Tom Simpson Cycling Festival

01/04/2026

Tickets are really selling out now for Friday and Saturday, if you are planning on going then get your tickets now before it's too late!

All available tickets are on sale, once these are gone, they are gone!

https://tickets.cyclinglegends.co.uk/events/cyclinglegendsmedia/2036886

24/03/2026

Only 1 week left of our Super Early Bird pricing for both Simpson Retro and Simpson Sportive.

Simpson Retro is for bikes pre-1995 and is back for it's sixth year. It is a full weekend of retro themed activities, including a live podcast and three course dinner with Allan Peiper, talks with cycling legends Theo De Rooij, Steve Joughin, Hugh Porter and Phil Liggett, a big cycling market and closing out the weekend is a multi distance retro ride. Find out more here - https://cyclinglegends.co.uk/pages/simpson-retro

Simpson Sportive is for all bikes and is back for it's second year. There are three distances to choose from - 60km, 100km and 100 miles - and comes with plenty of added extras - event musettes, finishers medal, broom wagon, event photography by Andy Jones and more. Find out more here - https://cyclinglegends.co.uk/pages/simpson-sportive

Super Early Bird pricing ends on 31st March 2026, so get your tickets quickly!

Any questions please email [email protected]

25/02/2026

We are pleased to announce our Best in Show competition categories for Simpson Retro 2026, including a brand new category this year. All trophies have been donated by our chief judge, Bill Barrowcliffe, who is part of the DNA of this event.

1. Best in Show
This is open to all pre-1995 bikes, either original or restored. The winner gets to keep the perpetual trophy for one year. First, second and third will be awarded trophies they keep, and fourth to sixth place will receive medals.

2. Best Original Bike
This is open to pre-1995 bikes that are in their original condition, which means original paintwork and components (we realise items such as tyres, brake pads, various drive-train parts wear out and require replacement). The winner receives the perpetual shield and a trophy to keep.

3. Best Team
This is judged on the best turned out 4 riders from each team who have the same brand of bikes, ideally the same model and year, and are wearing as near as possible identical team kit. First, second and third teams will be awarded trophies, and the 4 members of each team will get medals. A judges weighting is given to the total number who take part as a team. Minimum 2 per team.

4. The Paul Edmonds Trophy
This is given to the Volunteer of the Year, as decided by the organisers and is given with great gratitude who helps us put this event on each year. We absolutely couldn’t do it without them. Paul Edmonds helped us every year, along with his wife Jane, but sadly passed away in 2025. We owe it to him to help keep his memory alive.

Please note too that although we allow modern copies of pre-1995 bikes, such as the recent TI-Raleigh team replica, to take part in the Retro Ride, they won’t be considered for any Best in Show awards.

All bikes entered in the Best in Show competitions must have been ridden in the Retro Ride.

And finally, judging is totally in the opinion of and at the discretion of our judges.

This year's judges are Bill Barrowcliffe and John Hargreaves with help from Dave Marsh.

Get your tickets to Simpson Retro here - https://cyclinglegends.co.uk/pages/simpson-retro

23/02/2026

This year we have three brand new routes for Simpson Sportive, exploring more of those lovely quiet roads in North Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire.

All routes start and finish at Harworth & Bircotes Town Hall, North Nottinghamshire and are mostly flat, with just a few punchy climbs to keep things interesting.

Choose from three distances - 63km, 100km and 161km (100 miles).

Simpson Sportive kicks off the eight-day Tom Simpson Cycling Festival on Sunday 6th September; it is open to anyone on any bike.
Check out the routes, and find out more, on our website - https://cyclinglegends.co.uk/pages/simpson-sportive

19/02/2026

The Official Tom Simpson Cycling Festival 2026 Poster

A full eight days of cycling events.

Sunday 6th September - Simpson Sportive
Three route options, 63km, 100km and 100 miles, all following roads Tom Simpson trained on growing up. Including a finishers medal, event photography by Andy Jones, feed zones, event musette and more!

Monday 7th - Thursday 10th September - Community Events
Including a bike maintenance and coaching workshop, community no drop ride, a cycling film night and local school visits

Friday 11th - Sunday 13th September - Simpson Retro
A full weekend of retro cycling themed fun - bikes, stories, racing, and good food, all in celebration of Tom Simpson. Including a live podcast with Allan Peiper, talks with cycling legends Theo de Rooij, Hugh Porter, Phil Liggett and Steve Joughin. As well as kids grass track cycling, retro cycling market, retro car and bike display and loads more.

Find out more about the festival here - https://cyclinglegends.co.uk/pages/tom-simpson-cycling-festival

12/02/2026

We are delighted to announce Allan Peiper as our guest of honour at the live podcast and dinner event that kicks off the Simpson Retro 2026 weekend, which this year will be held from Friday 11th September to Sunday 13th September with event HQ at Harworth & Bircotes Town Hall. You can get your tickets here, but be quick, there are not many left! https://cyclinglegends.co.uk/pages/simpson-retro

For me, Chris Sidwells, it will be a welcome reunion. Right at the start of my writing career, I had Allan in my sights as an interview subject. He’d always stood out, not just because of his prodigious talent, but because of his struggle to get there, travelling as a teenager from his native Australia to Belgium with a one-way ticket and a dream.

