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Salford Quays Geared Up for Summer Festival of Cycling
Press Release
Salford Quays will host one of Britain’s newest and most exciting cycling events this summer. The Salford Festival of Cycling on 30-31 August will offer something for everyone, including the Salford Nocturne and the Great Salford Bike Ride in partnership with Salford City Council.
The event includes the opportunity to take part in a family ride, 50mile and 100mile routes. The centrepiece will be a dynamic elite criterium race on a fast paced 1km circuit around the Lowry on Saturday evening, 30 August.
The Salford nocturne, on the evening of 30 August, will feature elite riders from around Britain and Europe. The event will be free to watch, and local businesses will have the opportunity to compete against each other in a relay format on exactly the same circuit as the professionals.
Organiser, James Pope, commented: ‘The first Nocturne event took place around Smithfield Market in London last summer. It was so successful that we wanted to bring it to the North West, a strong cycling community. Salford Quays is an ideal venue.’
‘The concept is designed to appeal to cyclists as well as non cyclists, involve local businesses and bring a new style of event to the Quays. Cyclists will loop around the Quays passing land marks such as the Lowry and the Lowry Footbridge, providing a dramatic backdrop to such an exciting event.’
In addition to the elite event and the business challenge, there will be a 2012 hopefuls event and a women’s only race going on into the evening and providing fabulous free entertainment.
Councillor John Merry of Salford City Council commented: ‘We are delighted to add the Salford Festival of Cycling to our programme of events. It offers something for everybody, whether they want to come along and enjoy the spectacle or take part themselves.’
Simon Lillistone of British Cycling commented: ‘The real attraction of the Salford Festival of Cycling will be its appeal to cyclists of all levels. We are supporting it through our Everyday Cycling programme, which encourages more people to enjoy more cycling more often.’
The 100mile routes of the Great Salford Bike Ride will take riders north around Blackburn and up to Pedleton. The 50mile route will be less challenging, taking in some of the north west’s best cycling country. The longer route will test the endurance of any experienced rider, whilst the shorter route will be achievable to anyone who is prepared to get on their bikes two or three times a week over the summer. For those preferring a more sedate cycle ride, there is the family lap challenge.
The Great Salford Bike Ride will directly benefit the Geoff Thomas Foundation, the Leukaemia Charity that was set up by former England and Manchester City footballer, Geoff Thomas.
He commented: ‘The Great Salford Bike Ride is open to anyone who can ride a bike, whether it’s a state of the art racer or a dusty old mountain bike.’
‘Getting into cycling has helped my recovery from Leukaemia, and now people taking part in the Festival of Cycling will be able to improve their own health and the lives of others. The Salford Hope Hospital is one of the hospitals that will benefit directly from funds raised through this event.’
