Sportive

Eight ways you can get involved in the Tour of Cambridgeshire

There's more to the Tour of Cambridgeshire than a gran fondo alone

The Tour of Cambridgeshire – Britain’s first European-style gran fondo – is back this June, but there’s far more to the three-day festival than just the closed-road gran fondo alone.

Centred on the Peterborough Arena and Showground and set to take place from June 2 to June 4, online entries for this year’s event close on Sunday May 14 so time is running out if you want a slice of the action for yourself.

There are plenty of ways to get involved in the Tour of Cambridgeshire this year (pic – Sportograf)

And trust us, with everything from vintage rides to single-speed racing, folding bikes and cyclo-cross, even if the gran fondo isn’t for you, there’s plenty to look forward to.

Still unconvinced? Here are eight ways you can get involved in this year’s event. Head this way to enter.

Gran Fondo & Medio Fondo

Of course, the main event is the European-style, closed-road Gran Fondo and Medio Fondo, which broke new ground on UK shores when it first launched two years ago.

Taking place on the Sunday (June 4), the Gran Fondo tackles 127.6km of racing, on largely flat roads, with full medical support, three pit stops and motorbike outriders, and serves a qualifier for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championship.

The Gran Fondo is on fully closed roads (pic: Tour of Cambridgeshire)

With riders segregated by age and gender classification, the first three riders in each classification will also bag a winners jersey, medals and prizes.

The Medio Fondo, meanwhile is 90.2km in length, with two pit stops and a broom wagon travelling at 13mph – the minimum required speed for the ride before roads re-open behind.

Endura Chrono & Team Chrono

The other headline feature of the weekend is the Endura Chrono – also a qualifying event for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships.

Taking place on the Saturday (June 3), the event is again on fully closed roads and includes a start ramp, professional commentary at the start and a countdown clock.

The 26.55km Chrono is split according to age and gender classifications (pic – Sportograf)

The route is 26.55km in length, with riders again competing with others in their age and gender classifications for jerseys, medals and prizes.

A Chrono Warm Up Area is also included, with pro mechanics and turbo trainers, with riders setting off at 20-second intervals.

The Team Chrono, meanwhile, is for teams of four riders on road bikes only and covers a closed-road circuit 26.55km in length.

Tour Classic

Following the 90.2km route of the Medio Fondo, and taking place on the Sunday (June 4), the Tour Classic is the Tour of Cambridgeshire’s take on the increasingly popular vintage sportives.

Though not part of the World Gran Fondo Series racing, the Tour Classic is still a timed race for those wanting to compete for a podium place.

Vintage racing has been added to the ToC menu (pic – Golazo Cycling)

All riders must ride a pre-1987 or vintage-style road bike, and vintage clothing is encouraged – though helmets must meet modern safety standards.

For full details, check out the criteria here.

Family Fondo

The Family Fondo is exactly as it sounds – a chance to ride on closed roads with your family, on a pan-flat two-mile circuit of which you can comple two, four or six laps.

Accompanied by a DJ, and featuring mixed surfaces, the Family Fondo takes place on the Saturday (June 3) and medals will be presented to all children completing the distance.

Fixie & Single-Speed Racing

Taking place on a two-mile, closed-road, pan-flat circuit, boasting mixed surfaces, the Fixie Fondo takes place on the Friday night (June 2).

The Fixie Fondo is the perfect test of stamina and bike-handling

The event is held over 40 minutes plus one lap, offering the perfect test of stamina and bike-handling on a technical circuit.

Gravel Enduro Relay

The ToC Gravel Enduro Relay takes place on mixed surfaces, on the same two-mile, closed-road circuit as used for the Family Fondo and Fixie Racing, with teams of four riders competing according to their classification.

Starting at 1pm on the Saturday (June 3), the Male race (for those aged 19 and older on December 31 this year) covers 50 laps, while the Female and Mixed races cover 40 laps of the two-mile circuit.

There is also a 30-lap Corporate race, 20-lap under-19 race, 15-lap under-16 race and 12-lap under-14 race.

Folding Bike Fondo

Folding Bike races have acquired their own cult following in recent years, with participants dressed to the nines (or at least in shirt, waistcoat and ties) competing to set-up their folding bike as quickly as possible and then race on a criterium circuit.

The ToC Folding Bike Fondo is no different, and will take place on the Friday evening at 7pm, on the same closed two-mile circuit outlined above.

Summer Cyclo X

While blasting around a mixed-surface cyclo-cross course tends to be a winter pastime, the Tour of Cambridgeshire is bringing Summer Cyclo X to Peterborough.

Featuring nine classifications, racing over varying distances (see the full list here), the action kicks off at 2pm on the Sunday.

Online entries for the 2017 Tour of Cambridgeshire – including all of the above events – closes on Sunday May 14. Visit the official website to book your place.