The inaugral Women’s CiCLE Classic pro cycle race to take place on Sunday 17th July and looks set to be possibly the hardest Women’s race of the year, anywhere! Not only in Britain!
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News: Women’s CiCLE Classic
Women’s CiCLE Classic, the hardest Women’s race……..anywhere??
The inaugral Women’s CiCLE Classic pro cycle race to take place on Sunday 17th July 2016 looks set to be possibly the hardest Women’s race of the year, anywhere! Not only in Britain!
With a £1000 first prize, the same as winning the National Championships for either Men or Women, and with prizes down to 20th place, the competitors will have everything to ride for. However, as is proved every April in the International CiCLE Classic race, now in its 13th year, in front of the competitors will be possibly the hardest course that a Women’s race anywhere in the World has encountered.
With sponsorship for this inaugural Women’s event provided by Peter Stanton, a fervent advocate and supporter of the development of Women’s racing, the Women’s CiCLE Classic has been designed to reflect the toughness and character of a Men’s race, something that has been lacking in the recent rush to provide racing opportunities for Women across the World.
â€From the outset, we have aimed to make the Women’s CiCLE Classic a replica in quality and presentation of its International ‘big brother’ (pictured above with Russell Downing), but also to do so without making the usual concessions that are made by promoters to the ‘fairer sex’. We wanted to provide British Women racers with an event that tests them to the extreme, and replicates the cut and thrust of continental racing, something that only the CiCLE Classic can offer,†said overall CiCLE Classics Race Director Colin Clews.
Following much of the hardest parts of the route of the longest established British International one day Men’s race, the Rutland – Melton CiCLE Classic held each April, the Women’s course will take in five passages of Owston village, the now established ‘heart’ of the CiCLE Classic, as well as two passages of the dreaded ‘Somerberg’ off road section near Somerby in addition to one ascent of Cold Overton Hill, which will be the first climb counting for the Queen of the Hills competition which will also take in Burrough and Cuckoo Hills to complete that competition.
The event which will start at 12.00 noon from Sherrad Street and finish at the same point, will cover in between a 95 kms course. In the same way as the International CiCLE Classic now finishes, the Women will pass through the finish line in Melton’s Sherrard Street once before taking in a 15 kms finishing circuit involving Burton Road, Sawgate Lane, Stapleford Lane and Saxby Road before returning to Sherrard Street to finish properly at around 14.35.
Vehicle sponsorship for the event will be provided by the Sandicliffe Group, showing off a wide range and variety of brands that they feature in their range, and TimeFix of Sherrard Street, Melton will once again sponsor the lead timing car as they also do at the International race each year.
The day will centre around the Women’s race, but an added attraction will be the Dare2b Melton CiCLE Challenge sportives for all comers, male and female which will start earlier in the day from Melton Mowbray and finish at the same town centre finishing point as that used later by the Women’s CiCLE Classic. The courses for each of the sportives will also cover many of the roads covered by the Women, including the off road sections of ‘Somerberg’ and Owston.
The Dare2b Melton CiCLE Challenge sportives will be organised in partnership with the experienced Cycle Classics organisation who promote amongst other events the ‘Cheshire Cobbled Classic’ and ‘Tour of the Black Country’ which are a match with the CiCLE Classics competitive events.
– The inaugural Women’s CiCLE Classic 2016 will be raced on rough small roads over 100-110kms.
– The race starts and finishes in Melton Mowbray at 12:00 noon.
– It will be an elite National A race race
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