It's always a hot ticket, and the date for the 2014 edition of the Wiggle Dragon Ride has now been announced as Sunday 8 June 2014. Entries will open at 9.00 am on Thursday 10 October, and sportive enthusiasts will need to be quick off the mark - the event historically sells out 5,000 places in less than a day. For loyal Dragons who have done five or more years of the Dragon Ride, or who participated in both the Wiggle Dragon Ride and Wiggle Etape Cymru in 2013, priority booking will open on Thursday 3 October.
The Wiggle Dragon Ride, which is already renowned as one of the toughest events of its kind in UK, will now feature a mammoth 305km Dragon Devil distance. The Dragon Devil will certainly not be for the faint hearted, featuring some 3437m of climbing. To put that into perspective, a legendary climb such as the Alpe d'Huez, which features in the popular La Marmotte sportive, is "only" 1880m!
Event organisers Human Race stress that there will be a very limited numbers of places available for this option, so early booking is advisable. Those lucky enough to get a place will be rewarded with a cycling route that takes in the Rhigos, Black Mountain and the Devil's Elbow - the Dragon ride's signature climbs - with the new addition of the Devils Staircase, a climb with a 15% gradient and elevation of 480m.
The traditional Gran Fondo (222km) and Medio Fondo (152km), which made the event so famous and popular, will be returning once again. These classic Wiggle Dragon Ride distances have created unprecdeneted demand for the event in recent years, with cyclists from all over the world scrambling for a place each year to experience the Alpine-like climbs and stunning scenery offered by the Brecon Beacons.
Next year's event will also see the return of the Corto option after a brief hiatus in 2013, and the returning distance will have a re-modelled and slightly longer route of approximately 47km.
The 2013 event saw the well-received introduction of a Cycletta Women Only Ride and the 2014 version will follow the same route as the Corto riders. A slightly tougher test than the other events in the UK wide series, it provides a perfect platform for those wishing to work towards a larger more challenging sportive, with all the usual camaraderie that Cycletta rides never fail to provide.
The 2014 Dragon Ride will welcome new Official Charity Macmillan Cancer Support, with funds raised by participants being used to help support the thousands of people affected by cancer in the UK. Macmillan already has strong ties within the cycling event sector and joining forces with the UK's premier sportive will continue to drive awareness and provide even greater fundraising opportunities for cyclists to support the charity.
For more information, to register your interest or to enter the Wiggle Dragon Ride 2014 visit www.humanrace.co.uk/cycling.
0 Comments