TEAM CONNOR SPORTIVE 2021
Saturday 28 August 2021
The Team Connor Sportive will be back in 2021! This year we’ve got a fantastic new venue, with the start and finish at Tonbridge School.
This is always a great day with all proceeds going to Chasing Connor’s Cure. The three routes are designed to cater for all levels of cycling.
EVENT FEATURES
All proceeds go to Chasing Connor's Cure & Duchenne UK
3 GREAT ROUTES
Three great routes through the fabulous Kent countryside catering for all abilities. All routes are circular, beginning and ending at the beautiful Tonbridge School.
Family Friendly
This 11 mile route is perfect for all the family. From Tombridge School, the route heads to Penshurst along the National Cycle Route 12. A fully stocked feed station provides a rest in Penshurst before returning. Riders can chose to return the same way or follow the road back through Leigh and Hildenborough, before joining the cycle path back to Tonbridge.
The offroad section of the route is best for hybrid, mountain bikes or cyclocross, though the route can be cycled carefully on a road bike.
Challenge 40
This 40 mile route explores some of the beautiful Kent countryside with a couple of hills thrown in.
The route heads away from Tonbridge School along the Shipbourne road. The first climb takes you through the village of Shipbourne before turning left to Ivy Hatch and Stone Street.
You descend along Grove Road before climbing to Godden Green. The steep descent of Carter's Hill leads you to Underriver and through Charcott.
The route climbs past the Bough Beech reservoir and on to the feed station at Ide Hill with its beautiful views.
Continuing on through Ide Hill village, you loop past Emmet's Gardens to climb Toy's Hill.
The steep descent takes you to Four Elms and on to Hever, of Anne Boleyn fame.
From Hever, the route heads back to Tonbridge via the villages of Mark Beech, Chiddingstone Hoath, Penshurst and Leigh.
Epic 60
This 60 mile ride follows the same route as the Challenge 40 for the first 14.5 miles. Having descended to Underriver and crossed the A21 at Nizels, the route loops back towards Sevenoaks Weald and climbing Hubbard's Hill. The steep descent of Bayley's Hill takes you past Bore Place before climbing past the Bough Beach reservoir to the feed station and beautiful views at Ide Hill. Setting off again, the route goes through the village and down to Brasted before climbing Toy's Hill from the North side.
Down the other side takes you to Four Elms, and on to Hever and on to the Ashdown Forest. The route climbs to the second feed station at the top of Chuck Hatch. The return is via Groombridge and Speldhurst.
FUNDRAISING
In February 2016, shortly after Connor's 4th birthday he was diagnosed with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy, called Duchenne. This disease affects 1 in 3500 boys in the UK. It attacks muscles and in most cases mobility is lost around age 10. Eventually it will attack the heart and lungs resulting in premature loss of life, usually in the early 20s.
Research is underway for both enhanced therapy and a cure and it is vital that these projects receive funding to continue and accelerate their development.
Through this sportive and other activities, Team Connor is trying to raise as much money as we can to support research and enhanced therapy for DMD through two charities, Chasing Connor's Cure and Duchenne UK.
