Following the success of the 2009 event, Breast Cancer Campaign's Pedal it Pink is returning to Nottingham this October (Sunday 17).

Over 500 women dusted off their bikes to take part in Nottingham’s first Pedal it Pink and raised £40,000 to beat breast cancer. This year we hope to be even bigger and pinker so we need you to join us in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to put the brakes on breast cancer.

The women-only cycle ride, sponsored by Santander, has now gone nationwide but organisers and participants are excited about returning to Nottingham for a second time. This year, Breast Cancer Campaign is urging the women of Nottinghamshire to gear up for the ultimate cycling challenge by signing up to the marathon distance at Pedal it Pink, to stay in shape while supporting this worthwhile cause.

One woman who is determined to get back in the saddle is Valerie Waites, 62 from Sherwood, who is taking part in Pedal it Pink for the second year after losing her close friend Julie to breast cancer three years ago. Valerie will be joined by her daughter and a group of friends from Rosemary Conley’s Slimming classes from across Arnold, Mapperley, Sherwood and Ravenshead, where she is a member. The ladies will be cycling for a fundraising, as well as a weight loss, challenge.

Valerie said: “The atmosphere at last year’s event was fantastic, it was great to see lots of women cycling together for this good cause and also lovely to see little kids getting involved in the Family 5K Lap. I cycled in memory of my good friend who passed away from breast cancer and will be doing it again for her this October.

“I’ve encouraged my daughter Teresa to cycle with me, as well as a group of friends from Rosemary Conley slimming classes from across Nottingham, so we’re all geared up for the half marathon and we’re looking forward to seeing The National Water Sports Centre turn pink once again.”

Pedal it Pink has a variety of cycle routes to choose from so there is something to suit all abilities, but most women enjoy the ultimate challenge of cycling a marathon distance around the park. Not only is this fantastic exercise but also a real life goal for many ladies who haven’t ridden a bike in years. There is also a half marathon distance and a family 5k lap which is open to men and children too.  All routes are completely enclosed within the park, so it’s safe, traffic free and suitable for all existing and aspiring cyclists.

Catriona Wright, Events Manager at Breast Cancer Campaign said: “So far Pedal it Pink has raised more than £205,000 and we’d like to encourage you to help us continue to add to this amount by joining us for the second Nottingham event.

“Not only is cycling a great way to stay fit but the challenge of the event is sure to make it a fun day out for friends and family with all proceeds going to a very worthwhile cause.  Whether you’re looking for a physical challenge, a fundraising challenge, or quite simply a fun day out, why not join us this year and do your bit for those affected by breast cancer?”

Cycling is a great form of cardiovascular exercise, which helps to burn fat and if done regularly, contributes to a healthy lifestyle. Cycling is also great for toning leg muscles and can burn up to 500 calories an hour.

If you would like to register for Pedal it Pink and help put the brakes on breast cancer, please visit www.breastcancercampaign.org, email pedalitpink@breastcancercampaign.org or call 020 7749 3700. Registration is £15 for the marathon, £10 for the half marathon and £5 for the family 5k lap and all participants are encouraged to raise £100 to help beat breast cancer.

Riders wanting to take part in either the 100k or 160km at the National Cyclosportive in Lancashire are not too late. It’s your only opportunity to see TeamSKY ride in the UK as they count down to the Tour de France.
 
The National Cyclosportive (which replaces the Pendle Pedal event) on Saturday 26th June will allow 1000 amateur cyclists to ride over some of the same challenging and beautiful route that professional cyclists will race over the following day.

Sunday 27th June sees the men's and women's National Road Race Championships start and finish in Barley village, with 194 of the country's top cyclists competing for a National title.

National Cyclosportive riders will also be able to share the same start and finish location as they set off on their chosen route of either a 100km and a 160km route around the Pendle area.

Mark Sandamas of Pennine Events, organisers of the National Cyclosportive and National Road Race Championships, says: "We want cyclists to know that they can enter on the day for the National Cyclosportive. The whole weekend is going to be a real celebration of cycling, with plenty to entertain supporters and family members. Famous names including Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and Nicole Cooke will be there and we are looking forward to welcoming around 1000 cyclists to the sportive route."

