BUSINESS people in Gwent are being urged to swap their suits for lycra for a charity 24-hour cycling event being held in Newport.

Cyclone 24 is Wales’ first 24-hour track relay, and it is hoped it will raise more than £30,000 in much-needed funds for the Welsh homelessness charity The Wallich.

A challenge of strength, determination and team spirit, Cyclone 24 will see 24 hours of relay cycling around Newport’s Velodrome starting at midday on Sunday, October 11.

The event is a joint venture between strategic branding agency Stills, which started life in Newport but which is now based in Cardiff, and Welsh homelessness charity The Wallich.

Twenty-four teams of six will descend on the Velodrome where they will be welcomed by an energy drinks reception to fuel-up for the event. The centre of the track will also feature a ‘slumber-zone’ for weary riders, a Scaletrix set, as well as the Watt Bike Challenge.

Beginners are welcome, as induction sessions will be given ahead of the event. C

orporate groups are also being encouraged to complete the endurance relay, with businesses already signed up including Rhys Davies Logistics and The Keepmoat Group.

Steve Sulley, director of Stills, and former marketing manager of the South Wales Argus, said: “The Wallich is a great Welsh charity who provide vital support to get people off the streets, keep people off the streets and create opportunities for them to re-engage with their communities. We are delighted to be partnering with them to put on this exciting event and to raise some much needed funds for their important work.”

Zoe Westerman, corporate relationships manager at The Wallich said: “We are so grateful to everyone who has supported us in this unique challenge event. Places are filling up quickly and we’re looking forward to bringing together the cycling community and the corporate and charity sector for the first event of its kind in Wales.”

The Wales National Velodrome in Newport is one of only five internationally-recognised indoor velodromes in Britain and is Wales’ official National Velodrome.

For more information about the event visit www.cyclone24.co.uk.