A major new 100-mile closed-road cycle race starting and finishing at Goodwood has sold out of all its general entry places in just four days.
The Vélo South will see 15,000 riders of all ability levels journey through the stunning West Sussex countryside, starting and finishing on the iconic Goodwood Motor Circuit and featuring the magnificent rolling hills of the South Downs National Park.
The only way for prospective participants to now enter is through one of Vélo South’s charity partners – Alzheimer’s Society, Age UK, Restart Rugby and the British Heart Foundation – or via the Vélo South Business 100 challenge, which offers a VIP experience coupled with exclusive networking opportunities and training events.
The event, which takes place on September 23, was officially launched at the 2018 London Bike Show in February by Rugby World Cup Winning Captain and Vélo Series Ambassador Martin Johnson CBE together with British cycling icon and 1982 UCI World Road Race champion at Goodwood, Mandy Jones.
With around 1,700m of climbing, the Vélo South route is relatively challenging, but the beauty of the route, support from local communities and camaraderie with fellow riders will make for a truly unforgettable day of closed road riding.
And with thousands of participants travelling from across the UK to experience Vélo South, the event will help raise the profile of West Sussex towns, villages and countryside as a great place to visit and provide a boost for tourism.
Aside from Ride London, Vélo South is the only other opportunity to ride 100 miles on closed roads in the UK in 2018.
Jon Ridgeon, of organisers CSM Active, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the response to the inaugural Vélo South and thrilled that it has captured the imagination of cyclists from across West Sussex and beyond.
“To sell out all our general entry places so quickly shows the huge appetite for events like Vélo South; events that get people active, show off the glorious local countryside and help charities benefit from the thousands of riders who will be fundraising.
“We are looking forward to working closely with our local authority partners to make Vélo South a truly unforgettable celebration of cycling in the region.”
