3,000 amateur cyclists will join former World and British Champion Mark Cavendish MBE in Chester next weekend (Sunday 9 August), as the first edition of his Official Sportive, Rise Above, sold out.
Sunday 9th August will see the former World and British Champion joining thousands of amateur cyclists in taking on one of three challenging routes, starting and finishing on the cobbles in the heart of Chester.
Having recently won Stage Seven of the Tour de France, his 26th stage win in the race, Cavendish will race this weekend in the Prudential RideLondon – Surrey Classic, before heading to Cheshire for the Rise Above event, where he will ride the middle distance, Purist, route on the day.
Commenting on the news, Mark Cavendish said;
“It is great news that so many people have signed up to ride in my official sportive in it’s first year and amazing that we have sold out the event in advance. I can’t wait to see the sight of 3,000 cyclists preparing to ride out of Chester city centre on Sunday morning. We have set out to create the best possible event and a premium rider experience.”
“All three routes are really special and on challenging terrain, so I urge people to get their final training in and then look forward to seeing everyone in Chester and sharing the experience with them.”
All three of the Rise Above Sportive routes start and finish on the closed, cobbled roads of Chester city centre, with each ride heading west from the city and across the border in Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Conwy.
Linking the scenic forestry roads with breathtaking views and iconic Welsh landscapes, challenging climbs and inspiring countryside will culminate in the closed roads finale of Chester city centre.
Three separate, circular, routes will allow the Rise Above Sportive to appeal to a wide range of abilities of cyclist, from the 80-kilometre Enthusiast route, to a 120-kilometre Purist route with 1,720-metres of ascent to the 185-kilometre Extremist route with 2,800-metres of ascent.
Both the Purist and Extremist routes feature the iconic climb of Horseshoe Pass, with the longer distance also including the quiet roads and stunning scenery around Llyn Brenig and Clocaenog Forest.
Right to Play and Help for Heroes will be the two Official Charity Partners for Rise Above Sportive. Mark has personally supported both charities for a number of years and is delighted to have them involved in his inaugural Official Sportive.