DOUBLE Olympic medalist Becky James will be joining her old club, Abergavenny RC, later this month when they host two days of action packed and thrilling races under the banner of Crosstober Wales.

Last year’s cycle-cross festival on the grounds of Abergaveny’s King Henry VIII School was awarded best event in Wales in 2015, and Abergavenny RC, who have been crowned best Welsh Cycling Club of the year for the last three years, will look to build on the event’s growing success with Crosstober Wales, a weekend destined to live long in the memory of everyone present.

The festival’s races will be covered by a unique broadcast partnership with S4C, with live TV coverage on October 23 of the Elite Women’s and Men’s races, plus highlights of the other races. Whether as a competitor, a spectator or an armchair fan, this is a weekend of cycling not to be missed.

Abergavenny Chairman Owen Davies told the Chronicle, “The club first held a major cyclo-cross race in the winter of 2003.

“The aim was to attract as many young local cyclists to take part as possible. In that first event Becky James competed and actually finished in last place, but she finished, and that’s the important thing.

“The 2003 event had an inspiring effect on Becky and she’ll be there on Sunday to hopefully help inspire another generation of cyclists, because the ultimate goal of Crosstober Wales is to encourage as many youngsters to take up the sport as possible.”

Crosstober Wales will take place at King Henry VIII School over the weekend of October 22-23. The Saturday will feature King Henry’s Cross, a British Cycling Category ‘A’ race for the popular and hotly contested Welsh Cyclo-Cross League.

Proceedings will commence at 10.00am with racing for the Under 8s, and continue throughout the day, culminating in the Senior and Junior Men’s race which will start at 1.30pm and finish around 2.30pm.

The Sunday will feature the National Trophy Series Round Two, a UCI 2 race attracting riders from all over the UK and Europe. Although the two days of racing takes place at the same venue, Sunday’s course will be different to the one used on Saturday, ensuring high level cyclo-cross racing throughout the weekend.

During the course of the weekend over 800 riders are expected to compete.

Crosstober Wales is the UK’s premier cyclo-cross festival and has secured the support of sponsors from across the UK and has the principal sponsorship of Northern Automotive Systems. In addition to the racing, spectators will be able to the explore the event village, which will feature large screen TV coverage of the racing, numerous cycling related trade stands, including local frame- builder Sturdy Cycles and the ever popular Big Bobble Hats, suppliers of bobble hats to Abergavenny RC.