Packed line-up for cycling event

The popular Coupar Angus Cycling Festival gets into gear this Saturday, kicking off a week-long celebration of all things cycling.

This is the fourth year of the festival and organisers say that this year the event is even bigger and better than on previous occassions.

The fun starts on Saturday with an all-day event at Larghan Park in Coupar Angus.

From 10am until 4pm there will be a range of activities and entertainment including cycle races for all ages, the Clan stunt team, an air bag, a skills track, food stalls, a skate jam, a portable pump track, electric bikes and a bike sale.

There will also be coaching for the Ballo Enduro Bike Race, which takes place on Sunday. Spectators will be able to watch the race in the park, on Lundie Crags and in Ballo forest.

The festival continues on Monday evening with cyclo-cross races on the north side of Coupar Angus.

On Tuesday there will be mountain biking rideouts, meeting at Larghan Park at 6pm.

There will be three ability groups, with beginners cycling in the park with a skills loop and fun games, intermediates taking tracks out to Lundie Crags and an advanced group riding on the Ballo trails.

Wednesday afternoon sees a cycling sports day for children from the local primary schools and in the evening Perthshire-based Bycycle are running a social cycle ride, starting in Coupar Angus at 6.30pm.

On Thursday there will be a mountain bike championship for secondary schools and a development road race starting at 7pm in Larghan Park.

A Coupar Angus favourite, the Cycle for Cake group, will be having a social cycle ride on Friday morning, when cyclists will seek out a cake shop somewhere in eastern Perthshire.

In the evening the Coupar Angus Cycling Hub will present a cycling film, a pub quiz and a talk from Grant Murdoch about his epic cycle around Scotland back in April. Tickets are available from the Cycle Store at The Cross for this event, which will be held at Coupar Angus Bowling Club at 7pm.

The festival draws to a close on Sunday, June 18, with the Big Sunday Cycle, which sets out from the Cross in Coupar Angus.

The longest ride - up to 40 miles - sets out at 9am and at 10am the 25-mile route starts, with the shortest route of 10 miles long heading off at 11am.

All rides will finish around 1pm with a barbecue at The Cross, with chicken supplied by Two Sisters in Coupar Angus and cooked by the Lime Tree Restaurant.

The cycling festival has been made possible thanks to the Robertson Trust, Cycling Scotland, the Aberbrothock Skea Trust, Perth and Kinross Council, the Big Bike Revival and Leader.

Organisers thanked East of Scotland Farmers for parking space and the Red House hotel and the Coupar Angus Bowling Club for use of facilities.

For more information on any of the events or to book see www.cacyclinghub.com, telephone 01828 958296 or email cachub@outlook.com.