Whilst there may still be another two months before cyclists take on the Etape Cymru and the infamous Horseshoe Pass, it hasn’t stopped over 1,000 entrants already signing up to challenge themselves on the UK’s toughest closed-road sportive.
Human Race, organisers of the Etape Cymru are eager to follow on from the success of the 2012 Wiggle Dragon Ride, where 94.3% of the 4,500 riders taking part rated the event as good or excellent. The Etape Cymru takes place on Sunday 9th September 2012 on fully closed roads and will share the same exn perienced Human Race team, who hold the desire and drive to make the 2012 event a storming success.
Starting and finishing at the Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse, Wrexham, the 92-mile route passes through the villages of Llangollen, Carrog, and Minera, and takes in climbs of many of the tough hills in the Clwydian range, including Panorama and The Shelf. The exposed climb up World’s End will provide cyclists with fantastic views of the Welsh scenery whilst they tackle the stretch home. Much of the Etape Cymru is held in the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty..
The famous Horseshoe Pass will make a return to the route, with riders once again having the chance to measure their climbing ability against the best in the sport by taking part in the Horseshoe Challenge.
Chris Boardman MBE at the Horseshoe Pass
Chris Boardman MBE, who has used the Horseshoe Pass climb in training throughout his career, said: “The Horseshoe Pass and the surrounding area are just stunning places to ride a bike. Being fairly local, I’ve used the Horseshoe Pass throughout my career and it’s a real test of form. It’s a tough climb that just keeps on going, but the views from the top are worth it.”
He continued: “Riders of the closed-road Etape Cymru on 9th September 2012 are bound to have a great day out on the bike and will enjoy the fantastic North Wales hospitality and scenery. Good luck!”
Human Race, the UK’s largest and most diverse mass participation events company took over the event for 2012. Since taking over they have gathered the comments from the 2011 riders and invested in key areas such as the start process, feed stations and the integrity of the closed roads. Human Race believes the riders will receive an excellent experience that reflects the companies approach to world-class mass-participation events.
Nick Rusling, CEO of Human Race is confident that the Etape Cymru will surpass the expectations of many: “We are sure that the UK’s toughest closed road sportive will challenge even the hardest cyclists. We have had excellent feedback from our last sportive, the Wiggle Dragon Ride, which was hailed as a great success and we hope to go from strength to strength.”
Human Race merged with Participate Sport earlier this year and they continue to operate under the highly esteemed brand name, Human Race. Their joint portfolio includes some of the most prestigious mass participation events in the UK including the Toshiba Windsor Triathlon, Festival of Sport, Cycletta, Wiggle Dragon Ride, the Speedo Open Water swimming series, the off-road series, and a partnership with the British 10k Run powered by Nike+.
The official national charity partner for Etape Cymru 2012 is Macmillan Cancer Support. The partnership will see Macmillan join forces with Human Race for the event and funds raised from participants will be used to help Macmillan support not only people affected by cancer, but everyone their cancer has an impact on, from partners, to children, to friends and carers.
The local charity partner is Nightingale House. The charity provides specialist palliative care services, completely free-of-charge, to patients and their families across a wide area stretching from Wrexham, Flintshire and East Denbighshire to Barmouth and the border towns including Oswestry and Whitchurch.
For more information on how to sign up and view the course route please visit: http://www.etape-cymru.co.uk. The event will cost £55.
