Highland Perthshire’s week-long cycling extravaganza comes to a stunning finale this weekend with a massive family fun day and the seventh Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Caledonia sportive.
Now the UK’s biggest closed-road cycling event, it is run by IMG Challenger World and continues to grow in popularity with this year’s entry sold out in just 72 hours.
It contributes significantly to Highland Perthshire’s reputation as Scotland’s outdoor adventure capital and as one of the country’s most cycle-friendly regions.
A testing challenge awaits the more than 5,000 participants who will take advantage of the safety of closed roads to pit themselves against 81 miles of rugged rural routes.
They will also climb almost 2,000 metres as they test stamina and willpower against the wilds of one of Scotland’s best-known mountains, Schiehallion.
Frantic preparations began yesterday to create the event village that will support the weekend’s influx of cyclists.
The packed field will be hoping to raise tens of thousands of pounds for cancer research and other good causes.
Joining the participants on the start line at least will be Perth and North Perthshire MP Pete Wishart, whose job it will be to send them on their way at 6.30am.
Overseeing the preparations for Sunday’s event is James Robinson, of organisers IMG Challenger World.
He was joined in the event village by teams from Skinny Tyres and Mavic who will keep the bikes running and Perth Farmers’ Market founder Jim Fairlie, whose job it will be to feed the 5,000.
Mr Robinson has seen the event adopted by the community to become one of the UK’s finest cycling occasions and believes its appeal will endure.
He said: “The Etape Caledonia is really the father of the closed-road sportive in the UK, which is still something of a rare commodity in the UK. In addition, it offers stunning countryside, scenic roads and a challenging but do-able route.
“We continue to be grateful to the warm welcome provided by the Highland Perthshire community, who take to the roads every year, very early in the morning, to cheer on the participants and provide encouragement and support for them at all stages of the route.
“With such substantial numbers participating, we expect it to be a very busy weekend for the area and a great boost to the economy of Highland Perthshire.”
Mr Robinson was also full of praise for the massive and dedicated team that plans every element of the event and will see that it runs smoothly.
On Friday, secondary pupils from Pitlochry High School completed their own Mini Etape as they took-up the challenge of cycling one of four individual 20 to 40-mile sections of the full Etape Caledonia route. They were accompanied by teachers and volunteers as they raised money for their after-school outdoor activity programme.