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Dates for 2009

The dates for our events in 2009 have been fixed - the Epic Cycles Spring Challenge will be Saturday 14th March (limited to 200 entries), the Devil Ride will be Sunday 12th July (750 entries and a new event centre), and the Autumn Epic (1000 entries) will be Sunday 4th October. The online entry system for the Spring Challenge will open in early December, with the other two going live in the New Year.

Autumn Epic - Thanks!!

To all the brave souls that rode or helped out on Sunday. The weather certainly added another dimension to the event, which many riders seemed to have revelled in (the well dressed ones at least!). The forecast obviously put many off, and the start was the most drawn out we have ever seen as lots of riders waited for things to get a bit drier - which it thankfully did later on...were those clear blue skies really the same day?! However, the atmosphere at the end and the feedback we have received is possibly the best we have ever had.

Times are now on the Autumn Epic home page, with photographs being available here.

Autumn Epic is Full

For the fourth year in a row the Autumn Epic has sold out in advance - and this year we will not be operating a reserves list as we factored withdrawals into our entry limit calculations. Rider packs will start to go out in the post from 17th September - those with tee shirts and jerseys will be posted after the following weekend. It'll take a few days to get everything through the post so please be patient!

Viner Bikes sponsor the Autumn Epic - win a carbon sportive frame!

We are pleased to announce that the Autumn Epic will be sponsored by Viner Bikes of Italy this year, and they will be offering a free carbon frameset to one lucky finisher - just like at the Devil Ride, the winner will be drawn from a hat as soon as we have a final list of finishers. As bike suppliers to the number one Fondo team in Italy, Viner are experts in sportive bikes - so the lucky winner will have a great piece of kit ready for next season!

Devil Ride Wrap Up

Phew! Just back from picking up the final few route signs etc this morning...and the wind and rain are still presenting a challenge on the Staircase. Many thanks to everyone who rode, helped and supported the Devil Ride on Sunday.

The feedback from riders on both routes has been fantastic...the weather for the first part of the ride aside. We will definitely be back next year, so there will be another opportunity to better your time or to complete the event for the first time. We will be fine tuning the organisation of the event in 2009, but the routes themselves will not be altered as they appear to have been a big hit with the vast majority of riders. And you never know, we might even run it in the summer ;-)

Photographs of the event are available here - just click on a location and photos are then grouped into number ranges. Finishing times are available in raw form here - if you think you have been incorrectly recorded please let us know. The lucky winner of the Orbea Orca frameset has been drawn from the hat - Julian Humphries from Sheffield - enjoy!

Devil Ride Full!

The Devil Ride has sold out a month ahead of the day, which is unheard of for a new event - many thanks to all who have entered! We won't be operating a reserve list as withdrawals were taken into account in setting the entry limit of 500.

Joining instructions, bike numbers, etc will start to go out in the post from 21st July - 10 days or so later than originally planned as we delayed them while deliberating on the addition of the second "Little Devil" route, but still well ahead of the day. Any last minute alterations, together with additional info such as Google map links, will be posted here.

Second route option - the Little Devil - for the Devil Ride

We have also added a second fully signposted 100km route option - the "Little Devil" - that splits from the full route immediately after the Devil's Staircase. Please visit the route page for more information.

Orbea sponsor the Devil Ride - win an Orca!

We are pleased to announce that the Devil Ride will be sponsored in 2008 by Orbea. As part of our association with Orbea we will be offering a brand new Orca frameset (srp £1699.99) to one lucky finisher - the winner will be picked out of a hat on the day as the Devil Ride is not a race and so we won't be giving any prizes for performance. The Orca has a legitimate claim to the title of ultimate sportive bike - as well as being a superb piece of kit - perfectly suited to fast sportive riding or to racing - it looks like a work of art too. Nice a bad day's outing for the fortunate recipient!

Devil Ride and Epic jerseys

The final designs for the Devil Ride and Autumn Epic jerseys have been published - for details please visit the Devil Ride entry page or Autumn Epic entry page. Available to order now, along with high quality tee shirts - all profits to Air Ambulance.

The Autumn Epic is open for entries

On-line entries are being taken for the Autumn Epic. Entries will only be accepted using the on-line entry system.

The event will cost £25 to enter. The entry limit in 2008 will be kept to 1000, as in 2007. The Autumn Epic sold out two months in advance last year, so early entry is advised. Please note that we will not be operating a reserve list.

The Devil Ride is open for entries

The Devil Ride on-line entry system is open for entries. Entries will only be accepted on-line (sorry no postal entries will be accepted). Entries are limited to 500, and two thirds are now sold.

Epic Cycles Spring Challenge FULL

We are sorry, but all places in the Epic Cycles Spring Challenge 2008 have been taken. We may get a few cancellations, so if you would like to be placed on a waiting list please send us an email using the "contact us" link above.

Autumn Epic wins award!

We are proud to announce that the Autumn Epic has carried off the UK Cyclosportive of the Year award for 2007. The award is voted for by subscribers to Cyclosport.org, the leading website for cyclosportives in the UK, which makes us all the more pleased as it reflects the views of riders. We are grateful for all the feedback we have received - while the vast majority has been very positive, we have taken on board some suggestions for improvement in 2008 as we are keen to live up to our reputation!

New Event

We are delighted to announce that we will be organising a new 100 mile cyclosportive next year that takes in the infamous Devil's Staircase as one of 10 major climbs.  As it also includes Devil's Bridge, we have christened it "The Devil Ride".  With over 10,000ft of climbing, along with some lovely valley stretches to recover on, it should be a great event.  The entry limit will be 500 riders, as we do not want to take any logistical risks in the first year, and it will take place on 10th August 2008 from Builth Wells.