It was an action-packed day in the Chilterns on Sunday 16^th July for the first edition of our recently formed collaboration with the Chiltern Cycling Festival to create the Chiltern 100 Cycling Festival.

There were three gruelling distances available, with every rider in for a stern test around the course that takes in the best cycling the Chilterns had to offer, including its many challenging climbs!

The event attracted over 2,000 riders of all ages and abilities and it truly catered for them all, with the punishing 100-mile Gran Fondo through to the Amersham Classic vintage ride for cyclists rolling back the years, and children’s events providing great first-timer experiences. British Bike Hire were also on hand to rent out bikes, so there really wasn’t an excuse not to get involved!

It was absorbing straight from the off with the first riders tackling the route from 7am onwards. With a selection of vendors at the event, breakfast, teas and coffees were available to riders looking for that quick caffeine boost before setting off. With an event as tough and testing as this, many riders will have been thankful for the support provided by the official nutrition partner, Science in Sport, who were present at all feed stations on the course and finish line.

Throughout the day riders and spectators were treated to a wide array of activities in the festival’s retro-inspired Velo Village which featured over 30 stalls. These ranged from our bike partner Trek, who provided much-needed deck chairs for some weary cyclists and the chance to win a bespoke bike worth £9,000, to Tannus Tyres, who produce the innovative airless, puncture-free tyre. Spectators were lucky enough to watch live coverage of Le Tour de France throughout the day on a giant screen in the Velo Village so fans didn’t miss a minute! Saxo Bank were also present and had 60 riders from their Ride Like A Pro scheme pitting themselves against the 100-mile Gran Fondo route.

A big thanks to Yellow Jersey, our cycling insurance partner, who provided everyone participating in the Gran Fondo and Medio Fondo with route stickers for their bikes to help with stages around the course. Ironically, Ryan of Yellow Jersey made it just 6km down the road before being swept up because of a bike malfunction…! For those like Ryan who were unfortunate enough to not make the finish line, they were treated to a ride back to the Velo Village in a Maserati Levante, courtesy of our car partners.

After a long day of cycling and many thousands of combined miles covered by the event participants, the sight of the finish straight was a welcome one for all. Our staff and volunteers were on hand to give out this year’s uniquely designed Chiltern 100 Cycling Festival 2017 medal followed by the ERDINGER Alkoholfrei team, who were distributing their ever-popular isotonic sports recovery drink.

The final kilometre of the sportive was the site of the closed-road timed climb competition. Michael Fryer was the fastest male rider up the one kilometre ascent – his blistering time of 2:18 saw him crowned the 2017 King of the Chilterns. The title of Queen of the Chilterns went to Patricia Fields, who completed the climb in 2:57. Both won themselves a cycling jersey and bottle of fizz, courtesy of Blaser Mills. You can see how you fared against these times and check out the full results page by clicking here.

With so many cyclists rising to their own personal challenges and achieving the goals that they’d set themselves, the feeling in the Velo Village after the ride was one of pride and satisfaction. Many were raising much-needed funds for the official event charity Action4Youth. They are on course to raise thousands of pounds from the Chiltern 100 Cycling Festival which will help provide challenges and experiences to young people of all abilities, disabilities and backgrounds helping them grow in confidence, self-belief and discover their potential.

Thank you to all involved in the event from riders and spectators to the partners, event staff and volunteers for making it such a special day. The Chiltern 100 Cycling Festival 2017 will live long in the memory with many riders achieving times and accomplishments they will be proud of for years to come. We hope to see you all back next year!