Prepare to polish those toe-clips and wax your mustachios: L'Eroica, the Italian retro-sportive that celebrates cycling's 'heroic past', is coming to Britain for the first time in 2014.
Held annually on the gravel 'strade bianchi' (white roads) of Tuscany, L'Eroica is open only to cyclists riding 'heroic' bikes, identified as road bicycles dating from pre-1987.
The inaugural edition of L'Eroica Britannia will be staged in the Peak District on 22 June 2014, three weeks before the Grand Départ of the Tour de France comes to Yorkshire.
The ride will be the highlight of a three-day festival of 'cycling and style', which organisers say will celebrate the 'true L'Eroica values of sustainability, territory, food, heritage and drink'. Three routes of 30, 60 and 100 miles will be available, setting off from the dessert capital of the Peaks, Bakewell.
Tarts aside, the ride promises to be a feast for connoisseurs of vintage cycling chic. In the spirit of authenticity, riders will be permitted to forego helmets (and, presumably, timing chips) - although a downloadable Garmin route plan will be available.
Retro refreshment stops will be laid on - we're guessing brandy and amphetamines rather than gels and High5 - and riders will be issued with a road book in which to affix appropriate stamps at check points.
Earlybird registration is priced at £55, rising to £70 after the first 500 participants have signed up. The organisers are offering a veterans' rate of £45 for riders aged over 65, and all prices include on site camping and entry to the festival.
For the rules on eligible bikes and to pre-register for the event, visit www.eroicabritannia.co.uk.
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