Stonehenge
Hundreds of people took to their bikes and enjoyed the atmosphere and spectacle of Cycle Wiltshire.
Cycle Wiltshire, supported by Landmarc, is part of Wiltshire Council’s A Legacy for Wiltshire partnership. People took to the road on their bikes, as well as experiencing the excitement and thrill of top-class cycling in their local community.
More than 400 people took part in a Cycle Wiltshire Sportive Ride on Saturday (May 9) through the beautiful scenery of the south of the county.
As well as the chance to cycle, an event village at Five Rivers Community campus offered something for the whole family to enjoy including Go-Ride skills, bouncy castle, face painting, entertainment, displays, exhibitions stands and food stalls.
The village also featured a vintage zone with lots of activities to mark the 70th anniversary of VE day. There was live music from Sticky Toffee Jazz, swing dancing lessons, vintage food and drink stands, and a ‘make do and mend’ activity area with cupcake decorating, bunting making and 1940s hair and make-up styling.
The weekend’s cycling fun continued today on Sunday (May 10) with the Cycle Wiltshire Grand Prix. This elite cycle race, part of the British Cycling National Road Race series, saw more than 120 elite riders from top professional teams taking part. There was a great atmosphere as local people lined the route to support some of the best riders in Britain as they competed, including rides from Bradley Wiggins’ newly formed Team Wiggins.
The winner of Sunday’s race was Andy Tennant, which started with a ceremonial rollout in Salisbury and finished in Wilton Market Place. The event saw riders complete 10 laps on a scenic route throughout the south of the county.
Jane Scott, leader of Wiltshire Council said: “Once again this was a wonderful event and I’m delighted at how popular it continues to be. It was inspirational to see the elite riders competing in our county cheered on by our local communities, and it was amazing to see the hundreds of riders at the sportive who were taking part in their own personal races.
“I’d like to thank all the people who came out to support the cyclists on both days, and I would also thank everyone who has helped make this event a success.
“This exciting weekend is part of our ongoing legacy work to invigorate the local economy, bring communities together and encourage more people to be active.”
Winner of the Cycle Wiltshire Grand Prix Andy Tennant said: “It’s great for me to win today. The crowds here in Wiltshire were fantastic. It’s a challenging landscape to cycle, but incredibly rewarding at an event like this.”
“I went straight over the top,” said Tennant of the finish. “Me and Yanto worked together and then it was man versus man in the sprint.”
