GSD Giant

Giant 104 miles : Spirit  76 miles : Demon 44 miles

The GSD Giant sweeps through the picturesque lanes of West Sussex and Hampshire in support of a locally-based charity, the AGSD-UK. Setting out from the magnificent Goodwood Racecourse the route circumnavigates the South Downs National Park between Petworth in the east and the Meon Valley in the west; passing through some of the prettiest villages and hamlets in the South of England. Cycling by green rolling pastures, ancient woodlands, river valleys and wetlands within one of Britain’s most accessible breathing spaces you’ll experience an exhilarating and challenging sportive and you'll be helped to recuperate afterwards with hot food and refreshments. 

  • Electronic Chip timing
  • Web results service
  • Full Route Marking
  • Mechanical Support
  • Rider public liability insurance
  • Free energy drink and energy snacks
  • Bike wash facilities
  • Emergency support
  • Post-event Massage
  • Pick-Up Wagon
  • Event centre facilities and parking
  • Event Photography
  • On site catering

Read more on-the-day information

GSD YouTube Channel

 

Sportive Entry fees

As a charity sportive the standard pricing includes a small premium to help the AGSD-UK support people living with Glycogen Storage Disease. However a £10 discount on the prices below is given to cyclists who pledge to raise £20 or more through personal sponsorship. 

 

 

Sportive only

Fundraiser

Route

Miles

Adult

U16

Adult

U16

Giant

104

£30

£15

£20

£5

Spirit

76

£30

£15

£20

£5

Demon

44

£20

£10

£10

Free

 

By purchasing an event entry you agree to the UK Cycling Events terms and conditions.

Terms and Conditions can be read here.

 

Entry Forms

If you intend to raise sponsorship then use the Sportive Fundraiser payment method

Raise just £200 for a GSD Giant jersey

Otherwise use the Sportive-only payment method

 

Donations

If you'd like to make a donation to the AGSD-UK, please use the button below. We'll get another 25% through gift-aid if you're a UK tax-payer.

 

Donate to the AGSD-UK through Virgin Money Giving

GSD Elf - Family Fun

While the GSD Giant  cyclists charge around the Downs for several hours, we have a number of fun attractions available for all the family and for anyone not feeling quite so energetic. See our GSD Fun pages for details:

  • 5 mile charity fun cycle - GSD Elf
  • Free energy drink
  • Electric bike hire
  • Access to the Weald and Downland Museum
  • Goodwood House and country park
  • Dylan's artisan ice creams

 

Click here for more details

and for updates as more attractions are added

 

 

 

 

New to Sportives?

Many people who take part in cyclo-sportives are experienced cyclists, but there are many others who don't cycle on a regular basis and may benefit from some advice on preparation. Bikes.org.uk have recently written a handy guide on how to prepare for a charity bike ride, view it here for advice on the following topics:

Fitness Bikes
Clothing & Footwear Sponsorship & Publicity
Safety Bike Gear
Food & Drink Route & On the Day

Glycogen Storage Disease and Sports Nutrition

This online article, Superstarch or Super Farce?, examines how using a food supplement developed for people with Glycogen Storage Disease (GSD) might be used as a sports energy drink.

School Report 

On Sunday 23rd September, 2012, my parents and I took part in a 44 mile charity bike ride around the undulating hills of the South Downs. The aim was to raise money for a charity close to my heart, the Association for Glycogen Storage Disease. It is close to my heart as I suffer from this condition; so does my sister.

Basically I don’t have an enzyme that helps to break down stored glycogen in my body for energy, so I have no back-up supply of energy, only the energy I get from the food and medication I take. This affects my blood sugar levels.

We trained for the ride as much as we could incorporating as many hills as we could. This made us fitter, or so we thought.

The course we cycled was described as having some undulating hills, but there seemed to be an endless amount of hills, we would just recover from one to find the next hill just around the corner. It took a lot of will power and plenty of snacks to get through it. My main challenge was to balance my sugar levels, with my intake of food and the extra energy I was burning up very quickly whilst riding. I stopped to have a snack and drink every hour, to minimise a severe drop in my blood sugar levels.

It took me 5 hours and 48 minutes to complete the distance, my parents finished a few minutes later. We raised an amazing £2500 between the three of us; we intend to do the bike ride again next year and hope to improve on our times by training more intensely. 

Trushal (Class 8)

Article kindly reprinted from Trushal's school newsletter