Two sportives plus a Cycletta ride feature in first Festival of Sport Cornwall this September

Two sportive rides, one of 100km, the other 150km, as well as a 40km women-only Cycletta event, will be among the showpiece events of the inaugural Festival of Sport Cornwall later this year, to be held over the weekend of 14-16 September.

The three-day festival, being staged by Participate Sport which recently took over the Etape Cymru and whose team has previously been involved in major events including the London Marathon and Etape Caledonia, also features triathlons, beach runs and open water swimming.

The festival itself will be based just outside Penzance on Mount’s Bay, in front of St Michael’s Mount, with the routes of the sportive rides taking in West Cornwall’s stunning scenery including Land’s End and Cape Cornwall as well as the St Just Mining District.

The sportives will have full mechanical support, chip timing, medals, photography plus secure bike storage to enable participants to enjoy other features of the festival – including locally sourced food from Jamie Oliver’s Fabulous Feasts, a beer tent and bar run by St Austell Brewery, and music from acts yet to be confirmed.

Entrants can either aim for one event, or look to pack as many challenges as they can into the weekend, and more relaxed sports will be available in the form of touch rugby, gig rowing, beach volleyball and kayaking.

The Festival’s designated charity this year is Wings for Life, which funds research into spinal cord injuries, with participants encouraged to help raise money for the organisation’s work.

Former Arsenal footballer Lee Dixon, a recent convert to cycling and regular visitor to Cornwall, said: “With cycling now my new sporting love, it is an amazing way to get outside and see the world.

"I can't think of a better part of the world to explore than West Cornwall and St Michael's Mount.

"The Festival of Sport will be a spectacular way to do this, before relaxing with a beer and live music looking over at the Castle on the Mount in the evening."

Malcolm Bell, Head of Visit Cornwall added: “In 2012 Cornwall will be celebrating the Olympic year with a host of sporting events both on land and the water and the Cornwall Festival of Sport will be one of the sporting highlights.

"Cornwall’s natural environment with its dramatic landscapes and seascapes creates the perfect arena for participants and spectators of the Cornwall Festival of Sport 2012.

“The swimming and triathlon element of the event will take place around the iconic St Michael’s Mount, making the event unique in the world of competitive open water swimming.”

Full details of the weekend, including how to enter, can be found on its website, which also includes links to local accommodation providers, although there is also a camping option at the festival site itself, costing £10 per person per stay for either Friday or Saturday night, or both.

the cost of entry to the rides is £39 for the 150km sportive or £35 for both the 100km version and the Cycletta ride.

Passes will be required to access evening entertainment at the festival site after 6pm, costing £20 for adults; again, full details are on the website.