UP TO 150 cyclists are set to pedal around West Fife this weekend in what is set to be a "poignant" Dunfermline Cycling Club event.

The 'Tour of the Kingdom' sportive, which consists of three rides over separate distances, will take place on Saturday and will be held in memory of club member Gary Conner, who died in December, aged 51, from a brain tumour.

Family and friends of Gary, including wife Kirsteen, are set to ride in the event to raise cash for Queen Margaret Hospice, where he spent the last 10 weeks of his life, while a donation from the event's proceeds will also be donated to the hospice by the club.

One of the most popular events in the cycling club's calendar, the sportive offers riders three routes – of 33, 70 and 103 miles respectively – in what is a mass participation event for cyclists of all abilities.

This year's routes will start and end in Pittencrieff Park and Scott Hutchinson, Dunfermline Cycling Club chairman, said: "We are pleased with the numbers so far.

"We can usually accommodate up to 150, which in the sportive market is quite small, but we are on a different scale. It provides the club which some much-needed funds, especially on the youth side of things, but we don't charge a high fee compared to a lot of other sportives. It is pretty inclusive and attracts riders of all abilities.

"This year is a bit more poignant; Gary was a club member and we are delighted to help and raise some money for the hospice. We were sad to hear of Gary's passing so anything we can do to help means a lot to the club."

The sportive comes little more than a month after the club hosted its junior women's and junior men's Road Race Championships around Lathalmond.

The women's event attracted 14 junior riders, combined with a seniors' third/fourth category race, and was won by Team 22's Anna Shackley to claim the National Junior Women's Road Race title and the Eileen Roe Shield, while Oran McConville, of Spokes RT, claimed the National Junior Men's Road Race and the Jack Murray Trophy.

Scott added: "It's the second year we've run the women's event and we're really keen for it to grow, so we were really pleased to see the number of entries we had this year.

"We've made great strides."

For more information on this weekend's event, visit http://www.dunfermlinecc.com/sportive, and to help boost the fundraising total of Gary's family, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/cycleforgary.