Big time racing in UK set to return at Cyclone Festival of Cycling

The Cyclone Festival of Cycling, the North-East’s biggest cycling event, set to host one of the first major road cycling races to be held in the UK for over a year.

Big time racing in UK set to return at Cyclone Festival of Cycling

The Cyclone Festival of Cycling, the North-East’s biggest cycling event, is set to host one of the first major road cycling races to be held in the UK for over a year (Women’s CiCLE Classic is due to be held the week before and we also hear the Otley Town Centre Races will be on!).

The women’s Curlew Cup and men’s Beaumont Trophy races are the climax of a three day festival of cycling and both take place on Sunday 4th July. Both races are part of British Cycling’s prestigious National Road Series.

Coronavirus restrictions have led to the cancellation or postponement of all rounds prior to these races, plus the vast majority of the 2020 season. However, the government’s recent announcement of a scheduled easing of the restrictions means that the 2021 editions of the Curlew Cup and Beaumont Trophy have been given the green light to go ahead from the sport’s governing body, British Cycling.

The Cyclone Festival of Cycling, which incorporates the races, also features a family cycling event along the River Tyne (Friday 2 July), plus four public challenge rides of between 34 and 108 miles around the Northumberland National Park (Saturday 3 July). These non-competitive events will also mark a return to organised cycling for thousands of cyclists starved of events for over a year.

Cyclone Festival of Cycling organiser Peter Harrison explains the situation: “We’re continuing to plan for the Cyclone Festival of Cycling to take place on 2-4 July and the Government’s recent announcement of a process, that should see the removal of coronavirus restrictions by the 21 June, gives us real grounds for optimism that we will be able to go ahead as scheduled.

Indeed, we understand we will be running the first major road races in the UK for over a year. All being well, this should make this year’s Cyclone a rather special occasion for the participants, as well as us, the organisers. As ever, when it comes to organising the Festival, there’s a lot of work to be done before July and we will be following Government and British Cycling Covid-19 guidance closely throughout. But, for the time-being, we’re very excited and optimistic about this year’s Festival.”

When: 2nd to 4th of July 2021.
Friday 2nd July 2021 – Tyne 6 Bridges Family/Fun Rides (10 & 15 miles). Aimed at families, friends and less experienced cyclists – up to 500 participants

Saturday 3rd July 2021 – Cyclone Challenge Rides (34, 65, 93 & 108 miles). Aimed at club cyclists and families and friends who regularly cycle and are looking for a challenging ride – up to 3,000 participants

Sunday 4th July 2021 – Curlew Cup elite women’s race & Beaumont Trophy elite men’s race – Aimed at the country’s leading road cyclists – up to 120 participants per race

Website: www.cyclonecycling.com