News: Aberystwyth three day festival of cycling this May

In its fourth year, the Aberystwyth Cycle Festival has been expanded to three days over the weekend of May 24th-26th for 2013

The event will bring downhill mountain biking and a â€˜Welsh Wild Westâ€™ sportive to the famous promenade to add to the already established Tour Series televised pro criterium race. With some of Britainâ€™s top cyclists making a rare appearance in Mid Wales, festival visitors can watch the all the on & off road action and also experience the beautiful and undiscovered lanes of Ceredigion on their own bikes.

On Friday 24th May, the roads of Aberystwyth are closed for bike racing when the televised Tour Series pro criterium hits town! The award winning course circumnavigates the iconic 19th century Old College, the 13th century Castle, the Victorian Pier and also brushes the town centre for what is a great dayâ€™s entertainment for all.

Whilst the professionals display their talents on the evening of the 24th, cyclists from as young as 8 years old also have their chance to race from 2pm with six separate schools races, followed by a Town Vs Gown fun challenge for local adults and students. There is also a â€˜GoRaceâ€™ for first time senior racers and finally the Aberystwyth Seafront criterium for 2nd & 3rd category amateurs, meaning that well over 500 cyclists will be racing around the streets of Aberystwyth as part of the proceedings. This provides the backbone of the festival with everyone then able to watch Olympians and top UK ranked pro riders race later whilst being catered for by the many cafÃ©â€™s bars and restaurants around the course that stay open on the night.

Following Fridayâ€™s criterium, downhill mountain biking makes its debut in Aberystwyth on what is possibly the perfect setting for such a race â€“ Constitution Hill at the north end of the promenade, with its funicular railway provides a thrilling twisty race course and the perfect uplift for competitors to quickly get back up to the start line for as many practice runs as they require. Itâ€™s almost as if â€˜Constiâ€™ was designed as a downhill MTB course!

With qualifying taking place in the morning and the main competition later in the afternoon, spectators are provided with a full dayâ€™s entertainment of thrills, spills and exceptional skill as the bikes plummet down the hillside to finish on the promenade.

The Consti CafÃ© is an event sponsor and they are open for business throughout the race to keep everyoneâ€™s energy levels up. The north promenade will host the finish line of the race course and so spectators are invited to come along and experience the â€˜pit laneâ€™ atmosphere of a major mountain bike event, where they will see team mechanics working on the machines, our expo partners displaying their stalls and also the event commentary team who will be providing race updates and rider interviews throughout the day

Another new feature of the 2013 festival is Sundayâ€™s Welsh Wild West Sportive. In an area crying out for a cyclo-sportive, with its quiet roads, quality road surfaces and stunning scenery on the West Wales coast, the Welsh Wild West Sportive has finally arrived!

After the urban based events of Friday and Saturday, itâ€™s time to get out into the countryside and relax. Explore the challenging local terrain in one of three routes which provide something for everyone. Whether you’re an experienced cyclist looking to take on the challenging ‘Cawr’ or â€˜Mynachâ€™ rides, or perhaps fancy a more relaxing tour of Ceredigion on the ‘Corach’, you’ll be sure of one thing – one of the most spectacular rides in Great Britain!

View the full event details now at www.abercyclefest.com