Castle Combe circuit to hold cycling festival this summer

The Castle Combe motor racing circuit near Chippenham, Wiltshire, which in the past has played host to Formula 1 world champions including Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna, will this August host a family-focused cycling festival.

Taking place on Sunday 26 August, the Castle Combe Festival of Cycling takes place at a venue most closely associated with motor racing but which has regularly played host to cycling events in the past and continues to do so today.

Organised by Andy Cook Cycling, full details have yet to be revealed but you can register for email updates on the website of the event, which will see the venue act as the base for the Severn Bridge Sportive as well as hosting racing on the Castle Combe circuit itself.

Castle Combe Circuit Managing Director Graham Marshallsay, said: “We have an extremely successful events calendar throughout the year ranging from Action Days to Race Meetings.

“What we have learnt over the years, however, is that the circuit lends itself to events of all shapes and sizes and, when we were approached by Andy Cook Cycling about running the first UK family orientated Cycling Festival, we welcomed the idea with open arms as it fits so well with the circuit and our ethos.

“The circuit has long been associated with great family value and this is something that we’re really working on for this event. There will be the 100mile and 100km Severn Bridge Sportive for the more serious cyclists and a series of British Cycling registered Youth Races in the morning for competitive youngsters.

“The main aim of the event however is to bring all the family together and we’re looking at an events programme that will suit all ages whether they are 2 or 102! There will be the Circuit Challenge when visitors can complete as many laps of the circuit as they feel comfortable with, a vintage bike display, arena entertainment, have-a-go sessions and much more,” he added

Andy Cook commented: “We have always found the team at Castle Combe Circuit remarkably amenable to our ideas and are delighted to have forged this relationship to bring this family cycling festival together.

“Providing as broad a range of cycling activity as possible has always been at the very heart of everything that we do at Andy Cook Cycling and, with over 25 years experience in organising cycling events and activities of every kind and within many countries, I am hoping that this will be best yet,” he added.