SHAFTESBURY’S Gold Hill has enjoyed a national reputation for challenging cyclists ever since Hovis aired its famous commercial nearly 40 years ago.

The “boy on a bike” advert recorded the slow progress of a delivery boy pushing his machine up the cobbled slopes of Shaftesbury’s iconic incline.

Now the 200-metre ascent is about to exhaust a whole new generation of cyclists, with 120 pedal powered enthusiasts set to tackle its fearsome gradient in the inaugural Hovis Gold Hill Honk on Sunday, June 12.

The bakery is offering a year’s supply of bread to the cyclist who records the quickest time in an out-of-the-saddle sprint, with the first competitor unleashed at 4.30pm.

Colin Dennis, organiser of the Shaftesbury Cycle Revival, said the challenge would raise interest in two-wheeled competition ahead of next year’s Olympic Games in London.

“After seeing the uphill struggle of the Hovis delivery boy in the advert from the 70s, I thought Gold Hill lent itself perfectly to hosting a modern-day cycling challenge,” he said.

Competitors can enter in four different age categories for men and women, and in a class for track bikes. Off-road enthusiasts can take on tarmac specialists in a race over the cobbles between road and mountain bikes.

Claire Low, marketing manager for Hovis, said the company’s association with Gold Hill, and latterly with Olympic gold medallist, Victoria Pendleton, made sponsoring the event an obvious choice.

“We hope the warmer temperatures will encourage Brits to dust off their bikes and perhaps have a go at tackling the cobbled streets of Shaftesbury this June,” she said.

Entry costs £6. Cyclists must apply online at shaftesburycyclerevivalco.uk by Tuesday, May 31.