Surrey Cycle Racing League have released details of this year’s Evans Cycles – Surrey League 5-Day Cycle Race, starting Friday, 13th of August.

Around 80 of Britain’s best riders will be taking part in this, the eighth edition of the race, covering around 100 miles per day– as well as climbing some of the steepest hills in South East England. Previous winners of the event have gone on to represent their country in the Commonwealth and Olympic Games, and last year’s 455-mile race was won by Paul Griffin (of the Irish Ras Mumhan team) with an overall time of 18 hours 48 minutes and 10 seconds – that’s an average speed of almost 25 mph.

This year’s 460-mile route will visit new ground on Day 4 taking in around Horsted Keynes, Chelwood Gate, West Hoathly and Ardingly, passing the famous Wakehurst Place on its way – although organisers say it’s unlikely the riders will have time to admire the gardens.

But there are also plenty of the old favourite spots from previous years, such as the South Downs at Goodwood and the Ashdown Forest. Each day’s racing starts at 12.00, except Sunday’s time trial, starting at 11.00am.

Here’s what’s planned for each day:

• Day 1, Friday 13 August, involves a 101 mile long course around Chobham Common in Surrey
• Day 2, Saturday 14 August, involves a 99.8 mile long series of courses around Newdigate, between Dorking and Crawley
• Day 3, Sunday 15 August, starts with a time trial around Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit. This will be followed during the afternoon by a race of seven gruelling laps to the top of the South Downs and finishes with five laps back on the motor racing circuit some 2 1/2 hours later
• Day 4, Monday 16 August, sees racing based at Danehill in East Sussex, for the first time. With long dragging climbs and fast descents, the riders will complete 98 miles in the day
• Day 5, Tuesday 17 August, is based at Crowborough and involves some of the toughest hills to be faced by the riders. It includes three circuits involving the climb of the dreaded ‘Wall’ – just one of three tough climbs to be encountered on the edge of the Ashdown Forest

Each day’s race leader will get to wear the Evans Cycles leader’s yellow, and competitors will also be competing in ‘hot spot’ sprints along the route and trying to be first over the hills to take the title of ‘King of the Mountains’.

Spectators for the event are more than welcome and course route schedules indicating where and approximately when the cyclists can be seen in action will shortly be available on the Surrey League website .