Get your entries in for the Severn Bridge Sportive

Anyone looking for a serious test of cycling stamina need look no further than the David Duffield Severn Bridge Sportive on Sunday, September 13. The event starts and finishes at Castle Combe motor racing circuit and offers the choice of three routes. You can enter on-line and entries are now open and the event will be raising money for the CTC's Charitable Trust.

With three routes on offer (100, 65 and 30 miles) there will be something for cyclists of all abilities – but it is the 100 mile ride that will prove the biggest challenge.

Crossing the South West edge of the Cotswolds before plummeting down into The Severn Valley, heading over the Severn itself and then facing the stiff climbs in the Forest of Dean. The route re-crosses the River Severn via the old Severn Bridge and back up onto the Cotswold Edge, returning to Castle Combe.

If that all seems a bit much then there is a nice 65 mile leg-stretcher which again takes in the South Western corner of the Cotswolds offering fantastic views over the Severn Valley into South Wales and the Forest of Dean, before crossing the old Severn Bridge taking in a loop in South Wales and then re-crossing the Bridge to pick up the same return route to Castle Combe as the longer ride. We rode the recce ride for this a few weeks back and it was a really good leg-stretcher. 

The quiet lanes around Castle Combe are perfect for a family ride over 30 miles with very little climbing passing through Cotswold villages with plenty of opportunities to stop off for an ice cream or a cup of tea.

And organisers are looking for a bumper turnout as the event will be raising money for the CTC Charitable Trust, with £2 of every entry fee will going to the charity.
The project work of the CTC Charitable Trust reaches communities who do not normally cycle and provides better access to the health, environmental and social benefits of cycling.

An added attraction for the sportive will be the Greenpower electric car race day at Castle Combe, where teams from schools and youth groups around the country compete in their self-built race cars.

The event headquarters open at 7am for pre-event registration, where you will need to sign on and collect your bike number, timing chip, route card and emergency contact details, along with event partner Performance Cycles on hand should you need any last minute spares.

The sportive will start at 8am with riders leaving in groups of 50, with a two minute interval between each group. The family ride will start from 10am and all riders for this route must be on the road by 11am at the latest.

To enter the sportive visit www.severnbridgesportive.co.uk