British Cycling has today welcomed the arrival of a new major domestic event to the cycling calendar, with next year’s Velothon Wales sure to be ‘memorable’ for spectators and participants alike.

Starting and finishing in Cardiff on 14 June 2015, Velothon Wales is the latest event to offer cycling fans the opportunity to ride the same routes as their professional counterparts with a closed road sportive being run alongside a UCI sanctioned elite level race.

Following the format of last week’s successful Prudential Ride London, fans will have the option of riding ahead of the professional peloton over distances of 120km or 50km.

And British Cycling members will once again receive priority access when entries open for the mass participation event. Five hundred discounted places (20% off) will be available to members on a first come first served basis.

Jonny Clay, cycle sport and membership director for British Cycling, said: “We have been working closely with the organisers of Velothon Wales for over a year now and we are very excited with how the project has developed.

“Bringing together elite level road racing with mass participation events has proved to be a very exciting and successful method for staging major events in recent years and I’m confident that we will have thousands of people eager to take part, either as participants or spectators. When you add in the natural landscape of Wales and the vibrancy of the city of Cardiff, there is no doubt that Velothon Wales will be memorable event, not only for 2014, but for many years to come.”

The exact UCI grading of the Velothon Wales professional race will not be announced until the UCI calendar is released in late September, however event organisers have indicated that the course will be identical to that of the 120km sportive, but with multiple loops of the Tumble climb in Brecon Beacons – as featured on stage 9 of this year’s Tour of Britain - and Caerphilly Mountain to increase both the amount of climbing and distance compared to the recreational event.

Welsh Government minister for economy, science and transport, Edwina Hart, said: “Velothon Wales is an exciting new event and, as one of four Velothon events in the world, puts Cardiff and the surrounding area on a stage with cities like Berlin, Vienna and Philadelphia. It is another of the major sporting events we are bringing to Wales which all serve to build our reputation as a nation with an excellent pedigree in delivering major events that attract both locals and visitors alike.”

Velothon Wales’ race director Roland Hofer said: “Having worked as Race Director for Velothon Berlin since 2009, I am hugely excited to be part of the team that will be delivering Velothon Wales. Each year Velothon Berlin attracts a stellar elite field which, combined with thousands of participants taking on the exact same route, creates a truly memorable day of cycling. We are looking forward to Velothon Wales emulating its success in every respect.”

British Cycling Members will be able to enter first during an exclusive priority booking period in mid- September. Five hundred discounted places (20% off) will be available to Members and these will be issued on a first come first served basis. Upon these discounted entries selling out Members will still be able to enter the event during the priority booking window at the normal price of £55 and £40 for the 120km and 50km route respectively.

To find out more about the event, please visit www.velothon-wales.co.uk