New Forest Sportive grows into festival of cycling

The New Forest 100 Sportive on 3 October – part of the Wiggle Super Series – will now form part of a two-day festival of cycling.

The festival will include a mountain bike/cyclocross event with three route options on Saturday 2 October, a hill climb event, live music, entertainment, food and drink, and children's rides and activities.

MTB/cyclocross riders will be able to choose from a 44-mile route, a 25-miler or a family fun 10-mile option.

The road sportive on Sunday 3 October remains the main event. Three routes are on offer: the Epic 100-mile route, the Standard 66-miler or the 44-mile option. The course takes in some challenging but short hills such as the 25 per cent Blissford Hill.

Martin Barden, of UK Cycling Events, said: "We are hugely excited to be working with the New Forest National Park Authority to host this cycle festival. It's the perfect way to celebrate a brilliant year of events that have been so well attended. A weekend of family fun is the best way to enjoy getting out on your bike."

The hill climb event on Saturday afternoon could be the perfect warm down for those in action earlier in the day – or a warm up for the sportive riders. Prizes will be awarded to the top ten riders in two categories (road and ‘knobbly tyred’) as they climb the 1km course near Brockenhurst. The event is being run in partnership with New Forest Cycling Club.

Entry fees include electronic timing, feed stations, event photography, bike wash facilities, and clearly signed courses.

Enter the New Forest 100 Sportive or find out more about the festival weekend. For an insight into riding a Wiggle Super Series event in the New Forest National Park there's this video of the Spring Sportive in April.