bike Channel (FreeSat 251).

The criterium races will take place on the same circuit as previously used, therefore taking in the town’s famous landmarks like the 13th century Castle, 18th Century University and 19th Century Royal Pier along the Victorian promenade on what is a 1.2 kilometre circuit.

The riders will face a tough, technical circuit which has previously been won no less than three times by Olympic gold medallist Ed Clancy OBE and another three times by his JLT Condor teammates Kristian House, Felix English and Jon Mould.

Team Wiggins, Metaltek-Kuota and Team Raleigh riders are already confirmed to contest the £500 first prize.

With an uphill finish straight through Pier Street which is entered via an off-camber 90 degree right hand turn, followed by some tight twists and turns past St James Place and Seaview Place before a fast sweeping descent back onto the promenade, the riders will then need to carry just the correct amount of speed into the notorious Castle Point turn which has claimed many a victim in the past.

The race schedule kicks off at 1.30pm with Under 8’s races for local Ceredigion schoolchildren. In a county that does not yet feature a closed road circuit, this is many children’s only chance at racing on a traffic free circuit during the year.

Organisers have teamed up with Ceredigion County Council and Aberystwyth Town Council to enable the races to continue as part of one of the counties biggest annual festivals.

As an added incentive, Aberystwyth University are offering discounted accommodation for competitors and spectators who wish to stay and enjoy the festival weekend which also includes a Hill Climb dual eliminator (knock-out), an urban MTB downhill event, won in 2016 by current World Champion Rachel Atherton, and also the Continental Welsh Wild West Sportive, covering four distances for all ability levels.

To book your accommodation, please contact the Conference Office on 01970 621960, email conferences@aber.ac.uk or
www.aber.ac.uk/en/visitors/accommodation/

Full route details and online entry to the cycle events can be found at www.abercyclefest.com.

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