Event: 7 July 2013
Location: Bridgnorth, Shropshire
Ex-pat sportiver Pete returns from Oz to mine the sportive gold of the Shropshire Hills 100
Entries continue to come in for Mamil Cycling’s summer sportive bike ride starting in Bridgnorth’s historic High Street on 7July 2013 and covering some of Shropshire best known landmarks.
One entrant of particular note is Pete Richards, a Pattingham born rider who emigrated to Sydney Australia in 2002 but is returning to Shropshire to ride the 100 mile challenge on roads he knows and loves. Pete comes back to the UK most years to visit family but this time he is excited to be back in summer and able to combine attending a family wedding with sportive.
"It's an absolutely perfect event for me, a challenging ride on roads that I know and love. The roads (and climbs) will have a warm sense of familiarity and I can't wait to ride them again for the first time in over a decade".
Shropshire-born Pete who returns from Sydney, Australia, to ride the Shropshire Hills 100
Pete says, ‘for a few years now we've found ourselves back in the UK in the depths of some pretty hard winters, so riding hasn't really been on the agenda but as soon as I realised that we would be back in July for a family wedding I started looking around for a suitable sportive or endurance ride. I quickly found out about the Shropshire Hills 100 and it's an absolutely perfect event for me, a challenging ride on roads that I know and love. The roads (and climbs) will have a warm sense of familiarity and I can't wait to ride them again for the first time in over a decade’.
He goes on to say ‘we're very lucky here in Sydney. The roads are good and, if you know where to go, the countryside just an hour's ride from the heart of Sydney's centre can be absolutely breath-taking. The temperature rarely drops below 15 degrees (even in winter) and it always makes me smile to see my Aussie riding mates pulling on arm and knee warmers when it drops to a "chilly" 15 degrees. I still have a lot of respect for riders who manage to continue riding through a British winter.
Mamil Cycling director John Ireson says ‘this is the third time the sportive will be held in Bridgnorth, it’s proved to be a popular event with both local people but others have travelled from all over the UK to soak up the spectacular scenery Shropshire has to offer. This time it’s great we have a rider coming all the way over from Australia’
Entries are still open via the British Cycling website here.
Further information can be found on the Mamil Cycling website www.mamilcycling.co.uk
