2014 plans and course revealed.

Posted on January 29, 2014 by cicleadmin
  • Organisers of the Giant (Rutland Water) and Schwalbe sponsored Rutland – Melton CiCLE Classic  are confidently predicting that the 10th anniversary edition to be held on Sunday 27th April will be the biggest and best yet.
  • Already known as Britain’s most challenging one day race, a new route is planned to create the  hardest yet finish to the race and to raise the excitement and opportunities for spectators.
  •  In addition the race sets new ground by staging on the same day a ‘sister’ event for the country’s aspiring Junior (17/18 year old) riders.
  •  The 2014 route announced this week involves a 179 kms course, 6 kms shorter than 2013, but will include the challenging climb of Cuckoo Hill approximately 25 kms before the finish, prior to the race entering Melton for its first passage of the finish line and the circuit of 15kms before returning to finish properly in Sherrard Street. After nine years of the race ‘ survivors’ descending into Melton via Burton Road, for its 10th edition in 2014 the finishing circuit introduced for the first time last year has been reversed with the riders this year entering Melton via Saxby Road and ascending Burton Road before traversing the Sawgate Lane final ‘special’ rough road sector of the race.  
  • ‘Since its inception the CiCLE Classic has gained a reputation for being one of the toughest one day races on the European International calendar, and the changes introduced for our special anniversary year are intended to raise this reputation even higher’, said Race Director Colin Clews. ‘With the addition of the extra climbs of Cuckoo Hill and Burton Road, the new routing also enables a much longer straight within Sherrard Street for the finishing sprint providing a more equal final sprint for the riders left in contention at that stage. Sadly, these changes mean that the race will forego its traditional passage of Whissendine this year, but it is possible that this will be reinstated in future years.’, continued Clews.
  • Last year riders from 27 different countries were represented in the race, and with much greater interest by foreign teams in taking part in this years race, the organisers are hopeful of surpassing this figure in 2014. Teams already confirmed include Cult Energy- Vital Water (Denmark), Reitumu-Delfin (Latvia), CK Banska (Slovakia), and Start- Trigon (Paraguay.)                  
  •  All are strong teams with Cult Energy in its previous incarnation of Glud & Marstrand provided 2010 race winner Michael Berling, and in 2013 won two stages and held the race leaders jersey for a similar period at the Tour of Denmark against some of the world’s top teams, whilst Reitumu fielded Tom Skeynes to a top 20 place in the Classic in 2013 before he went on to take 5th place in the World Championships Road Race for Under 23 riders, and Start provided the 2013 King of the Hills winner in U.S. rider Manuel Calixto. With the upcoming Commonwealth Games being held in Glasgow later this year invitations to all the ‘home’ nations to field a team in the CiCLE Classic have also been sent and Scotland have already confirmed their intention to take part.
  •  Ater several years of a ‘low key’ supporting event to the CiCLE Classic taking place alongside the international race, 2014 will also see this concept being significantly upgraded with a Junior CiCLE Classic being inserted into the programme of racing for the morning of Sunday 27th April. Starting in Oakham town centre prior to the Classic and then finishing at the same point while the international race circumnavigates Rutland Water, this British Cycling National junior Road Race series race will cover an entirely new course taking in five laps and 79 kms of a Market Overton, Thistleton and Edmondthorpe circuit with detours through Barrow on two occasions to maintain the character of the international race in including off road sections in its course. (Full course details attached) lews explained, ‘ Since the CiCLE Classic established itself as Britain’s only single day international race we have always emphasised that our intention was to encourage other British races to follow us to that level. Finally in 2014 at least one race in the North East is taking that ‘plunge’ and we are delighted to see that. Now however, we wish to set new targets for others by showing that we should also be providing high quality races for our up and coming riders, so once again we are setting down markers for others to follow. For now though, our intention is clear, we want to help “create Britain’s future champions, Today!”
  • The day prior to the Classic the ever popular Rutland CiCLE Tour all comers rides will once again be staged, starting and finishing at Normanton alongside Rutland Water. This year sponsored by Dare2b the rides expect to see well over 1200 taking part, including four times World Professional pursuit Champion Hugh Porter, who will resume his usual race compere role the following day                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       For further information : 

    Colin Clews, Race Director.

    Tel:  +44 (0) 1572 787726

    Mob: +44 (0) 7979 856262

    colin.l.clews@btinternet.com

    website: www.cicleclassic.co.uk

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