News – Massive support for CiCLE Classic

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The race everyone wants to ride, the UCI 1.2 Rutland – Melton CiCLE Classic has had massive support from riders and teams

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News – Massive support for CiCLE Classic

CiCLE Classic races receive massive rider support for 2015
With just over three weeks to go to the 11th edition of Britain’s unique one day international cycle road race, the Rutland – Melton International CiCLE Classic, everything looks to be in place for a truly fantastic race day once again.

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The only double winner of the event, Raleigh’s Ian Wilkinson, full gas in 2014

With 34 teams already confirmed for the international race and a late addition of the newly formed Giordana- Mitsubishi Electric Team making it 35, plus over 165 entries received for the associated second edition of the Junior CiCLE Classic race, the 26th April is sure to focus all cycling interest upon the Rutland and Melton area.

The International CiCLE Classic will again feature all of Britain’s top domestic professional teams, this year boosted by the emergence of the new Sir Bradley Wiggins inspired squad, Team Wiggins. The first three riders in the 2014 race all return among the team entries from JTL-Condor, Madison-Genesis and Raleigh-GAC. The latter’s Ian Wilkinson, is too date, the only double winner.

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The race has had many an international winner such as Zak Dempster from Australia

International Support for Race
The international reputation of the race sees nine continental based squads, amongst whom will be An Post-Chain Reaction and Team 3M from Belgium, both of whom rode in the Ride London-Surrey Classic race in 2014, with AnPost-Chain Reaction going on to distinguish themselves against the sports top level competitors in the Tour of Britain last September.

Completing the strong foreign line up will be the German Based Bike Aid for Africa, Keith-Mobel-Partizan from Spain, AC Sparta Praha, the Czech Republic’s biggest professional squad, newly formed New Zealand Squad CCT-Champion System, Team Asea from the Irish Republic, Rietumu-Delfin from Latvia, and returning for a second year ParkHotel, Valkenburg from the Netherlands.

The latter team having particular interest for the race organisation as it will include New Zealander James Judd, who coincidentally is the nephew of the Race Director Colin Clews!

“The support from foreign squads gets more thrilling each year” said Race Director Colin Clews. He continued: “The biggest problem that we face being the plethora of events on the international calendar each year at this time which prevents all those that want to come being present. But, those that we have are well matched for our home grown teams and that is excellent in helping to raise the standard of racing in Britain even higher”.

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The Somberberg, an integral part of the race

The International race will follow the same 180 kilometre course as in 2014 with major climbs of Cold Overton (x2), Burrough-on-the-Hill (x4) and finally Cuckoo Hill being climbed just over 20 kilometres before the Melton Mowbray finish line.

Particularly significant this year is the addition of a number of new first time local sponsors amongst those supporting the race. Melton based Watch and Clock repairer Vortex Watch & Clock Centre are sponsoring the race timing system, ‘The Whipper In’ in Oakham are sponsoring the King of the Hills competition, and The Grainstore Brewery in Oakham are the new sponsor of the numbers worn by the riders in the CiCLE Classic.

With the introduction of the circuit finish through Melton in 2013, the race has a much greater focus and spectator appeal in the town and this year ‘Ye Olde Porke Pie Shoppe’ will sponsor an award on the finish line of the first passage of the race through Sherrard Styreet of a specially commissioned pokrk pie. What more could a tired cyclist want along with a Duvel beer after 180 kilometres of racing?

Sadly at the time of writing it has not proved possible to raise the funding necessary to enable the race to be broadcast on Eurosport and ITV 4 this year, but the organisation remains optimistic for the future that this aim will be brought to fruition.

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The final gravel section at Sawgate a key part of the race

Main sponsorship of the race will again be provided by the Giant Store (Rutland Water), Schwalbe UK, and Dare2b clothing, the latter also supporting the ‘Rutland weekend ‘of wider events including the Rutland CiCLE Tour on Saturday 25th April, when over 1500 participants are expected to test themselves over varying distances of sportives from 22 to 100 miles, and the Junior CiCLE Classic held to and from Oakham earlier in the morning of the CiCLE Classic. For anyone wishing to ride the sportifs entries are still available at www.itpevents.co.uk.

The Junior CiCLE Classic race introduced for the first time in 2014 is once again repeated, this race newly established as a major counting event in British Cycling’s National Junior Road race series. Commenced as an introduction to greater levels of spectator support and presentation than most Junior race’s receive, the Junior CiCLE Classic was an instant hit and from the 120 entries received for the 2014 race the organisers are have already received over 165 entries for the 2014 race, with still several days left to the official closing date.

Whilst the picking of a winner to any Junior race is always difficult the quality of the inaugural winner of the 2014 Junior CiCLE Classic, James Shaw, is not in doubt, as he has since gone on to join the Lotto –Saudal professional team’s under 23 23 development team in Belgium. As in 2014 the Junior race will start and finish in Oakham town centre and take in 5 laps of a difficult circuit taking in Market Overton, Thistleton and Edmondthorpe including two excursions through the off road sector at Barrow.

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