Olympic cyclist races against Skoda Octavia vRS

OLYMPIC GOLD medallist Ed Clancy took on a challenge of two wheels versus four testing his downhill racing skills against the Skoda Octavia vRS in a race against the clock.

Covering a section of the famed Southern Borders Loop, part of the Tour of Britain stage one route, the race centred on a short, but brutally steep, hill climb with five major corners. To even the odds, Ed Clancy raced downhill from a rolling start whilst the new ŠKODA Octavia vRS raced uphill from a standing start.

Caught on camera in a stunning short film, the Octavia vRS negotiated tight bends and elevation shifts to power up the B6399 between Hawick and Newcastleton. Meanwhile the Olympic cyclist tore downhill, averaging speeds over 50 mph, completing the course in 52.26 seconds, just pipping his rival to the post.

The Octavia vRS used for the race was the 2.0 TSI 220PS DSG, which climbs from 0 to 62 mph in 6.9 seconds and delivers speeds of 152 mph, making it the fastest production Octavia Skoda has ever built.

Double Olympian Ed Clancy, commented: “I love a challenge and knew that taking on the new Skoda Octavia vRS was going to be a tough test. When I was told which section we’d be racing on and that I’d be going downhill from a rolling start, I knew I had a chance. The route is perfectly suited to cycling - whilst the car had to slow down to manouevre around the bends, I could pretty much straight-line most of the corners. The Skoda Octavia vRS was seriously impressive, powering up the hill. It’s really good fun to drive and certainly gives the thrill of the track a run for its money!”

A five-time world champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and Olympic bronze medalist, Ed Clancy is a big name both on the track and out on the road, riding for domestic team Rapha Condor JLT. Regarded as an explosive sprinter with the durability to match, he took gold in the team pursuit and bronze in the individual Omnium at London 2012.

By Press Association reporters