About
Whether you are a passionate cycling fan or just love the excitement of competition, the CiCLE series of races are perfect for you. Where else can you see some of the most exciting young sports professionals from across Europe following in the footsteps of Mark Cavendish, Peter Sagan and Tom Pidcock. Who will win the pork pies this year? Yep, if you cross that line first, overcoming the pain, the mental agony and staying upright you win the prize money but most importantly, you win the coveted Melton Mowbray pork pie. A truly ‘classic’ prize.
Please read on for more information on each race – all are different and truly unique in the British cycling calendar.
CiCLE Classic International
The CiCLE Classic is Britain’s own Belgian classic style race. It has everything – farm tracks, steep inclines, competitive racing and a gruelling drive to the line.
First held in 2005 as a national level race within the British Cycling Premier Calendar series at that time, by 2007 the Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic was added to the UCI international calendar as a class 1.2 event. It has remained Britain’s only one day race for elite men within the UCI Europe Tour calendar since that time.
Having existed for over 20 years the race is now the longest ever running single day international race in the history of British cycle sport. CiCLE Classic is THE British Classic.
Aimed at breaking the mold of so many British races held over several laps of a single repetitive circuit, the event was planned as a place to place race emulating the famous Spring classic races of Northern Europe such as the Ronde van Vlaanderen or Paris-Roubaix.
The neighbouring and inter-related towns of Oakham in Rutland and Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire continue after 20 years to provide the perfect start and finish venues for the race.
The route between those two towns has been revised several times since its early stages, but it has continued to characterise the essence of the Spring Classics by its ‘criss-crossing ‘of several sections of unmade and narrow roads that exist throughout the area. Several villages such as Owston and Wymondham are notable as key points for spectators through which the race passes on several occasions each race day.
The overall distance of each edition of the race is 180 kms.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, this year the race is slightly different – starting and finishing in Oakham for the first time! Hopefully next year we will be back to our historic finish in Melton Mowbray.
The race has seen some of the most famous male riders in the world compete, with Mark Cavendish, Mads Pederson, Tom Pidcock and Peter Segan. Malcolm Elliot won the first International edition of the race 20 years ago…so who will win this year? Will they go onto global heights!
Previous Winners
2005 Scott Gamble (BC East Midlands)
2006 Robin Sharman (Recycling.co.uk)
2007 Malcolm Elliott (Pinarello RT)
2008 Keiren Power (Pezula RT)
2009 Ian Wilkinson (Halfords – Bikehut)
2010 Michael Berling (Glud & Marstrand/Horsens)
2011 Zak Dempster (Rapha - Condor - Sharp)
2012 Alexander Blain (Endura Racing Team)
2013 Ian Wilkinson (Team UK Youth)
2014 Tom Moses (Rapha-Condor)
2015 Steele von Hoff (NFTO)
2016 Conor Dunne (JLT-Condor)
2017 Dan Fleeman (Metaltek-Kuota)
2018 Gabriel Cullagh (Wiggins - Le Col)
2019 Colin Joyce (Rally Cycling)
2020 Cancelled owing to COVID restrictions.
2021 Cancelled owing to COVID restrictions.
2022 Finn Crockett (Ribble - Weldtite)
2023 Luke Lamperti (Trinity Racing)
2024 Cancelled owing to severe floods.