Jamie Staff MBE, Olympic gold medallist, World BMX champion and Cyclopark’s champion, is setting a challenge for visitors to the Kent County Show on 16th and 17th July 2010. He will set a time for a 250m sprint and call for visitors to beat that time on a stationary bike which is hooked up to an electronic cycling track on a screen in front. The stand is hosted by British Cycling and supported by the Kent Thameside Regeneration Partnership (KTRP) and Cycles UK. A score board will be kept throughout the challenge and there will be lots of cycling accessories on offer to contestants from Cycles UK, as well as a brand new Raleigh Airlite 400, worth £949, for the winner.
Cyclopark is the innovative park set to bring first class cycling, running and extreme sports facilities to North Kent and the project team is delighted that its champion is taking part in the Kent County Show. The park will be one of the leading multi sport centres in the south of England and Jamie Staff hopes to develop a ‘Jamie Staff Academy’ on-site for young people to develop their talent. When completed in 2012, Cyclopark will offer an exciting range of activities for everyone from the enthusiastic beginner right up to the seasoned professional. Set within 43 hectares of landscaped parkland and with a 340m BMX racetrack, a skate park and a 2.9km circuit track for cycling and running, Cyclopark really will be a unique activity venue.
The Cyclopark project team decided that the Kent County Show was the perfect opportunity to spread the word in Kent about Cyclopark. They will be manning a stand to provide visual displays of design plans, as well as information about Cyclopark and cycling in Kent generally.
Cyclopark is funded by Kent County Council, British Cycling, and the Homes and Communities Agency and the project forms a key part in the regeneration of Kent Thameside which is lead by Kent Thameside Regeneration Partnership (KTRP). This public private partnership supports and champions the regeneration of Kent Thameside, a hub for innovation and one of the fastest growing areas in the UK covering the boroughs of Dartford and Gravesham and Ebbsfleet Valley. With a commitment to provide 25,000 new homes and 50,000 new jobs over the next two decades, KTRP will make Kent Thameside a distinct and vibrant destination.
Jamie Staff MBE, says; “I’m delighted and privileged to represent Cyclopark at the Kent County Show and cannot wait to meet my challengers! Cycling is such a great way to keep fit and I support any initiative to promote the sport. I encourage anyone with an interest in cycling to come to the Kent County Show and find out more about cycling in Kent.”
Laurence Tricker, Cyclopark’s project manager, says; “Cyclopark is a unique and really exciting project and it fits perfectly within the massive regeneration of Kent Thameside. We have worked closely with partners including Jamie Staff, British Cycling and Cycles UK to ensure that visitors to the Kent County Show thoroughly enjoy themselves while finding out more about Cyclopark, which will be a centre of excellence for the cycling world, and more importantly, a ‘must see’ for visitors to North Kent.”