After several months of speculation, with the signing of a three year sponsorship deal with Mountivation, the organisers of the prestigious UCI registered Rutland – Melton CiCLE Classic have confirmed that the race WILL take place on Sunday 29th April, providing Britain’s only exposure to top flight international road racing in advance of the Olympic races in London in August.
Mountivation is a company that designs and delivers Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to business leaders and legal professionals in the UK and abroad.
Mountivation is based North West England and while it is new to cycling sponsorship, the persons behind the concept have a sound background in the sport. The directors and management of the company and its associated Junior cycling academy have all been involved in cycling at its highest level for many years both as competitors and managers.
“ We are delighted to welcome Mountivation as new headline sponsor of the CiCLE Classic for 2012 “, said Race Director Colin Clews. “The company aims to develop domestic cycling talent. This largely mirrors the aim of the CiCLE Classic in creating an opportunity for such talent to experience international competition on home soil. It is therefore a natural collaboration. The three year nature of the agreed partnership also provides stability for the race which it has failed to gain previously in its short eight year history ”, continued Clews.
Over that period the CiCLE Classic has continued to grow in stature year on year, and in Olympic year this growth is likely to gain further momentum. In 2011 a record ten foreign based teams took the start in the race, and already for 2012 greater interest than ever has been shown in the race by continental European teams as well as from teams much further afield.
“I am delighted Mountivation can support the CiCLE Classic as main sponsor”, Phil Leigh MD of Mountivation said. “It is currently the only UCI level race in the UK and is a well organised high profile event that Mountivation are delighted to partner with.” Leigh continued, “Mountivation links excellence across business and sport, our association with the UCI ranked CiCLE Classic can only help grow the Mountivation Brand. We at Mountivation look forward to working with Colin and his team to see the race prosper and grow over the next 3 years.”
The CiCLE Classic will also continue to receive financial backing from sustaining sponsors such as MARS(UK) under the Dolmio logo, the Melton Building Society, Dare2b clothing and Duvel Belgian Beer. The latter following the continental style theme of the race. Race HQ hotel partners will be the Ramada Hotel at Grantham.
The successful format of previous years will once again be followed starting and finishing with town centre locations in Oakham and Melton, interspersed with 105 miles of the toughest and most challenging roads within the area. Subject to agreement with all involved authorities, it is hoped that the finish in Melton will be made even more spectacular for the large crowd expected to once again be assembled following the St Georges Day parades earlier in the same day.
Meanwhile the villages of Owston, Burrough-on-the-Hill and Somerby will each see several passages of the race and a supporting race, expected to feature members of the Mountivation Cycling Academy in action, will be held around the Owston and Burrough-on-the-Hill circuit between 10.00 and 11.30 on race day.
A short support race for those categories of riders unable to gain entry to the Classic will again be held around the challenging Owston and Burrough-on-the-Hill circuit will take place earlier on the morning of the Classic, providing an ideal ‘warm up’ for spectators gathering to witness the professional race. It is expected that members of the academy squad supported by sponsors Mountivation will take part in the
supporting event.
The day prior to the International CiCLE Classic the popular Rutland CiCLE Tour offering leisure rides for several hundred amateur riders will also once again be staged from Oakham. Many of these riders are expected to remain in the area to watch the professional riders take to the roads for what will be one of the most hotly contested British races of the year. It will now be three years since the CiCLE Classic saw a home winner when Ian Wilkinson took the honours ahead of Denmarks Michael Berling.
Since then the top spot has been taken by Berling himself and then last year by Zak Dempster of Australia. This year Berling rides for the British based Cycle Premier team as he bids to become the first rider to win the CiCLE Classic on two occasions.
The 2012 race will take on a particular poignancy as it will be the first time the local police presence will not be overseen by Inspector Toby Day. Toby’s enthusiasm for the race greatly contributed to its success and the support of his entire family in
this work was immeasurable. As a consequence the race organisers are examining ways in which the race can be used to assist the raising of funds for the Day family Trust fund established by the ‘Melton times’ newspaper.