Professional riders will be present to either start the National Cyclosportive, or at the finish line to sign autographs and welcome riders home after a long day in the saddle.

Pennine Events are accepting entries on the day and welcome riders who want to sign up. The cost for entry on the day will be just £27.00.
For further information on either the National Cyclosportive or National Road Race Championships, please visit: www.pendlecyclefest.com.

The event, which took place on Father’s day, attracted an abundance of people from across the East Midlands, including amateur and pro cyclists, families enjoying father’s day together, groups of friends and individuals all cycling for a personal challenge, a fundraising challenge or just to enjoy a day out in Nottinghamshire on a glorious sunny day. Amongst them was Joel Segal, a lecturer at Nottingham University, from West Bridgford. He took part in the family lap challenge with his son, Isaac, aged 7.

‘It’s a delight to be spending father’s day with my family, doing something that we all love. My wife, Katy is out doing the 18 mile route with my other two sons, Jack (13) and Tom (11), and as a family, we take part in the event each year. In the past, I’ve done the 18 mile ride with the rest of the family, with Isaac in a child bike seat, but now he’s a bit older, he’s got the cycling bug too and wanted to ride himself today.

“It’s great that the event caters for all ages and abilities, with a ride to suit everyone so that we can still take part together. Health and exercise is really important to us, as is doing things as a family is essential to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and the icing on the cake is that the Great Nottinghamshire Bike Ride is a really fun day out.”

Sue Wass from Blidworth also took part in the 50 mile ride with a group of friends yesterday. She commented: “It’s the first time I’ve done the Great Notts Bike Ride and wanted to set myself the challenge of the 50 mile ride. The event was really well organised, there were some really picturesque backdrops around the route, and the refreshment stops along the way were very well received, with delicious strawberries and ice cream to reward ourselves for all our hard work. 50 miles proved to be a real challenge, so another highlight had to be the finish line where we were able to enjoy the party atmosphere in the event village and listen to the live music in the sunshine. What a fantastic day out – I’ll definitely be back to take part again next year.”

Paul Cooper, 29 from Sherwood took part in the 75 mile ride. He commented: “I use the roads in Nottinghamshire to cycle over 1,000 miles per year, and events such as the Great Notts Bike Ride help to enhance the profile of cyclists on the County’s roads. I feel that as a lover of cycling, that it is my duty to support this fantastic event, and help to improve other road users’ perception of cyclists through safe cycling. The ride has become a social event for me, as each year, I meet other people through work and personal life who also share a love of cycling.”

Starting and finishing at the National Water Sports Centre, Holme Pierrepont, this year’s Great Notts Bike Ride featured a ride to suit all abilities, including the 5km family lap challenge, the 18 mile community ride, the 50 mile challenge ride and the sportive route of around 75 miles.

Event organisers and partners were thrilled that so many people came out to explore the County on their cycles at this year’s Great Notts Bike Ride.

Councillor John Cottee, Cabinet Member for Culture and Community at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “This year's Great Nottinghamshire Bike Ride was a great success.  Thousands of people from the county and further afield took part and even the weather was fine.  We are now collecting in the sponsorship money for the event charities and hope to raise even more than the £50,000 we collected last year.”

Lucy Grierson, Marketing Manager at The Big Wheel was delighted to see so many people getting actively involved in cycling during National Bike Week. She added: “This year’s Great Notts Bike Ride marks the start of National Bike Week, so it’s superb that so many people from across Nottinghamshire have come along and already got involved.

 For the women of Nottinghamshire who aren’t ready to give up cycling just yet, look out for Breast Cancer Campaign’s Pedal it Pink event which will be returning to Nottingham on Sunday 17 October. The event includes a full marathon distance, a half marathon distance, and a family 5k lap which is open to men and children too. For further details, go to www.breastcancercampaign.org. 

There are only a few days to go until the start of the 2010 Shape Up Notts! Workplace Challenge. The Challenge will launch on Sunday 20 June, to coincide with the Great Notts Bike Ride, and the start of National Bike Week, and organisers are urging business around Nottinghamshire to sign up and get involved.

The Challenge aims to create a more active and healthy workforce, as well as encouraging team work and boosting morale amongst employees. The Challenges official start date is fast approaching, commencing this Sunday 20 June, to coincide with this year’s Great Nottinghamshire Bike Ride, and the start of National Bike Week. The Challenge will run for four months until the end of October 2010.

