CYCLISTS from across Oxfordshire will be heading to Blenheim Palace on Sunday for a Cycling festival that last year attracted more than 7,000 people.

This weekend’s Bike Blenheim Palace event will raise money for Breast Cancer Care, with the event drawing serious competitive cyclists as well as families looking for a safe and spectacular setting to ride their bikes.

And this year’s festival can boast two separate world championships.

The action will begin at 8am on a competitive note with a 20km time trial, which will feature the World Tricycle Championship.

Blenheim will become the first venue in the UK to host the tricycle event. Forty-six riders are expected to take part, with competitors travelling at speeds of 25mph in what organisers say should be the best field ever assembled.

The championships began as an international tricycle challenge organised by the Tricycle Association in 1998 in St Marsault in France.

It was accepted by the French Cycling Federation as the world championship in 2002 and since then has been held annually in France or Belgium.

Among the home favourites is last year’s world champion Carl Saint, who has proved unbeatable in domestic events this year, Ralph Dadswell, who holds the Land’s End to John O’Groats record and Geoff Booker, who is among the world’s best tricycle builders.

Sportive, a long-distance cycle race around the palace park and the Cotswolds,will also get under way at 8am.

This will be followed at noon by the Brompton World Championship, which will see 750 cyclists donning jacket and ties and competing on fold-up Brompton bikes for a 6.5km course in one of the cycling world’s strangest competitive events.

From 12.45pm the day will be open to people looking for a fun day of cycling, with routes of varying lengths opened to the public.

Breast Cancer Care has organised a series of special routes for families. Among those who will be taking part is the Holby City actress Amanda Mealing.

Paul Orsi, the event director for Bike Blenheim Palace, said: “We’re extremely proud to open up this amazing venue for the third time for an event that highlights as many aspects of cycling as possible – environmental, fitness, competitive and sheer pleasure.

“It’s fantastic to have Breast Cancer Care on board this year.”

Breast Cancer Care spokesman Jo Dyson said: “In the UK someone is diagnosed with breast cancer every 11 minutes, so the demand for our free services is huge.

“The fundraising efforts of all the participants taking part in the event, from the competitive cyclists to the families are hugely appreciated and ensure that we can continue our life changing work.”

On the day adult tickets cost £10, children £5, family tickets £25, with under fives free.