Wiggle Dragon Ride
Event: 8 June 2014
The much anticipated Wiggle Dragon Ride which takes place on Sunday 8 June 2014, will open for entries at 9am on Thursday 10 October.
The date is one that sportive enthusiasts will want to have firmly in their diary, as the event historically sells out 5,000 places in less than a day, so cyclists will need to be quick to secure their place.
For those who have done five or more years of the Dragon Ride and those who participated in both the Wiggle Dragon Ride and Wiggle Etape Cymru in 2013, the priority window which will open on October 3 giving those loyal Dragon riders a chance to get in first.
The Wiggle Dragon Ride, which is already well-known as one of the toughest events of its kind in UK, will now feature a mammoth 305km Dragon Devil distance. The Dragon Devil will certainly not be for the faint hearted with the route including over 3437m of climbing. Event organisers and leading mass-participation events company Human Race are keen to stress that there will be a very limited number of places available for this option, so those who are keen will need to get in quickly. Those lucky enough to get a place will be well rewarded with an incredibly stunning cycling route which will take in the Rhigos, Black Mountain and the Devil’s Elbow – the Dragon Ride’s signature climbs – with the new addition of the Devils Staircase, a climb with a 15% gradient and elevation of 480m.
The traditional Gran Fondo (222km) and Medio Fondo (152km), which made the event so famous and popular, will be returning once again. These classic Wiggle Dragon Ride distances have created demand for the event like no other of its kind, with cyclists from all over the world scrambling for a place each year to experience the Alpine-like climbs and stunning scenery offered by the Brecon Beacons.
Next year’s event will also see the return of the Corto option after a brief hiatus in 2013, and the returning distance will have a re-modelled and slightly longer route of approximately 47km.
The 2013 event saw the well-received introduction of a Cycletta Women Only Ride and the 2014 version will follow the same route as the Corto riders. A slightly tougher test than the other events in the UK wide series, it provides a perfect platform for those wishing to work towards a larger more challenging sportive, with all the usual camaraderie that Cycletta rides never fail to provide.
The event continues to be supported by the UK’s No. 1 online Cycle and Tri-Sport retailer, Wiggle.co.uk. Andrew Whillas Sponsorship Manager at Wiggle.co.uk said, "We are delighted to be supporting the Wiggle Dragon Ride again in 2013. It is an incredible event that that is widely regarded as one of the most - if not the most – challenging and therefore rewarding sportives on the cycling calendar. We look forward to working with the organisers to achieve an even bigger and better Wiggle Dragon Ride than ever this year."
The 2014 event will welcome new official charity Macmillan Cancer Support with funds raised by participants being used to help support the thousands of people affected by cancer in the UK. Macmillan already has strong ties within the cycling event sector and joining forces with the UK’s premier sportive will continue to drive awareness and provide even greater fundraising opportunities for cyclists to support the charity.
Ian Lulham, Cycling Events Manager for Macmillan, said, “We are delighted to be the official charity partner for the Wiggle Dragon Ride and extend our relationship with Human Race cycling events. We hope the knowledge that riders’ efforts are helping to support people affected by cancer will encourage and motivate more people to join Team Macmillan and take part in this fantastic event.”
Nick Rusling, CEO of Human Race said, “We are excited about the 2014 Dragon Ride as we introduce the Dragon Devil distance. This is a real challenge which we created to respond to the demands of our cycling audience for their toughest challenge yet.”
For more information, to register your interest or to enter the Wiggle Dragon Ride 2014 visit www.humanrace.co.uk/cycling
