Shimano 24 Falls At The First Hurdle | BikeRadar.comA UK event that was billed as the world's first 24-hour Road Race has been cancelled due to lack of interest. The Shimano 24 was scheduled to take place on July 12 and 13 using a closed 8.7 mile road route in Wales’ Brecon Beacons. But with poor take-up and just over a month to go, organisers Provelo Support have pulled the plug.
A press release from Provelo states: “Despite research indicating a huge level of interest in such an event, the actual level of sign-up has made it uncommercial to continue.”
The release also says that Shimano’s UK distributors Madison is “very disappointed” at the news of the cancellation. Billed as a team event the organisers had been hoping 170 teams of five riders would compete for prizes on a circuit in the Army’s Sennybridge training area, with each team paying a £210 entry fee.
Speaking before the announcement of the cancellation was made, organiser Pat Adams of Provelo, best known as the man behind the successful Mountain Mayhem mountain biking event, explained his road racing background:
"I've always been passionate about road racing but I guess that I've become more associated with Mountain Biking in recent years. I've actually worked extensively in road racing, including the Tour of Britain and the Kelloggs Tour and as a soigneur for the Zero Team and Martin Earley."
It appears, however, that this experience was not enough to foresee the low level of demand for an event that would always have been a step into the unknown for what many see as a traditionally conservative road racing fraternity
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I'd quite like to have done this, but it's a pretty niche event. There are so many unknowns, I'm not surprised noone signed up - who exactly were they selling it to?