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Heads up! Entries for the 2024 Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge are now open!
The Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge run a ballot for general entries, the window for entering the ballot is 01/12/23 -10/12/23
The event organisers have moved their general ballot entries process from January to December to allow you more time for training over the holidays in preparation for the ride.
The ballot will only be open for 10 days this year, so get your entries in as soon as they go live!
The entry fee is £99 plus a small fixed transaction charge.
All successful places will be notified via email on 14/12/23.
The Fred Whitton Challenge, recognised as the UK’s toughest cycling sportive, takes place each year on the doorstep of our Wheelbase HQ in the heart of the Lake District National Park. We are proud to continue our title sponsorship of the Fred Whitton Challenge for the fast-approaching 2024 event.
Are you ready? An early entry to the 2024 Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge gives you more time to train for the UK’s toughest cycling sportive.
Set to take place on Sunday the 12th of May 2024 the Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge can rightfully claim to be the UK’s most grueling Sportive taking in all the major mountain passes in the Lake District, with each climb striking some level of fear in even the most accomplished of cyclists. Kirkstone, Honister, Newlands, Whinlatter, Wrynose and Blea Tarn test each and every rider with the most iconic climb – Hardknott Pass and its 30% gradients proving to be almost unrideable for a great number of participants. There’s over 3,500 metres of climbing to navigate with Hardknott coming late in the day, 94 miles into the 112 course.
We captured all the action of the 2023 Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge, check it out on YouTube!…
Need more inspiration to enter the 2024 Fred Whitton Challenge? Check out our 2023 event report below…
The Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge 2023 took place under blue skies on Sunday the 7th of May. Over 2,000 participants completed the U.K.’s toughest sportive, being cheered on by large crowds of supporters at key parts of the course including the infamous climbs that cruelly come in the latter half of this 112 mile ride. The climbs of Kirkstone, Honister, Newlands, Whinlatter, Wrynose, Blea Tarn and the poster child – Hardknott Pass with its 30% gradients, are a test of endurance for even the most accomplished cyclists. HUGE congratulations to each and every rider who successfully completed the Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge in 2023.
Each and every rider was encouraged by roadside spectators, dotted around the 112 mile course.
Back for its 23rd edition the Fred Whitton Challenge sponsored by Wheelbase continues to raise an enormous amount of money for important charities including MacMillan Cancer Support and the Great North Air Ambulance. Cyclists from all over the U.K. and beyond made the trip to the heart of the Lake District to take on this infamous ride and enjoy fantastic levels of support from the roadside as they aimed to complete the course in a respectable time.
Fred Whitton Challenge participants would start and finish in the village of Grasmere.
As well as sponsoring the event Wheelbase were on hand throughout the weekend to provide mechanical assistance for participants before their ride. We were also represented out on the open road, with a small number of our Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli team riding together in an attempt to set the fastest time of the day.
Wheelbase’s Tyla Loftus, grandson of the Fred Whitton Challenge’s President Paul Loftus MBE took on ‘The Whitton’ this year.
With a stunning average speed of over 20mph our team riders would go on to take post some of the fastest finishing times of the event with Tom Armstrong finishing in 3rd place with a time of 5hrs 29mins, Tom Merry taking 4th place with a time of 5hrs 31mins, Louis Moore finishing in 5th place with a time of 5hrs 35mins and Giles Drake taking 6th place with a time of 5hrs and 36mins. BIG respect to young Finaly Hawker from rival team Zappi who rode with the Wheelbase lads before eventually chipping off solo over the toughest climbs of Hardknot and Wrynose; he would record an amazing time of 5hrs and 26mins.
A special shout out to some of our Wheelbase staff who also took on the Fred Whitton challenge. With our riders each returning to the finish line with a different story to tell we were particularly proud to see our ‘Saturday lad’ young Henry Hunter finish in 10th place overall with a fantastic finishing time of 6hrs and 56secs!
Tom Armstrong finished in 3rd place with a fantastic finishing time of 5hrs 29mins.
Tom Merry digging deep on Hardknott, would eventually take 4th place with a time of 5hrs 31mins.
Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli’s Louis Moore finished in 5th place with a great time of 5hrs 35mins.
2022’s fastest finisher Giles Drake took 6th place with a time of 5hrs and 36mins at the 2023 edition.
You can see all Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge 2023 results HERE.
HUGE congratulations to each and every rider who successfully completed the Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge in 2023. Scroll through our huge gallery of photos from our talented freelance photographer James Vincent below…
Written by Johnny Dodgin
Photos by James Vincent
Video by Johnny Dodgin
Have you seen our regular fast bikes feature? You can now see all of our fast bikes in one place over on Pinterest where you’ll find links to each of our Fast Bike Features too!
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