Startlist/Preview 2023 CiCLE Classic

Provisional startlist for the 17th Rutland-Melton International CiCLE Classic to be held on Sunday, April 23rd between Oakham and Melton Mowbray

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Startlist/Preview 2023 CiCLE Classic

Former winners – top 10s from the first Edition

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PREVIEW (race press release) – ‘Britain’s ONLY single day international cycle road race’.

This coming Sunday, Rutland and East Leicestershire play host to the biggest one day cycle race and ONLY International one day race in Britain this year when the 17th edition of the Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic Sigma Sports/Schwalbe UK sponsored takes to local roads once again.

“ Every year we say that the field assembled for the race is the strongest ever, but this year that statement can be made without hesitation,” said Race Director Colin Clews. “ With 34 teams lined up and riders from over 20 nations including seven current National Champions the race looks set to be an amazingly competitive edition. This year the spectator experience is also enhanced significantly by the activities promoted by Sigma Sports in and around Owston, where there will also be a licenced bar selling Kwaremont Bier alongside the village BBQ. ”

The unique nature and character of the CiCLE Classic is unlike any other in Britain with its mixture of tarmac roads and farm tracks including the majestic parkland of Stapleford Park on two occasions and its International status make the race one which many riders wish to add to their career records, but only a few are able to achieve this, with the
winner each year requiring to have luck, and technical ability as well as speed to master their fellow competitors and the course itself.

Only one rider, Ian ‘superman’ Wilkinson now retired, has managed to win the race twice, and no rider has yet managed back to back wins of the race in consecutive years although Gabz Cullaigh came close in 2019! This year, Finn Crockett, winner of the race in 2022 returns as number one to attempt that feat. Whilst a bronze medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games Road race against top flight competition has been a further highlight of his past 12 months, the sad demise of the AST85 Team earlier this year presented a major blow to his defence of his CiCLE Classic title. It was only after the rapid creation of a Scottish National team to support his bid that he has been able to be on the start line this year.

But Finn is unlikely to have an easy ride should he manage the ‘double’ as last years runner up Tomas Kopecky returns to the race with his new TDT-Unibet squad, with Tomas vowing to go one better this year. Neither are likely to find their task easy as both the visiting foreign and domestic team are littered with 2023 race winners such as Jasper Rasch of the Netherlands Abloc team, a recent stage winner at the Tour de Loire et Cher, and prolific UK winner Alex Richardson of Saint Piran.

The highest ranked team internationally however remains the New Zealand Based Bolton Equities-Blackspoke team who will no doubt be hoping to show their class over lesser ranked squads. Many of the foreign teams are bringing to the race their British team members who already have experience of the race, something that may prove crucial for any team seeking success. Whilst British based Trinity Racing have amongst their squad recently crowned British National Cyclo-Cross Champion Cameron Mason obviously buoyed by the success internationally of cyclo-cross stars on the Classics racing scene.

For the first time ever, the race sees two top level development teams in the form of Belgian squad Lotto-Dstny and Canadian team Ecoflo-Chronos as well as the first time participation in the race of a Saudi Arabian cyclist, that countries National Champion Mohammed Aliaber.

As always the race will start at 11.00 am from Oakham Market Place, flagged away on this occasion by the areas MP Alicia Kearns. Before departing the town for its initial section via Wymondham, the race will carry out a ceremonial ride past the shop premises of first time race sponsor Sigma Sports who this year join long standing sponsor
Schwalbe UK. After repassing through Oakham ,the race then makes it way to Owston where a BBQ will be served by the local villagers and this year will have the added attractions of a licenced bar serving Kwaremont Belgian Bier, and an e bike experience presented by Sigma Sports.

Race commentary will also accompany the race on its six passages of the village. The race then makes its way to Stapleford Park and its entry to Melton fort the first time where a giant pork pie courtesy of Dickinson & Morris awaits the first across the finish line with one lap o go. The final winner’s prize then awaits the rider following the challenging 17 km circuit involving Sawgate Lane and Stapleford Park special off road sectors.

The day prior a special ‘Ride out’ is being organised from the Sigma Sports shop in Oakham for anyone wishing to take in the CiCLE Classic experience for themselves. For further details of this and the e bike experience: https://www.sigmasports.com/cicle-classic

The Major sponsors of the CiCLE Classic are Sigma Sports and Schwalbe UK, with additional support from Carter Legrand Wealth Strategies, Melton BID, Metaltek Engineering, Oakham Canal Project, Kwaremont Bier, GSG Cycle Clothing, Pearces Jewellers, The Grainstore Brewery, Manor Farm feeds, A&R Signs, Newstyle Print, Oakham Wines, Wymondham Windmill, and Dickinson & Morris. To each of these companies and entities the organisation are indebted, as without such support the event could not take
place.

