Herne Hill Virtual Velofete Festival

After the storming success of its first edition in 2019, VeloFete festival - a key fundraising event for Herne Hill Velodrome - is returning as a virtual event from 18-21 June.

The festival will feature Zwift racing and a packed line-up of talks from cycling celebrities including Ned Boulting, Emily Chappell, Rebecca Charlton, Dr Marlon Moncrieffe and Jack Thurston.

Herne Hill outdoor velodrome, tucked away off Burbage Road in South London, is Britain's only remaining 1948 Olympic venue.

As London's only velodrome until the 2012 Olympics, Herne Hill has played an important role in nurturing Britain's cycling talent by offering accessible cycling to the local community.

But, with COVID-19 forcing the velodrome to close to the public since lockdown, this virtual event, which is being organised by the Friends of Herne Hill Velodrome, will help raise vital funds for the beloved venue.

The racing across the weekend will be hosted on Zwift and is open to everyone. Events will include individual and team TTs, points and scratch races, and a flying QoM/KoM. Sign-up for these races will be via [email protected] and/or DM @friendsofhernehill on Instagram.

Aside from the racing, Volcano coffee will be on hand to webcast a session on 'making the perfect coffee', alongside cycling-specific yoga sessions for riders and spectators to have a stretch between races.

In the evenings, there will be a series of virtual talks by authors, journalists, podcasters, racers, cyclists, and entrepreneurs from across the cycling community.

The festival lineup includes:

• The Past, Present & Future of Women's Cycling - TV Presenter & Commentator Rebecca Charlton will be hosting a panel with Olympic Gold medallist Katie Archibald, Orla Chennaoui (Cycling Podcast Féminin), Michelle Arthurs-Brennan (Tech Editor, Cycling Weekly), Hannah Ross (Author) and Jenni Gwiazdowski (Director of London Bike Kitchen)
• Inside the Pro Peloton - Ineos rider Ethan Hayter and Team Bahrain McLaren rider Fred Wright, who both grew up riding at Herne Hill Velodrome, will be discussing life in the pro peloton.
• Q&A with hosts of Streets Ahead podcast - Co-hosted by TV presenter & author Ned Boulting, Guardian journalist Laura Laker and CEO of Fusion Media Adam Tranter. The Q&A will dive into current news and views of active travel, cycling, walking and urban planning.
• Transcontinental rider and author Emily Chappell in conversation with Rapha founder Simon Mottram, on the Rapha story and its future in cycling.
• Dr Marlon Moncrieffe, a leader in the field of research into the history of minority-ethnic group participation in competitive cycling in Britain.
• Jack Thurston, author of Lost Lanes, discussing your next Adventure Bicycle Trip.
• Dan Bigham, the founder of Team HUUB-Wattbike and the man behind the Danish track team's recent team pursuit world record, will be answering questions on optimising your virtual racing setup and aero gains for amateur riders.
• Cycling lawyers Charles O'Brien and Shivaji Shiva will be in conversation with Rebecca Charlton about The Cyclist and the Law. They will cover everything from accidents and liability to transport policy and will be open to legal questions from the community.

VeloFete will take place from Thursday 18th - Sunday 21st June 2020.

For full details and to sign up, visit www.hernehillvelodrome.com.