News: Change to CiCLE Course 2018

A tougher opening to the 14th Rutland – Melton International CiCLE Classic is assured with a minor revision to the race route

RST Cycle Clothing & Trigon Bikes

News: Change to CiCLE Course 2018

A tougher opening to the 14th Rutland – Melton International CiCLE Classic is assured with a minor revision to the race route, by reversing the direction that the opening two laps of Rutland water are to be ridden.

The opening loops on good tarmac is where there is a lot of attacking but with fresh legs, the field rarely splits a lot – will 2018 be different?

This change however is the only change to the course ridden in 2017 which included for the first time two passages of Stapleford Park in its closing stages.

“Although only a minor change, the prospect of the searing open road climb of Barnsdale Bank coming within the first two kilometres of the race proper will potentially present a daunting challenge to many after the usual opening 55 kilometres per hour charge that has been a hallmark of the previous 13 editions of the race”, said Race Director Colin Clews.

Whilst unlikely to phase the top British squads or the ten foreign based teams contracted to be on the start line of the race in April, the CiCLE Classic will this year, with the cancellation of The Beaumont Trophy as a separate international event, become the only race at which smaller UK based teams and club riders can compete against international registered teams on home soil. To many of them, however, they will be tested very early in the race.

TheHappyCog

… continued after advert

Clews continued,” All those involved with the CiCLE Classic, many since it was first instigated, pride themselves on the creation of a real ‘homegrown’ cycling classic able to hold its head high at World Cycling level. It is fitting that we start in Britain’s smallest county, Rutland, whose motto is ‘Multum in Parvo’. (Much in little.) Because this is what the CiCLE Classic represents in cycling terms, especially compared with the foreign organised, multimillion £ budgets of another supposedly ‘British’ international race.”

The impact of the opportunity given to aspiring British riders to race at international level can be gauged by the number of individual competitors who have shown their potential in the past against the highest competition that the CiCLE Classic can offer. Additionally, the CiCLE Classic prides itself upon the names of so many riders who having ‘earned their spurs’ in recent editions of the race, going on to greater glory.

The Latvian National Team who will this year be taking part in the race rather than their Reitumu-Riga professional team is a case in point. Only three years ago their rider Toms Skuyns rode the CiCLE Classic, and is now showing his quality at World Tour Level, winning races for the Trek-Segofredo team. Similarly,  two of his former teammates at Reitumu-Riga and past CiCLE Classic riders, have this year also been contracted by two British Professional teams, One Pro Cycling and newly formed Vitus Racing.

2018_MerlinCyclesAdvert

As in 2017 this will be only the second year in the CiCLE Classic organisation has staged its three event programme in a two day format. The Men’s International race on Sunday 22nd April, followed by the 3rd edition of the Women’s professional CiCLE Classic on Sunday 3rd June, alongside the 5th Junior Men’s CiCLE Classic. Both these events will start and finish in Melton town Centre. All three events will cover unique on and off-road courses in and around the Rutland and East Leicestershire countryside with total distance covered by each being the only difference.

Also new will be several sponsors with Bills Bar of Oakham sponsoring the start area in the Market Place, and ReallyMoving.com providing the new sponsorship of the King of the Bergs competition which will be contested as usual over six climbs within the overall race route. Pearce’s jewellers of Melton and Oakham also step in to sponsor the Timing car that will proceed both the International race in April as well as the Junior Men’s and Women’s races in June.
… continued after advert

2016_ShuttVeloRapideAdvert

AlpsCyclesMidstory

Cycle Division’s New Shop

Send your results as well as club, team & event news here

Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)

Other News on VeloUK

Tags: