More than 800 cyclists arrived in Scotland yesterday on the Deloitte Ride Across Britain, the UK’s largest Land’s End to John O’Groats cycle ride.
They set off from Cornwall on September 5 and will reach the northern tip of Scotland on Sunday, September 13. Last night they stayed at the Hamilton Racecourse just outside Glasgow.
Photographs of the 2015 Ride are being published here.
Their schedule through Scotland is as follows:
Thursday, September 10: Dumfries and Galloway, South Lanarkshire
Friday, September 11: Glasgow, Stifling, Argyll and Bute, Fort William
Saturday, September 12: Fort William, Highlands, Inverness
Sunday, September 13: Highlands, John O’Groats
If you would like to talk to any local riders from Scotland, please get in touch.
Now in its sixth year, the Deloitte Ride Across Britain is widely recognised as the UK’s premier long distance cycling event and it takes cyclists of all levels of fitness and ability through some of the country’s most breath-taking landscapes.
Nick Tuppen, Managing Director of Threshold Sports, which organises the event, says: “Last year 93% of participants in the Deloitte Ride Across Britain rated it as one of the best experiences of their lives. It really is one of the greatest sportives this country has to offer with a stunning route, unrivalled logistical support and enormous camaraderie. We are looking forward to welcoming cyclists from all over the world with a range of backgrounds and cycling and fitness abilities to complete the challenge and discover our mantra that more is in you.”
More than 800 riders from Kenya, Botswana, Nigeria, Japan, Australia, America, Canada and Europe will cycle an average of 108 miles a day for nine days climbing around 15,000 metres – almost twice the height of Everest. Starting at Land’s End, they will travel through Dartmoor, the Lakes and the Scottish Highlands crossing barren moorlands, majestic highlands and lush green valleys, winding back lanes and stunning coastal roads before finishing at John O’Groats.
This year, the event will play host to Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists in the run-up to Rio 2016. Olympic gold medallist Nicole Cooke will ride alongside Tim Reddish OBE, Chairman of the British Paralympic Association, Paralympic cyclist Jody Cundy and David Clarke, the Paralympic visually impaired footballer.
Most of the field, though, will be made up of a range of cycling fitness and abilities. Riders take part for all sorts of reasons - as a personal challenge, for the route and the outstanding support offered by the Deloitte Ride Across Britain crew, to raise money for charity and to experience something new with new people.
The Deloitte Ride Across Britain is one of the UK’s top cycling fundraisers. Since it launched in 2010, it has raised more than £1.5million for the British Paralympic Association and matched this for other charities, making a total in excess of £3 million.
The event is fully supported. Participants are given training programmes and advice and can take part in exclusive training days. The route is sign posted, so that even though it takes in a lot of back routes, it’s quite hard for anyone to get lost.
Riders stay overnight in base camps where they are given a delicious supper and hearty breakfast and everyone has his own tent and mattress. There is medical and mechanical support as well as massage therapists and physiotherapists. Two pit stops every day offer food, drinks and loos and a welcome break, and on particularly hard days there are two extra power pit stops, while chaperones ensure everyone is cycling safely and within the law. Although the ride is not a race, it is timed and tracked so that spectators and supporters can keep track of participants’ progress.
The Olympic rower, Alex Partridge, who rode in 2014 says, “The Ride Across Britain is the most physically gruelling but also rewarding thing I have ever been a part of.”
Mark Douglas, a regular cyclist who also completed the 2014 event says, “In the space of nine months, the Deloitte Ride Across Britain has changed the life of this 45 year old man. It helped me achieve what countless years of New Year resolutions failed to. I don’t think it’s overstating things to say that it has reinvigorated me for the second half of my life.”
For further press information, please contact Sophie Bickford on 020 7274 8871 or 07793 053 883 or email sophie.bickford@btinternet.com.