The annual fundraiser, staged on Sunday, July 16th, saw more than 170 participants set off from Ashton Gate Stadium from 7am on the Gold (100 mile), Silver (66 mile) or Bronze (33 mile) routes designed by Bristol’s own triple-Olympian mountain biker, Oli Beckingsale.

Early rain showers added an extra level of difficulty to the new course through the Mendips but that did not stop many riders from saddling up to raise money for charity.

More than £25,000 has been raised by this year’s event, which was supported by event partners LDC, Hargreaves Lansdown, Santander, Molson, Plantforce, Aspire, Sprague Gibbons, MHR Manager, Knee Specialist, Indigo Food Group, Whiteladies Business Centre, Alliance Communications, BW Cycling, Nando’s and Bristol Beer Factory.

The Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, FareShare South West, Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, The Jessie May Trust and Children’s Hospice South West also supported the event as charity partners, with riders signing up for Break The Cycle to raise money on their behalf.

After crossing the finish line at Ashton Gate, cyclists were treated to a free Nando’s meal and a beer from Bristol Beer Factory as they debriefed about this year’s challenge.

The money raised from the entry fees for this year’s Break The Cycle event will support the provision of Bristol Bears Community Foundation’s wheelchair programme.

Oliver Schofield, Investment Director for South West & Wales at LDC, said: “This is the fourth year now we’ve partnered with Bristol Sport Foundation and supported Break The Cycle and fundamentally in our business we’re all about supporting local charities that are doing good in our local community. Being able to partner with the Foundation and actually see first-hand the really impactful work they are doing with underprivileged children in the Bristol area has been incredibly rewarding for me and my colleagues. We’re looking forward to continuing our partnership with Bristol Sport Foundation for many years to come.”

Robin Powell, CEO of Molson, said: “We had a great ride and riding with your mates in the wet and a bit of wind brings out the best in the spirit. It’s really part of what we are as an organisation, engaging with the community and being able to follow Steve Lansdown’s lead with Bristol Sport and his engagement with the community I think is really important. He decided really clearly to engage with the community, and I thought it was important for the community to engage back with him and as Molson that’s what we try to do.”

Peter Gibbons, Managing Director at Sprague Gibbons, said: “It’s very important for us to support Break The Cycle, this is our 14th year we’ve been involved, and we’ve been co-founders right from the beginning and part of it all that time, so it’s been nice to see it continue to be successful. The great work the Foundation do is why we’re involved and when you see what happens with the money raised, it brings us a warm feeling.”

Ben Breeze, founding member of Break the Cycle and Chief Community Officer at Bristol Sport Foundation, said: “Break The Cycle is a fantastic event that raises much needed funds for Bristol Bears Community Foundation. This year, we adopted a similar approach to the London Marathon for the first time by inviting local charities to use Break The Cycle as a fundraising event to support their charitable activities in Bristol. I’d like to send a heartfelt thank you to all the riders, our event partners and suppliers, your contribution is hugely appreciated by everyone, and we look forward to seeing you all next year.”

To find out more about Break The Cycle, CLICK HERE.