– 180 riders
– Narrow lanes with pot holes – be aware riders
– Sectors could be wet (rain)
– Train crossings could get between breakaway and peloton in Oakham
– Weather looking awful for second half of race

THE RACE: The Cicle Classic is one of the most complicated race routes to understand as the riders will be going over roads in both directions whilst doing loops all over the rural roads between Oakham and Melton Mowbray.

The race will begin with a presentation of the teams and riders in Oakham before the race rolls out with a little lap of the town and then heads to Wymondham where the riders should arrive around 20 minutes after the start.

In this pretty village, they will do two half laps and then two full laps and its a rolling course with a drag up hill pass the Windmill on Butt lane on the half laps. After they have done the four laps around Wymondham, they head back to Oakham before heading off to do lots of big loops based around Owston and to kick that off is sector 10 on Somerberg, the five star sector which will set the race off after they have had plenty under the wheels over the areas bergs like the one at Cold Overton.

Doing the loops around Owston will see the riders taking in the ‘Manorberg’ sector from both directions which is 700 metres and has tricky exit on the loose gravel. Amongst those loops back and forth to Owston, the riders will race over Somerberg again (sector 7) and then after their final exit from Owston, they will race over Somberg in reverse which sees them having to climb up a long drag on the gravel and grass before that fast descent of the berg on Somerberg and the final section of ‘Bruce’s Lane’ before heading off to Cuckoo Hill.

After the King of the Berg on ‘CuckooBerg’ (the final one for that competition), the riders have another three sectors. First, Stapleford Park through the grounds of the posh hotel and we should see what that it is like tomorrow. Then through the finish in Melton Mowbray to start the final finishing lap and onto Sawgate. From there, back to the final sector, Stapleford Park and then the fast run in to Melton Mowbray to fight it out for the win of this prestigious race.

Should be some race! Good luck riders….

Final Startlist

Scotland (GBR)
1 CROCKETT Finn
2 BIRRELL Ross
3 SHOREMAN Tim
4 KING Ahron
5 MACLEAN Logan
6 GORDON Kyle

Abloc CT (NED)
7 MACLEOD Callum
8 PLUTO Martin
9 DEL GROSSO Bodi
10 HERBEN Luuk
11 RASENBERG Martijn
12 VERBURG Luke

Saint Piran (GBR)
13 BIRCHILL Harry
14 RUSSELL Evan
15 RICHARDSON Alexandar
16 MAZZONE Tom
17 ROOTKIN GRAY Jack
18 TIDBALL William

Team ColoQuick (DEN)
19 ANDERSEN Mads
20 PEDERSEN Breiner Henrik
21 BAK Simon
22 PEDERSEN Niklas
23 NIELSEN Sebastian
24 GUDNITZ Joshua Amos

Scorpions Racing Team (NED)
25 CLÉ Brent
26 VAN DE VOSSE Lucas
27 HANDGRAAF Sjors
28 KARS Hugo
29 VOOGT Niek
30 MOURIS Wessel

Bolton Equities Black Spoke (NZL)
31 BOSTOCK Matthew
32 FITZSIMONS Mitchel
33 JACKSON George
34 TOWNSEND Rory
35 CHRISTENSEN Ryan
36 SCOTT Jacob

TDT-Unibet (NED)
37 TANFIELD Harry
38 KOPECKÝ Tomas
39 BUDDING Martijn
40 STOCKMAN Abram
41 TIETEMA Bas
42 BOMBOI Davide

Trinity Racing (GBR)
43 HARVEY Dean
44 NAKKEN Tobias
45
46 THORNLEY Callum
47
48 LAMPERTI Luke

Lotto DSTNY Development Team (BEL)
49 DE DECKER Tijl
50 HARTEEL Jelle
51 GIDDINGS Joshua
52 LAWLESS Christopher
53 PAULUS Milan
54 SEGAERT Alec

Bialini Gomola CCN (POL)
55 HOWCROFT Joseph
56 RADCLIFFE George
57 YON HIN Daniel
58 ALJABER Mohammed
59
60

