People across Suffolk and Norfolk are being urged to take on the
challenge of their lives and sign up for the East Anglia Tour Ride
to raise funds for The Prostate Cancer Charity.
For the first time, cyclists in the region will have the
opportunity to experience part of the official Tour of Britain
route on Sunday 24 July 2011 ahead of the professionals in
September.
Whether riders take on the tough 200km Pro Ride from Bury St
Edmunds to Sandringham or shorter but none-the-less rewarding 100km
Challenge route - starting in Diss and finishing in Sandringham -
the East Anglia Tour Ride promises to offer participants a one-off
cycling experience, while raising awareness of prostate cancer and
money for the Charity.
Now in their third year, The Prostate Cancer Charity's Tour
Rides are an established part of the sportive calendar for amateur
cyclists with over 4,500 amateur riders taking part in three events
last year.
Following on from this success, which saw riders raise over
£520,000, The Prostate Cancer Charity has extended its offering to
five events this year, giving people the opportunity to take on
Tour Rides in East Anglia, Wales and Scotland alongside existing
rides in London and Stoke-on-Trent.
The Charity's unique partnership with The Tour of Britain, aims
to bring people together through cycling to help raise awareness of
prostate cancer, which is the most common form of cancer in men in
the UK.
Speaking about the upcoming East Anglia Tour Ride, Katie
Robbins, Tour of Britain Project Manager at The Prostate Cancer
Charity, says: "Over the past three years, The Prostate Cancer
Charity has developed strong links with professional and amateur
cyclists through our partnership with The Tour of Britain which
have been invaluable in helping us to get many more people thinking
about the disease.
"We are delighted to be able to include East Anglia in the
offering this year and hope that people living in Norfolk and
Suffolk with an interest in cycling will get on their bikes to
raise awareness of prostate cancer and funds for the
Charity."
Councillor Kathy Gosling, Suffolk County Council's portfolio
holder for Sport, Culture, Diversity, Health and Wellbeing said:
"The Prostate Cancer Charity Tour Ride is a fantastic opportunity
for people to get a piece of the Tour of Britain action for
themselves.
"Cycling is certainly taking off in Suffolk and following on
from last year's success I am confident that this year's Tour of
Britain will inspire an even greater interest in the fantastic
range of cycle routes in Suffolk.
"I would urge any keen cyclists to sign up to take part in the
Tour Ride. It's for a great cause and it gives people the chance to
follow the Tour of Britain route through Suffolk's beautiful
countryside."
James Carswell, Cabinet member for Cultural Services at Norfolk
County Council, said:
"After the riders had crossed the finish line in last year's
Tour of Britain stage through Norfolk, the national organiser
declared that the crowds lining our roads were larger than they had
ever experienced. Over 130,000 people came out to watch the race -
indicating the level of interest that there is in cycling in the
county.
"The Tour Ride in July presents a wonderful opportunity for
those with an interest in cycling to experience the kind of route
that the professional cyclists will be taking when the Tour of
Britain returns to Norfolk in September, whilst also raising money
for a good cause."
Graham Jones, Route Director at The Tour of Britain, said:"The
East Anglian stage of The Tour of Britain is the longest of the
race this year, and one of the longest we've ever run.
Participants in the East Anglian Tour Ride will have the chance to
say they've ridden the route of a long and testing stage of this
year's Tour all in aid of a very good cause, and of course gain a
preview of what the professionals will face this September."
For further information, please visit www.tourride.co.uk