Event: 16 June 2013
Sir David Brailsford, British Cycling Performance Director and Team Principal of , has once again given his backing to one of Wales' top sportives, the .
2012 saw the Etape Eryri launch to great acclaim from across the media along with Sir David Brailsford, who rode the event with members of Team Sky. Etape Eryri starts on the historic Market Square in Caernarfon, with the 103-mile Etape Mawr exploring some of the toughest and most beautiful roads in North Wales. speaking about the event last year, Sir David stated:
"I am very happy to be involved in the Etape Eryri once again this year. 2012 was a truly unbelievable year for cycling in the UK, and events like the Etape Eryri added to that success. Cycling is very important to the UK as a nation these days, whether it's high performance, commuting to work or simply enjoying a leisurely bike ride with the family and sportive rides such as the Etape Eryri encourage all of these aspects and participants. Anybody who's thinking about doing any event this summer should come down here and do this one - it's going to be fantastic".
The Etape Eryri is a particularly interesting project for Brailsford as he was raised in the area and knows well the beautiful environment that the event sits in, he continues:
"The terrain that the ride visits is stunning and very challenging, I can vouch for that having cut my cycling teeth on many of these roads and having ridden the 47 mile 'Bach' last year! I can certainly say that anybody taking part in the event will have a day and a ride to remember".
Organised by Always Aim High Events, Etape Eryri also has two shorter options in the form of the 76-mile Etape Canol and the 47-mile Etape Bach, meaning that riders of all standards can take part and rub shoulders with world-class professional cyclists. Once again in 2013 the Etape Eryri will be supported by official retailer partner Chain Reaction Cycles, the world's biggest online cycle retailer.
Speaking about the news, Always Aim High Events director Tim Lloyd said:
"We are really honoured to have Sir David connected with the event again in 2013. Having known him for a number of years it is amazing to think what he has achieved in performance cycling for this country and people in the area are very proud of his achievements. In the unbelievable year of sport that 2012 was for this country, we will probably remember most of all Bradley Wiggins' Tour de France win, the myriad of London Olympic medals for GB, and Sir Dave's richly deserved knighthood.
"It's really exciting to have him involved with the Etape Eryri again this year, and we hope that he will be taking part in the ride and be present before and after the event to help celebrate the festivities on the day. We have a limit of 1200 riders for this year's event and with us already over 800 entries we expect to fill up ahead of the event, so urge riders who want to experience one of Wales' best cycle sportive events of 2013 to get their entries in and join us for an unforgettable day."
The Etape Eryri has three distance options on offer:
- Etape Bach 47 – The shortest of the 3 routes at 47 miles, but don’t be deceived, this will be among the most gorgeous and challenging 47 miles you will ever ride.
- Etape Canol 76 – 76 miles, with some mega climbs to get your legs and your lungs burning. Equally as beautiful but a little bit tougher than the Etape Bach.
- Etape Mawr 103 – A monster 103 miles of awesome tarmac on climbs you never believed that you could ride. Already a classic!
Entries to the 2013 Etape Eryri are now being taken online via the Etape Eryri entries page.
