BACKERS of the Bradford on Avon Cycling Festival are hoping the event will ‘catch fire’ so that it can be a success for years to come.

Representatives from Moulton Bikes, AB Dynamics, Curveball Studios ,Varn Media and bike business Road.CC and the town council met at the Castle Inn on Monday to discuss the July 14-15 festival, the website that has been set up for it and speaking to cycling clubs too.

A great deal of enthusiasm greeted the progress that had been made so far and about how they could help to increase the exposure of the event, which will feature a hill climb and cycling rides, and make it a sustainable success for years to come.

One of the organisers, Craig Surgey, said: “There was a great deal of excitement at the table which was great to see. The business representatives were very upbeat and also quite proud to have a cycling event back in the town.

“We want to put Bradford on Avon on the cycling map. The team have a wonderful wealth of experience in events, cycling and marketing.

“We compliment each other well as there is a good, broad skillset. We want to grow this year on year and make it an annual thing.”

Cllr Simon McNeill-Ritchie said: “We are very ambitious. We want to see this event catch fire in a sustainable way and make it part of the town’s calendar of events. It seems to me we are not only a great place to cycle, we are part of cycling’s heritage and people should come here to celebrate that.”

On Saturday, July 14, there will be a mini hillclimb up Masons Lane and then the main event hillclimb from the Swan Hotel, up to the Castle Inn at the top of Masons Lane.

The day after will include a 25 and a 50 mile cycle, followed by a family ride at 11am, along with many other events at Victory Fields.

In the coming weeks the organisers will kick off a marketing campaign, as Elaine Curtin of Road.CC said at the meeting that marketing is at its most effective three or so months before an event starts.

“This festival is a celebration of not only cycling but Bradford on Avon, its community, heritage and will showcase the town and county of Wiltshire in a perfect cycling landscape,” she said.

The festival has not run since 2015.

For more information visit www.boacyclingfestival.com