Thousands of people took part in a big celebration of cycling at the Shugborough estate.
The RideStaffs Staffordshire Cycling Festival took place from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd July.
Some of the UK and Europe’s top pro cyclists competed in two elite British Cycling races on the Friday and Saturday evenings. And the bike-riding public got in on the action too, with free under-fives Strider Bikes races on Saturday afternoon, and almost 1,000 riders taking part in the event’s two Sportives on the Sunday around the county.
On Friday night, the RideStaffs Grand Prix presented by Specialized – the second round of the British Cycling Elite Circuit Series – saw pro racers battling for supremacy. Although riders from Team Madison Genesis dominated the leading pack for much of the race, a late burst from 26-year-old Albert Torres from Team Raleigh GAC, the world and European Madison champion from Menorca, saw him cross the line in first place.
On Saturday evening, the RideStaffs Kermesse, presented by risual, marked the opening round of the British Cycling Motorpoint Grand Prix Series, with 120 of the country’s top elite cyclists competing.
Tom Moses from JLT Condor took first place in some style. Over 18 laps of a 5.4-km course, the race was won emphatically by the 24-year-old from Keighley in West Yorkshire. With 10 laps to go, Moses launched a furious attack – and the chasing pack never caught up. And it was a great night for JLT Condor, with Russell Downing and Chris Lawless taking second and third spots respectively.
On Sunday, over 800 cyclists took part in the INTO22 and the Ride68 Sportives, cycling from Shugborough on road routes that took in much of the county.
The 22-mile INTO22 Sportive took in flatter, quieter roads through some of the county’s most picturesque spots – taking in Great Haywood, Tixall and Milford before heading into the final straight along the main drive through the grounds of Shugborough.
For those looking for a bigger challenge, the Ride68 Sportive crammed as many different types of terrain and challenges as possible into its 68-mile route – including some gruelling climbs over Cannock Chase.
As well as the Strider Bikes time trial races for the youngsters on Saturday, the first race of the weekend on Friday evening was a slow-burning one. Competitors including Stafford MP Jeremy Lefroy and Ian Bradford from Stone’s Lymestone Brewery took to their Elephant Bikes – with the winner the last one to cross the line.
The festival site at Shugborough featured lots of food and drink stalls and exhibitors (including Lymestone Brewery and their specially-brewed RideStaffs ale, and a hog roast from Griffins of Stone butchers), free sports massages from Staffordshire University students, and lots of live action from the Tour de France on a giant screen.
[box type=”shadow” ]Festival organiser Paul Rowlands said: “Spectators got really close to the action in the pro races at Shugborough and were able to relax and enjoy the weekend in a really picturesque setting. RideStaffs brings some of the UK’s biggest pro races into the county, but it’s about more than that. Cycling is a rapidly growing sport and offers a great, accessible way for people to get fit. The festival celebrates cycling and actively gets people involved in this great sport. Thank you to all the supporters, sponsors and volunteers who made the event such a huge success this year.”[/box]
Lots more information and pictures from the weekend are at www.ridestaffs.co.uk
