Sportive

Velothon Wales to host Strava KOM Challenge on the Tumble

Inaugural event offers chance for sportive riders to pit themselves against the pros

Sportive riders at Velothon Wales will be able to pit themselves against the pro riders by taking on the Strava KOM Challenge on the Tumble.

The ever-popular route mapping and tracking app will pair with event organisers to facilitate a King and Queen of the Mountains Segment on the iconic climb, which featured at last year’s Tour of Britain.

Up to 15,000 riders will take part in the inaugural Velothon Wales sportives, hours before the pro race (Pic: Velothon)

Riders can join the official Velothon Wales Strava Club, and those using Strava on the day of the event – June 14 – will be automatically entered into the challenge, with Strava prizes available for the fastest male and female participants.

Since the Tour of Britain’s visit to Abergavenny last year, Team Sky’s David Lopez has boasted the Strava KOM title, while amateur rider Alice Dietsch is the fastest female.

Riders on the sportive, which takes place on the same day as the UCI 1.1-classified Europe Tour race, will be able to compare their times to Britain’s best pros on the day however – meaning you can test yourself in similar conditions.

Strava are the official Social Community of the event, which will see 15,000 cyclists take on the South Wales route – for which only charity places remain – and all participants will be offered a free 30-day Strava Premium trial to assist their training.

Simon Klima, UK country manager for Strava, said: “Velothon Wales is set to be an amazing experience and we think Strava’s platform will add to this further, helping participants train and prepare, as well as comparing their efforts with other members of the global online community for athletes.

“For participants and cycling fans, we think Strava will add some great insight from the pro riders that upload their activities on the day too”.

Andrew Taylor, Velothon Wales’ event director, added: “We are delighted to welcome Strava on board as Official Social Community.

“The official Velothon Wales Strava Club will provide our participants with a fantastic tool to interact with fellow participants taking on the challenge in June and we look forward to keeping up to date with how everyone’s training is progressing.

The Tumble featured at last year’s Tour of Britain, where Edoardo Zardini took the stage (pic: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

“The King and Queen of the Mountains Challenge on The Tumble is something many of our participants are looking forward to, and we are delighted that Strava will provide the technology that enables us to track the fastest male and female participants.”

For more information on Velothon Wales, or to view an Interactive Route Map of the course, which starts and ends in Cardiff, visit www.velothon-wales.co.uk.