into kids’ activities, we’ll be run- ning mountain biking courses and, of course, the pièce de résistance being Ballater, this stunning, stun- ning place where six months ago over 300 homes were under nine foot of water. But the message now is: Ballater is back in business. All the shops and businesses are gradu- ally opening up and everything should be back to normal by the end of June.” Sadly, for “health and safety rea-
sons”, David and his penny farthing will not be featuring in September. “I love riding the penny farthing,”
said David, whose cousin William Fox-Pitt is a Britain’s most suc- cessful eventing rider, and who is currently recovering after a fall in October last year resulted in him being in an induced coma.
Cycling celebrity Mark Beaumont joined a promotional tour ahead of the Etape Royale in September
Appropriately enough, the expe-
rience of being atop a high wheeler is much like being on four legs, said Fox-Pitt. “It’s like being on a horse – you get a fantastic view. But doing the Etape on it again is not something I’m planning in the near future, for health and safety reasons, mainly. Last year I took a crash coming down the Lecht – my own fault, I should have got off the thing for that part – and it took me 13 hours to complete the course, which is not really meant for penny farthing bikes. Tat said, if I can do it on a penny farthing, anyone can do it on a normal bike.”
SINCE IT was set up in 1996, WildFox Events – which runs a string of endurance events includ- ing the Loch Ness Marathon - has
raised more than £40 million for a variety of charities. “We’re fortunate to have a chief
sponsor, Quilter Cheviot,” added Fox-Pitt. “We couldn’t do without them – the cost of road closures is very expensive. Tey’re also enter- ing 200 people into the event. But the Etape Royale is not just about cycling. It’s about community spirit. It’s about fitness. It’s about chal- lenging yourself, and it’s about this beautiful part of the world.”
What: The Quilter Cheviot Etape Royale Where: Ballater When: September 18
EVENTSBASE | SUMMER 2016 | 19
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