Thousands of cyclists heading to Coventry
COVENTRY will next year play a huge part in the UK’s second biggest closed road cycle event.
Velo Birmingham and Midlands will be back for 2019 when Coventry is City of Sport.
The 100-mile route will go through parts of Coventry and also past our iconic cathedral.
Around 17,000 riders will set off from Birmingham and will ride through Solihull, Warwickshire, Coventry and back towards the Black Country.
There are already over 40,000 pre-registrations for the event next year, which will see the cyclists encounter stunning views, but challenging hill climbs.
Cllr Abdul Khan, deputy leader at Coventry City Council, who is responsible for events, said: “This will be a fantastic event for us as next year’s UK City of Sport and for the rest of the region.
“The route will take riders past Coventry’s iconic cathedral, which will offer a stunning backdrop and I’m sure that riders and the public will come out and support the event.
“It’s encouraging that there are already a large number of participants signing up to the event. I hope that it is a great success.”
The event was launched this week at the Cycle Show in Birmingham by a panel led by Lord Sebastian Coe, who is chairman of event organisers CSM.
Entries will open on Thursday, October 4, exclusively to everyone who pre-registers before midnight on Wednesday, October 3.
The inaugural event sold out in just three days.
Lord Sebastian Coe said: “We are delighted that Velo Birmingham & Midlands is returning in May 2019.
“The fantastic support for the event from our
local authority partners demonstrates the importance for the Midlands of hosting major events in the build up to the 2022 Commonwealth Games and we thank them enormously for helping us create this stunning 100mile route.
“The new and improved route really shows off the beauty and diversity of the Midlands and the opportunity to experience cycling through the heart of two major Midlands cities on closed roads will provide a truly unique experience for the 17,000 riders taking part.”
Interested riders can pre-register at www. velobirmingham.com