Brands Hatch fans and keen cyclists are invited to join British Olympic hero Jason Kenny OBE at the Revolve24 event on 10-11 September, which offers a variety of cycling challenges to suit all abilities, including a 24 hour race.
Revolve24 was launched with great success in 2015 with involvement from Kenny, who claimed a British record-equalling sixth Gold Medal in Rio earlier this week, and has since seen participant numbers soar. The event is open to soloists, duos and teams of four, six and eight riders. The main 24 hour race is complemented by a 6 hour relay, and a new 12 hour ‘Dusk ’til Dawn’ challenge.
The Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit formed much of the Paralympic Games road cycling route in 2012, earning rave reviews at the time. The course offers the perfect combination of smooth asphalt, arduous climbs, exhilarating descents, and competitors can take advantage of the venue’s pit garages throughout the competition.
Kenny, who will be taking part in this year’s event, said: “Brands Hatch is the best course for this event as you don’t have any of the dangers of the road. It has a lot of interesting undulations, especially as you get out into the forest. It’ll be a real challenge for people as they ride through the night, lighting their own way.”
New for 2016 will be a British Cycling One Day Men and Women’s Omnium (Regional A) on the Saturday. This will consist of an Individual Time Trial on the GP circuit, a Criterium of 24 minutes plus two laps around the Indy Circuit and a two hour Road race on the GP circuit.
This year, the 24 hour riders can also test their mettle against the pros, with teams including HR Owen Maserati RT and Team Baum, whose riders include Leon van Bon, a previous winner of two Tour de France stages.
Last year’s competitors ranged from 14 to 70 years of age, and this year, juniors aged 16 or over can enter the 24 hour challenge for £40 in whatever team size they wish.
Revolve24 also offers a team-matching service for individuals and smaller groups to form bigger squads.
Competitors and spectators can also take advantage of the free Revolve24 smartphone app for iOS or Android, powered by Map My Tracks. It can link with the most popular cycling apps and GPS devices to record training sessions. The app then feeds the data into a race grid so that competitors can compete for pole position ahead of the Grand Start in the 24hr relay.
Over the weekend, the Revolve24 App will provide team captains and spectators with real-time tracking of riders. There’ll be a host of other competitions too: King and Queen of the Mountains, fastest lap, sprints and rider categories.
Entry fees start at £30 and include track time, professional timing system with live race tracking, British Cycling Insurance, shared use of a pit garage, two nights’ camping and parking, 24 hour access to tea, coffee, water and snacks, plus shower facilities, WIFI and charging points. Access to the venue for spectators is free, and camping is also available to spectators.
Brands Hatch fans will also receive a 15% discount off their entry fee by using the promo code BRANDS15 until midnight 2 September. For more information, visit www.revolve24.com
Images courtesy of Joolze Dymond