THE biggest outdoor cycling event ever seen in the UK will be descending on York at the weekend.

About 60,000 visitors - most of them on two wheels - will be converging at the city's Knavesmire for a massively-expanded Cyclist's Touring Club York Rally, which is being combined with the National Cycling Festival 2000.

Aimed at cyclists and non-cyclists alike, the York event is the star attraction of a week-long celebration of pedal power under the banner "Millennium Festival of Cycling".

Another major landmark during the week is the official launch of the National Cycle Network - 5,000 miles of path running through most major towns and cities.

York's new Lord Mayor, Shan Braund, will welcome cyclists to the Guildhall on Wednesday. They will have travelled from four points of the compass using the cycle network.

And the pedal-pushing Mayor was also urging people to get on their bikes yesterday, for National Bike to Work Day.

Not content with that, Coun Braund will also be jumping on board a rickshaw to lead the opening parade of the National Cycling Festival outside York Sixth Form College on Friday afternoon.

Once under way, the mammoth three-day event will include a funfair, bungee jumping and cycling masterclasses, as well as the usual promotional tents.

Transport charity Sustrans will be hosting a range of rides throughout the weekend, making use of the extensive network of cycle paths in the vicinity of the rally.

On Sunday there will be the annual service, this time held in the open air at Museum Gardens, by Lendal Bridge, at 9am.

This will be followed by one of the event's highlights, the Sunday Parade, starting with the Bygone Bykes travelling from Lendal Bridge to Knavesmire.

Throughout the weekend national championship events will include road time trials and grass track racing - some of which will involve record breaking attempts.

Paul Hepworth, of the North Yorkshire CTC, said: "The CTC Rally has been run since the 1940s and it's getting bigger and better every year.

"This year, for the Millennium, York will be seeing something even more special, with up to 60,000 people coming to the city, rather than the normal 20,000.

"It will give the area some marvellous exposure and - via publicity on the Internet - we are expecting many people from around the world.

"Let's just say York and the surrounding areas are going to be awash with colour this weekend."

York - known as the country's most cycle-friendly city - will also being playing host to many elements of the national Cyclethon, a huge series of events organised by Sustrans involving charities, schools and community groups from Thursday to Sunday.

A highlight will be on Saturday, with the opportunity to Cycle the Solar System - a scale model of the sun and planets along 10kms of the York to Selby cycle track.

Admission to most of the Rally and Festival is free, but the Bicycle Association will have a paid admission exhibition and sales area.

Tickets, valid for all three days, can be bought in advance from by calling the hotline on 0870 241 2162. Day admission is payable on entry.

For information on the weekend visit the website on www.cyclingfestival.co.uk, or call York Tourist Information on 01904 554488.

Picture-Flashback to last year's Cyclist's Touring Club rally in York.

Network Open

THOUSANDS of people were getting on their bikes today to mark the official opening of the 5,000-mile national cycle network.

Hundreds of rides were being organised in towns and cities to celebrate the project, which has been supported by £43.5 million of lottery funds.

The network will be extended to 10,000 miles by 2005, passing within two miles of 30 million people - more than half the UK population.

Up to one million people will take part in four days of events from today to celebrate.

John Grimshaw, director of Sustrans, the charity that has co-ordinated the project, said: "The inauguration of the network is the beginning of a rediscovery of the bicycle as an efficient, sustainable and thoroughly modern form of transport."

A survey published today by Sustrans showed that nine out of ten people wanted the Government and local authorities to create more safe cycle routes.

Two-thirds of the 2,000 people polled said safety concerns on roads put them off cycling.

More than 400 local authorities have helped create the cycle network, one third of which is on traffic-free trails.

York is linked to Middlesbrough and to Hull by the Sustrans network.