Golazo Cycling has just announced that the first-ever British Gravel Championships will be hosted at the King’s Cup Gravel Festival 2020, to be held in the King’s Forest in Suffolk. A unique event including Gravel Race, Gravel Fondo, Time Trial, Team Relay, plus music and camping.

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Due to be held on the weekend of 25-27th September 2020, the King’s Cup Gravel Festival will host a full Gravel Race, Gravel Fondo, Time Trial, Team Relay and family riding events. The routes will weave their way through the pristine King’s Forest near Bury St Edmunds where riders will enjoy a gravel cycling festival with high production value, a professional racing experience and a unique atmosphere right here in the UK.

• Gravel Fondo - 52/78km, 2 or 3 laps of a course with 129m climbing per lap (2000 entrants)
• Men's and women's gravel race -  52/78km, 2 or 3 laps of a course with 129m climbing per lap (150 entrants in each race)
• Time Trial - 18.1km, 101m climbing per lap (500 entrants)
• Team Relay - 18.1km per leg (72.4km total) 101m climbing per lap (50 teams of 4)

Golazo Cycling will host the inaugural races for the British Gravel Championship titles and jerseys.  Winners of the Men’s Gravel Races, Women’s Gravel Race, Men’s Gravel Time Trial and Women’s Gravel Time Trial will be crowned British Gravel Champions and be presented with a unique British Gravel Champion jersey. Riders will race in their Masters Age Group (as per UCI definition). All bike types are welcome and will be competitive out on the course.

Tom Caldwell, Director of Golazo Cycling, said: “We’re thrilled to be hosting the first-ever British Gravel Championships at the King’s Cup Gravel Festival. This will be a truly exciting event, which will see all abilities of riders taking on various events throughout the weekend. Not only will those riders who like to ride on gravel and off-road terrains be able to ride alongside thousands of other riders but we’ll also get to see some top amateur riders race for the British title and jersey.” “While these championships represent the pinnacle of amateur gravel racing, they are also a celebration of cycling as a whole.” “This festival will be unlike anything witnessed before and fits perfectly with our core mission to create a partnership between elite sports and mass participation. Our objective is to encourage more people to live healthier lifestyles through participation in sports - Let’s Move.”

Launching an event amidst a pandemic the organisers say these have been challenging times for everyone across the globe, and from a sporting perspective, we know how much sports enthusiasts in this country have struggled to follow their passions. They say that the riders, staff and contractor’s safety is paramount, so we will be ensuring all safety measures are in place following all government guidance. The press release also states there is a contingency plan in place to allow us to postpone the festival into October or 2021 if needed.

To encourage entries the race organisers have proposed the following scheme: there will be a free of charge pre-registration system for King’s Cup Gravel Festival. Riders simply register their personal details and express their interest in participating, without having to pay an entry fee. Preregistered riders will guarantee a spot at the King’s Cup Gravel Festival when it goes ahead and receive a hugely discounted entry fee. Entry fees are only collected at a later date when the event date is confirmed. Pre-registration launches on Monday, August 3rd 2020. 

• www.kingscupgravel.com 

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