The Dragon Ride will celebrate its 13th edition on 5 July 2016 with the event once again giving thousands or cyclists the chance to take on some of Wales’ most beautiful and challenging climbs all set within stunning routes that make the most of the region’s spectacular scenery.
In 2015, 5,500 cycling enthusiasts – some from as far away as Australia – took on one of the four route options of offer. For 2016, there’s the new Macmillan 100 route, named in honour of the Dragon Ride’s official charity partner.
This new 100km route joins the Medio Fondo (153km), Gran Fondo (230km) and the frighteningly tough Dragon Devil (305km). Despite the shorter overall length, the Macmillan 100 will include the colossal Bwlch and Rhigos climbs. These beautiful gradual rises offer a goosebump-inducing Tour-style feel as the ribbon of tarmac weaves up the mountains.
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Anybody who commits to raising £100 for Macmillan Cancer Support will be allowed to guarantee their place in any of the four epic Dragon Ride distances before the rush – making the most of a special entry window, which runs between 8 and 14 September.
CEO of event organiser Human Race Events, Nick Rusling, said “We are thrilled to confirm details of the 2016 Dragon Ride. We work all year round to ensure that this ride retains its outstanding reputation, and we are already very excited about what we have planned for June, including the new Macmillan 100 route”.
Cecilia Owen, Cycling Programme Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support said: “We are delighted to be official charity once again and are extremely excited about the new Macmillan 100 distance - we look forward to welcoming cyclists to Team Macmillan to help ensure that no one has to face cancer alone”.
General entries will go live on Monday 14 September – and these are usually snapped up sharpish.
Find out more and get a flavour of the event at the Dragon Ride website.