Blazing saddles in a hot, ‘unforgettable’ Velothon
MORE than 8,000 riders and crowds of supporters brought a taste of the Tour de France to South Wales on Sunday as Velothon Wales hit the roads again.
The biggest closedroad event of its kind in Wales was blessed with fantastic weather, as the event, revamped for 2018, returned for a fourth year.
Seasoned cyclists taking on the challenging 140km and 125km courses flooded the Welsh capital on their bikes as they set off past Cardiff Castle and headed east to Newport, before the fearsome Tumble climb in Blaenavon.
The 5km Category 2 gradient climb of 10% pushed the amateur riders to the limit, but Mark Woodrow made light work of the notorious section to take the King of the Mountain jersey. The Queen of the Mountain award went to Caitlin Hawkins.
Then came the turn of those getting in the saddle for the first time at a world-class closed road cycling sportive.
Almost 400 first-time riders left Usk, which was again decorated with artistic cycling creations, in the 60km version and joined up with the stream of cyclists as they powered their way towards the final significant climb at Caerphilly Mountain.
An extra provision of 10,000 litres of water was supplied, to ensure the searing heat would not get in the way of riders reaching the finish line. The additional water stops in Newport and at the Tumble summit ensured the sportive field made it back to Cardiff for a sprint finish on King Edward VII Avenue.
Run 4 Wales chief executive Matt Newman said: “Velothon Wales has evolved over the years to become an unmissable event on the Welsh sporting calendar. Even with the sun beating down, the riders, volunteers and organisers all had smiles on their faces after a truly unique cycling experience on the closed roads of south Wales.
“Communities turned out in their droves once again to cheer on our amateur riders to make the 2018 instalment a truly unforgettable event.”