Pro racing will return to Wilton, Wiltshire this year with a weekend of sportives and an elite road race planned for the May Day bank holiday weekend
Last run in 2011 and won by Simon Yates, now of Orica-GreenEDGE, the former Wilton Grand Prix will return as part of Cycle Wiltshire on Saturday May 3 and Sunday May 4.
Sportives with distances of 20 miles, 64 miles and 100 miles will be on offer for keen amateurs of all abilities on the Saturday, starting out from Five Rivers Leisure Centre, Salisbury, at 8.30am.
And these will be followed by the Cycle Wiltshire Grand Prix on the Sunday, with the race forming part of British Cycling’s National Road Race series.
Part of Wiltshire Council’s ‘A Legacy for Wiltshire’ partnership, council leader Jane Scott hopes the event will attract all comers for a weekend of cycling festivities.
Among the leading domestic teams on show will be Rapha Condor JLT, who raced in the previous incarnation of the event in 2011.
And team manager John Herety said: “Rapha Condor JLT are looking forward to racing again on the roads around Wilton.
“The first race in 2011 was an exciting one, the course is testing but also ensures a great race. The looping through the town each time brings our sport to the hearts of both existing and new fans and that is what cycling is all about.”
Britain’s newest UCI Continental team NFTO Pro Cycling, and Madison-Genesis about to start their second seaons, will also be on the start line.
And former British champion, Roger Hammond, who manages the latter, is expecting a difficult, but exciting, race in May.
He said: “We know the hill on the course is tough and that the roads make for great racing. Our team like to race in new venues and expand our following with our fans, so this new event for 2014 is a great addition to the elite level calendar.”
Becky Frewing, of NFTO, is also expecting a demanding race but hopes the team – which boast Russell and Dean Downing, James McCallum, Jon Mould and Adam Blyth in a strong-looking line-up for 2014 – can prove their credentials.
She said: “Our riders have been training hard all winter and by May we will be racing hard against all the top UK professional teams.
“This race has something for everyone, a great climb that fans can watch the race from and roads that make for good attacking racing. We will be bringing our top riders to the race and hope for a good result.”
For more information on both days of the event and to sign up for the sportives, visit: www.cyclewiltshire.com
