CX Sportive Join Forces With Wiggle
Posted Friday 19th December 2014 –
CX looks set to take off in 2015, with a new backing and a new flagship event from the CX Sportive team pointing the way to a big year. The Cycle Events Organisation have teamed up with Wiggle to present the Wiggle CX Sportive Series in 2015. The series will feature established CX Sportive favourites and several new events to expand the season. Central to the new additions to the series is the Wiggle CX Century on July 4th; an astonishing 100 mile South Downs Way challenge for CX bikes.
The South Downs Way in a day is rite of passage in mountain biking circles; it’s on practically every British MTBers to-do list. The SDW is one of the countries most iconic long distance trails, at a full 100 miles in length with over 12,000 ft of climbing, across a series of surprisingly big and eye-wateringly steep hills. The sweeping coastal views from the peaks are nothing short of inspirational, though, and the South Downs is unquestionably one of our countries most beautiful and distinctive landscapes.
Taking on the South Downs Way on a CX bike feels like both a natural fit and a daunting prospect all at once. It’s broad chalk tracks are exactly what a the new breed of CX bike is made for, but the distance and gradients make this an awesome physical test; possibly the toughest you’ll take on all year. You’ll get plenty of support from the Cycle Events Organisation team, who 20 years experience of organising South Downs Way end to end MTB events, road and CX sportives. CX Century support will include eight feed and support stains along the route, mechanical assistance from the well stocked Wiggle support vehicles and lots more.
The Wiggle CX Century was announced to CX Sportive’s subscriber list last month, with 100 reserved pre-entry places offered out, which were all snapped up inside of 24 hours. The event will open for general booking over the Christmas holiday period, and with only 500 places available in total, it is expected to book up fast. You can still sign up to the mailing list to get first notice when it goes on sale, and you can find out more about the event at cxsportive.com.
Wiggle CX Sportive Series 2015
25 Jan, Wiggle Chilterns Wildwood CX Sportive (Woodcote, Oxfordshire)
8 Mar, Wiggle South Downs Sting CX Sportive (Duncton, West Sussex)
12 Apr, Surrey Hills Gravelcross CX Sportive (Cranleigh, Surrey)
4 Jul, Wiggle CX Century: The South Downs Way
27 Sep, New Event (TBC)
1 Nov, Wiggle Salisbury Saxon CX Sportive (Salisbury, Wiltshire)
Full details of all events at cxsportive.com
(If you are new to the world of CX, it’s a format that has it’s roots in the world of cyclocross racing. On the back of the road cycling boom of the last ten years, cyclocross style bikes are finding new levels of popularity even among non racers, as an agile, but versatile and robust alternative to a pure road bike. A new generation of CX bike has come along on the back of this interest, inspired by elements of race bikes, US style gravel racers, and even fast, lightweight world tourers! That ultimate goal is a ‘one bike’ do-it-all machine that you could race at weekends, commute on in the week and take out for evening hacks on the roads and byways, and CX is where those bikes take you. On or off road, it’s about riding whatever is in front of you and having blast along the way! If you haven’t tried it already, take a break from the defined constraints of road or mountain biking for a while, and give CX a go. You won’t look back!)
