News: CiCLE Classics

News: CiCLE Classics

The 16th edition of the Rutland – Melton International International CiCLE Classic which will take place on Sunday 26th April is once again taking shape with a further course change which will push the race distance to 200.5 kms, exactly on the maximum distance of 200 kms currently allowed for an international race of its level”.

Following the successful and well received new opening section in and around the organisers home village of Wymondham, this section will be extended on one of its four laps to include a new off road sector which has never been used previously.

Involving 650 metres of gravel track rising at an average of 8% the newly titled ‘Costonberg’ sector is expected to enliven the race in its early stages. Coming just 35 kms into the race route the international field of 176 riders will have plenty of time to regroup following this passage which will prove an added incentive for spectators to enjoy the welcoming atmosphere created for race followers by the local Wymondham residents in 2019.

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As always the first UK international road race of the year is proving as popular as ever with already 28 teams having expressed their wish to be on the start line in Oakham’s town centre on Sunday 26th April.

Amongst the teams already fully enrolled are two teams from the Netherlands, and one each from Ireland, Latvia, Spain and interestingly the first Canadian team to ride in the form of Toronto Hussle Team who are extending their 2020 racing into mainland Europe.

With the US’s top team Rally-UHC having provided last year’s winner in the shape of Colin Joyce, who edged out by centimetres Britain’s Gabz Cullaugh from achieving a first ever back to back CiCLE Classic win in 2019, it will be interesting to see what the Canadian team are capable of. Meanwhile, this year Gabz has moved onwards and upwards being contracted to the World Tour Movistar squad, whilst Colin Joyce has been found mixing with the very best in the World at early season races in South America recently.

“ We continue to ‘tweek’ the route that we use from year to year to provide an increased spectacle for race followers and to enhance the CiCLE Classic experience for the teams and their riders.”, explained Race Director Colin Clews, who continued, ”Sadly, with a proposed change in the regulations decreasing the maximum distance that a race of our stature can cover to 180 kms from 2021, a further change in the route will be required in future. For the time being, we ‘make hay while the sun shines’ for the benefit of both riders and spectators.”

With the CiCLE Classic having remained the only international one day race on the UK calendar at UCI 1.2 level for so many years, it looks that at long last that a small number of other domestic races will also move to that level in 2021. Thereby creating the potential for a domestic international series of races to support and provide better quality races for Britain’s dwindling number of UCI registered teams.

This year’ CiCLE Classic will once again feature two hot spot sprints as it passes Wymondham Windmill on the two initial laps of the village, and a £100 sprint award prize in Wymondham’s Main Street outside the ‘Berkeley Arms’ on its final passage of the village shortly after traversing the special ‘Costonberg’ sector. The race will also provide an award for the first Under 23 rider to finish the race, and it goes without saying that the ‘Riders weight in Beer’ prize and massive Pork Pie will also be awarded for the first rider at other intermediate sprint points along the route.

Once more, with just 176 riders able to be accepted, the organisers have set a target of around 20/24 teams only being able to field the maximum team size of SIX. The remainder assigned FOUR places each to ensure the widest possible representation by smaller British teams. This aim being something that the race has always wished to encourage. From the 20 + teams currently forming those under this latter consideration, around 14/15 ‘Wildcards’ will be chosen on merit by mid March.

The event will again retain as its main sponsors, the Giant Store (Rutland Water) and Schwalbe UK, supported by Duvel Belgian beer but, will also see some new additions to its secondary sponsors.

After after 15 years of providing the race Winner’s jersey’s BioracerUK will for the first time enter the race as sponsors of the ‘King of the Bergs’ competition, whilst , Pearce’s Jewellers of Oakham and Melton will once again sponsor the timing car and the local East Midlands team that will take part in the race. Pearce’s name being added to the jerseys that the 4 man team will wear to contest the race alongside that of the race’s chosen charity, The Mount Group RDA.

Local machine engineering company Metaltek CNC return as sponsors of the primary ‘off road’ sections of ‘Somerberg’, ‘StaplePark’ and ‘Sawgate’, and There will also be an ever present involvement of the race’s official vehicle sponsor Tim Norton (Ford) Motors of Oakham who are once again joined by more substantive support from Ford UK to assist in meeting increased requirements by the international cycling authorities (UCI) upon vehicles used in race convoys. Further additional sponsor announcements are expected in due course.

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• The associated Rutland CiCLE Tour which takes place on Saturday 25th April, starting and finishing from the premises of one of the Classic’s main sponsors, Giant (Rutland Water) will also receive a face lift.

This year CiCLE Classic’s are assisted with the promotion of the CiCLE Tour by Velo29 Events under whose guidance this year those taking part will follow new courses enabling participants, if they choose, to ride several of the off road sections including ‘Somerberg’ and ‘StaplePark’ covered in the following days Classic by the Pros. On road alternatives will remain however, so presenting the best of both ‘gravel’ and ‘road’ riding. Entries are available at www.velo29events at which anyone entering before 1st March gets the chance to win a Giant Road bike as well as many other offers.

• The Women and Junior Men will again get their chance to take part in their own editions of the CiCLE Classic on Sunday 5th July over shortened versions of the International race route. Both events will form part of the British Cycling national Road race series for both their respective categories.