Xspeed United Continental (CAN)
61 CARTER John
62 KING Matthew
63 WALTERS Red
64 SOMERFIELD James
65 PARGETER Reilly
66

Team Ecoflo Chronos (CAN)
67 GAUTHIER Jerome
68 GOLDSTEIN Edo
69 HADFIELD Gavin
70 JACOB Philippe
71 RIVARD Nicolas
72 VALENTI Luke

Team PB Performance (GBR)
73 COATES Jacques
74 PEDEN George
75 BULLER John
76 O’NEILL Gareth
77 PAVELEY Harry
78 HARDY Nathan

Ribble Collective (GBR)
79 LAVERICK Joe
80 JEFFERS Cameron
81 CHILTON Ben
82 LUTZ-ATKINSON Hugo
83 KAIN Daniel
84 LEWIS Griff

ROKIT- SCRT1 (GBR)
85 WILLIAMS Tom
86 ELLIS Matthew
87 TRUELOVE William
88 BECKINSALE Joseph
89 HIRD David
90 PRICE Joshua

Cycling Sheffield (GBR)
91 WOOD George
92 WORDSWORTH James
93 HAWKINS James
94 McKAY James
95 COUKHAM Joe
96 HARTLEY James

BC East Midlands Region (GBR)
97 SMITH Joseph
98 VERNIE Pierre
99 CULVERWELL Sam
100 HAINES Alex
101 BARNES Toby
102 BENT Adam

Wales Academy (GBR)
103 MEREDITH Fred
104 DAVIES Spencer
105 BRIGHT Ben
106
107 BUCK-JONES Huw
108 MORGAN Edward

Embark-Spirit BSS (GBR)
109 CLAYTON Damien
110 WILSON Joe
111 KIMBER George
112 HOULBERG Matthew
113 KETTLEWELL Sam
114 ZAMAN Irfan

Le Col (GBR)
115 TUCHNER Benjamin
116 LANGSTON Toby
117 FOSTER Henry
118 GALLOWAY Tristan
119 KENT Josh
120 McQUILLIAN Daniel

TAAP (GBR)
121 PULLEN Jamie
122 FISH Ben
123 AMBROSE PARISH James
124 LATIMER Henry
125 STROH Harvey
126 NICHOLSON James

Richardsons-Trek-DAS (GBR)
127 JENKINS James
128 CROOK Jack
129 PETERS Alex
130 MULLEN Sean
131 SCOTT William
132 FREEMAN Aaron

BC North West Region (GBR)
133 KELLY Adam
134 ASHCROFT Thomas
135 COOPER Nicholas
136
137
138 MITCHELL Thomas

Stolen Goat Racing Team (GBR)
139 HURDLE Oliver
140 SLADE Callum
141 HEAL Thomas
142 DELLER Gabriel

Army Cycling Union (GBR)
143 DODSWORTH Sean
144 BOLLAND David
145 TYRIE Sebastien
146 EVANS Iain

Team Spectre-Cannondale (GBR)
147 SCHESKE Frederik
148 BRAMLEY Travis
149 BARNES Daniel
150 BARRATT Elliot

Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli (GBR)
151 FOX Matthew
152 MARTIN Tom
153 ROSIE Lee
154 SMITH Jacob

SN Vitae Bim Bam Coaching (GBR)
155 PARNHAM Fraser
156 GROVER Freddie
157 BROWN James
158 RAYNARD Alexander

Halesowen A&CC-Mapei (GBR)
159 BROOKES Joe
160 GENNER Charlie
161 FOTHERINGHAM Patrick
162 SCHAAK Rowan

BCC Race Team (GBR)
163 ETHERINGTON Ben
164 HARTLEY Jack
165 GALPIN Dan
166 GILKES Jacob

Derby CC-Webuycycle-Huub RT (GBR)
167 KENWAY Adam
168 HOUSLEY Josh
169 MACKIE Ewan
170 MILLINGTON Adam

Foran C.C.C. (GBR)
171 RIGG Andrew
172 MOULD Robin
173 MURRAY Joseph
174 SPRINGBETT Thomas

Kalas-Motip Race Team (GBR)
175 McLAREN Cameron
176 DAVIES Cai
177 GARRY Seb
178 HUCKS Oliver

Trainsharp (GBR)
179 RIWNYJ Danylo
180 PECKOVER Ollie
181 CLARK Samuel
182 BEVAN James

 

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