An offshoot of L'Eroica, the fabled Italian gran fondo, is coming to the UK in 2014 – just three weeks before the Tour de France grand départ in Yorkshire.
But where the original Italian sportive makes a virtue of Tuscany's famous white roads, L'Eroica Britannia will use the lanes, rugged tracks, and magnificent scenery of the Peak District National Park.
The event adopts the rules of the Italian race, so entrants will have to dust off a pre-1987 bike and their finest vintage road jersey, say the organisers.
The three rides – 30-, 50- and 100-mile routes centred on Bakewell, Derbyshire – will be held on 22 June, and are the centrepieces of the three-day Great British Adventure festival, which celebrates the landscape and culture of the Peak District National Park.
The organisers have secured permission to ride private roads in the Chatsworth Estate and hope it will attract more people to cycle in the park.
Jim Dixon, CEO for The Peak District National Authority, said: "The Peak District has aspirations to build on its already enviable reputation as one of the best places to cycle for leisure in the UK and put us on the world map. We can be one of the best cycling destinations and the most accessible national parks by bike in the world."
Places are limited to 1,000. The first 500 to register secure a place for £55 before prices rise to £70. Riders aged 65 or over can secure a spot for £45.
Visit www.eroicabritannia.co.uk for more details.