Sport Nottinghamshire is keen to remind all local businesses that it is the last week to sign up before the start of the Challenge.  They also want to emphasise that they are available to help businesses around the County to set up the Challenge in their workplace.

Simon Starr, director at Sport Nottinghamshire said, “There are only a few days left before the Challenge kicks off and I would urge businesses across Nottinghamshire to get signed up this week, so that they can get a head start on logging their points. There are lots of ways for individuals to earn points for the Challenge, whether that’s sport, physical activity or active travel, there should be something for people of all abilities to get involved in.

“We want as many individuals as possible from organisations around the County to sign up, but we do appreciate that it can be a timely task to generate interest amongst colleagues. Sport Nottinghamshire and all of the partners involved in this year’s Challenge are more than happy to make office visits to help them get started and encourage their team members to sign up. In addition to this, we’ve also put together a toolkit to help organisations get started, just go to www.thebigwheel.org.uk/challenge to download it.”

Any sport, physical activity or active travel undertaken by employees involved in the Challenge will be recorded online at www.sportnottinghamshire.co.uk. Points will be awarded based on activity, length of session and intensity. Additionally CO2 reduction will be calculated for any trip made by walking or cycling that would otherwise have been made by car.

Councillor John Cottee, Nottinghamshire County Council Cabinet Member for Culture and Community, said: ‘As 'the sporting county', Nottinghamshire is already putting a lot of effort into promoting active lifestyles to all its residents.  We are looking forward to the 29th Great Nottinghamshire Bike Ride on Sunday 20 June and produce a range of guides to help cyclists safely travel to work or simply get out and enjoy the beautiful Nottinghamshire countryside.  We are only too happy to add our support to this initiative and will be promoting it to our own employees.’

This year, prizes will be awarded to the organisations that score the highest number of points, the highest average number of points per employee, the largest CO2 reduction and the largest average CO2 reduction per employee. There will be four prizes to the value of £2,000 this year, which the winning businesses can use towards improving the infrastructure within their organisations for active commuting.

There will also be spot prizes and giveaways just to reward people for taking part. This month, npower has teamed up with the Shape Up Notts! Workplace Challenge to offer a pair of tickets to the England v Pakistan Test Match at Trent Bridge on Saturday 31 July. To be in with a chance of winning this great prize, local people simply need to sign up to the Challenge and register activity between 20 June and 20 July 2010.

To sign up for the Shape Up Notts! Workplace Challenge and to start logging your activity go to www.sportnottinghamshire.co.uk/workplace-challenge.php. To find out more about the Challenge and how it could benefit your business, go to www.thebigwheel.org.uk/challenge.

A new cycling event has been added to the sporting calendar and it's attracting the most passionate amateur cyclists in the region. 

The National Cyclosportive (which replaces the existing "Pendle Pedal" event) will take place in Lancashire on Saturday 26 June. Amateur riders will get the chance to cycle on some of the route that Britain’s best professional riders will cover during the British Road Racing Championships on Sunday 27 June.

Jason Hemsley, 41, from Silsden (West Yorkshire) is looking forward to taking part in the National Cyclosportive. "I live near the Pendle area," he says. "and I've done many fell-running races from Barley, where the National Cyclosportive will start. This course really appeals to me as it is hilly and in a beautiful part of Lancashire, on quiet back roads, and gives me an opportunity to ride in areas I dont often get to." 

Jason is a keen amateur rider and has already taken part in many sportive bike events on mainland Europe, including the Etape du Tour, La Marmotte and Gran Fondo Campagnolo.  "I have been cycling since I was 17 years old, when I joined a local club (Airedale Olympic), and did junior races," he says. "My father was a keen cyclist and he encouraged me and took me to races etc when I was younger." 

Britain's top professional riders, including Mark Cavendish, David Millar, Kristian Hause and Lizzie Armitstead, will be riding in the 2010 British Road Racing Championships and as preparation for the nationals local boy and top premier calendar rider Ian Wilkinson of Team Endura will be leading out the sportive ride.

It’s not too late to enter the National Cyclosportive. For further information and on-line entry visit: www.pendlecyclefest.com.