He realised that dream as a valued member of legendary pro teams like Peugeot and Panasonic, where he could win races and, equally, would empty himself to help others do the same. But there was more…

Allan was a livewire in interviews, always with a story, always an opinion. Always on our TV screens and written about in magazines. Then when he stopped racing, I loved his contributions to Cycle Sport magazine, the journal that gave me my start. His bike reviews were the best and most honest I’ve ever read.

Too honest in fact, I think some manufacturers complained, but Allan wouldn’t compromise. He’s like that and thank goodness he is. Allan’s integrity served him well in his career as a DS, most notably with the UAE team where he played a crucial role early in Tadej Pogacar’s meteoric career.

But back to that interview, it was all I expected and something clicked between us. I told Allan he should write a book, and we did.

We wrote A Peiper’s Tale, and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. I’m proud of the book, which is incredibly honest, sometimes gritty, but always optimistic and full of joy.

Allan is a joy; a deeply caring person and we shared some amazing conversations and deep moments of honesty. It’s an honour to have him with us at the start of this year’s Simpson Retro, impossible to overstate the impact he will have on you if you come to the podcast and dinner. He has a lifetime of experiences and unique insight to share. It will be a night no one ever forgets.

There are only a few tickets left, so if you would like to hear Allan get yours now - https://cyclinglegends.co.uk/pages/simpson-retro

📷 John Pierce Photo sport International

03/02/2026

We have had a fantastic response to the Simpson Retro tickets going on sale on Sunday. Tickets for Friday and Saturday especially have sold very quickly. They are already in short supply!

All available tickets are on sale - once these are gone, they are gone. So make sure to get your tickets soon if you are planning to attend Simpson Retro this year.

Take a look at our website using the link below to see everything we have planned this year. Some of the highlights include:

Friday Night - The live Cycling Legends Podcast is returning. We are thrilled to host the legendary Allan Peiper for an evening of stories you won't hear anywhere else.

Saturday Talks - Join us on Saturday 12th September (1 - 4PM) for a series of talks with Theo De Rooij, Hugh Porter, Phil Liggett and Steve Joughin. We’ll have regular intervals between speakers so you can grab a drink and swap stories.

Sunday Ride - The sixth edition of the retro ride, expect beautiful bikes and lots of smiles and laughter.

Find out more about the event here - https://cyclinglegends.co.uk/pages/simpson-retro

01/02/2026

Tickets for Simpson Retro and Simpson Sportive are now on sale. We have increased the number of early bird tickets this year, but they will only be available for a short period so get them now!

We are very excited to announce an amazing collection of guests at this years Simpson Retro.

Friday 11th September:

Joining us for the live Cycling Legends podcast and dinner is Allan Peiper. Allan came from Australia to Belgium as a teen, with a one-way ticket and a dream. He wanted to be a professional cyclist, and he was a damn good one! Now he’s one of the most respected DS’s in the sport. Join us on Friday night for an unforgettable evening.

Saturday 12th September:

We are hosting a series of live talks featuring an incredible line-up of Theo de Rooij, Hugh Porter, Phil Liggett, and Steve Joughin.

Dutchman Theo de Rooij was a team-mate of Allan Peiper in the legendary Panasonic squad. A race winner, like Peiper he went to management and presided over 1738 victories with Rabobank.

Hugh Porter was four times world pursuit champion, the record until Filippo Ganna beat it in 2022. A great road racer too, Hugh became a fabulous TV and race commentator with the BBC.

Phil Liggett is, for many of the English-speaking world, the voice of cycling. With 17 Olympic Games and 52 Tours de France to his credit, no one is more experienced. His commentary partnership with the late Paul Sherwen was legendary.

Steve Joughin, AKA the Pocket Rocket, is from the Isle of Man. A bundle of raw energy, British champion and one of the best road sprinters there’s ever been. He won over 280 races as an amateur and professional.

Find out more about the full festival on our website - https://cyclinglegends.co.uk/pages/tom-simpson-cycling-festival

Get tickets for Simpson Retro here - https://cyclinglegends.co.uk/pages/simpson-retro

Get tickets for Simpson Sportive here - https://cyclinglegends.co.uk/pages/simpson-sportive

29/01/2026

Just a reminder tickets for both Simpson Sportive and Simpson Retro go on sale on Sunday 1st February at 6pm GMT.

We will once again be doing cheaper early bird tickets so put a reminder in your diaries!

Lots of updates coming soon so stay tuned.

21/01/2026

Watch our extended video from Simpson Retro 2025 -

Relive Simpson Retro 2025. From the kids’ grass track racing and brilliant talks by ex-pros to our ever-popular Retro Ride.A weekend of smiles, stories and b...