News

New cycling festival to be held in Nottingham in July

17 May 2012

Hundreds of pedal fans are set to race around parts of the city to kick-start a three-day event aimed at encouraging people to take up cycling.

E.ON Cycle Live Nottingham, a new cycling festival to be held on the weekend of July 13 to 15, is officially being launched today by five-times British champion trials bike rider Dan Butler.

The event will close with the Great Notts Bike Ride, the county's biggest cycling event and now in its 31st year.

The weekend will kick off with the E.ON Cycle Live Nottingham Grand Prix on Friday July 13, a series of circuit races on traffic-free roads around the Embankment - from a schools challenge through to elite races - with up to 1,000 cyclists set to take part.

On the Saturday the city's annual Big Wheel's Big Day Out will take place at The Embankment. It will include activities for all the family, including a display of heritage bikes, live music and entertainment.

The Great Notts Bike Ride on the Sunday will include 100-mile, 48-mile and 19-mile routes - and, for the first time, a new 3-mile ride, called the E.ON Nottingham City Ride, which will be on closed roads around the south side of the city.

Hugh McClintock, chairman of Nottingham cycling club Pedals said: "The events scheduled for the weekend will help increase publicity for the Great Notts Bike Ride.

"I think it will encourage more people to cycle in the city and use the fantastic cycle networks we have."

Councillor Dave Trimble, city council portfolio holder for leisure, culture and tourism, said: "We are proud E.ON has chosen Nottingham to launch what will be a great weekend of cycling, putting top quality races alongside events for novice cyclists so that there is something for everyone.

"Expanding the ever-popular Great Notts Bike Ride in this way gives a variety of options for people of all abilities to get on a bike, get involved, have fun and get in some healthy exercise."

Jeremy Davies, marketing director at E.ON, said: "We're all about helping people to become energy fit - reducing their energy use, bills and their effect on the planet - and E.ON Cycle Live Nottingham is a great way for people to get fit and also learn something about energy efficiency."

For more information, visit www.cyclelivenottingham.co.uk.

Source:www.thisisnottingham.co.uk|

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