News: Mildenhall Cycling Mini-Fest

This year’s Mildenhall Cycling Mini-Fest will be expanded over two days of the August Bank Holiday.

News: Mildenhall Cycling Mini-Fest

This year’s Mildenhall Cycling Mini-Fest will be expanded over two days of the August Bank Holiday. This will be great news for cyclists across the UK, after the 2021 Mini-Fest was restricted to just one day and the 2020 event didn’t take place at all, because of the Covid-19 pandemic. “We are delighted to be able to extend the programme of events over two days, as it allows us once again to hold grass-track racing on both afternoons and re-introduce a much-loved Mildenhall speciality – the Mad Madison Cyclo-Cross explained Mark Burchett, Chairman of the organisers Mildenhall Cycling Club.

The two-day event will take place on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th August 2022 based on the West Row Village Hall and playing fields, with its wonderful facilities. Headlining the grass-track racing will be the Men’s National 400m Championship on the Sunday, while on Saturday the Mini-Fest will play host to a round of the Short Distance League. The Mini-Fest will begin on the Saturday morning with the Fenland Flyer Gravel Time-Trial. The riders, aged 16 and over, will be racing individually against the clock over an 18 km course of almost entirely off-road consisting of farm tracks, droves, by-ways and a small section of minor road. This is a unique type of course that only the Fens can offer.

On Sunday morning the Mildenhall Mad Madison Cyclo-Cross returns to the line-up, with pairs of riders aged 16 and over racing alternate laps. There will be the more traditional Cyclo-Cross events for children under 16 with Youth (12-15), Under 12 and Under 9 categories on a shortened course. Also on Sunday, will be the Cycle Jumble from a car boot, with sellers this year having to pre-book their pitch.

On both days there will be skills events for children. Local cycle retailer KL Cycles, will be on site offering cycle repairs, as well as spares and clothing. “After last year’s successful venture letting visitors and competitors to buy/sell from their vehicles, we will be offering the same service on the Sunday. The only difference this year will be that anyone wanting to do so, will need to pre-book” added Mr Burchett.

Camping may no longer be available on site, West Row has three campsites and the organisers are very much encouraging new and regular visitors to previous events to still come and spend the weekend in Suffolk cycling and at the Mini-Fest. Day admission is by donation and this includes free day parking.

The Festival and its predecessor the Cycling Rally, have always attracted many up-and-coming names from the world of cycling including the Mildenhall Club’s very own Golden Member Victoria Pendleton CBE who was a multi-Olympic and World Champion before retiring and more recently Laura Kenny CBE, who is Great Britain’s most successful female Olympian winning five gold medals so far in a glittering career.

Other well-known cyclists to have ridden at Mildenhall before going onto international fame include Welsh starlet Nicole Cooke MBE, Ben Swift, Jason Kenny OBE and Steve Burke MBE.

Further details of the Mini-Fest will be available at www.mildenhallfestival.bike