by Anna Magrath | Oct 7, 2015
WACE comprises Cape Town Cycle Tour, TD Five Boro Bike Tour, Vatternrundan, L’Etape du Tour, RideLondon and Granfondo Campagnolo Roma. The mission of the Association is to promote and increase cycling worldwide.
Six of the world’s top mass participation cycling events have come together to form the World Association of Cycling Events (WACE). The constitution of the new association was announced in Rome today.
WACE comprises six of the most prestigious and largest mass participation events in the world:
• Cape Town Cycle Tour (South Africa), the world’s largest timed cycling event
• TD Five Boro Bike Tour (USA), the only closed road mass participation cycling event in New York City with 32,000 participants
• Vatternrundan (Sweden), one of the oldest and longest mass participation cycling event in the world with more than 6 million km ridden each year
• L’Etape du Tour, (France) one of the most beautiful and toughest sportives in the world, ridden over a stage of the Tour de France
• RideLondon (UK), the world’s largest festival of cycling with 95,000+ riders on traffic-free roads in London and Surrey
• Granfondo Campagnolo Roma (Italy), a unique cycling experience in the historic Eternal City starting in front of the Colosseum
Chartered Members
WACE has been formed to promote and increase cycling worldwide. With more than 200,000 participants from 90 countries riding in WACE events each year, the new organisation is ideally placed to inspire new riders to take up the challenge of cycling and to encourage riders to travel to participate in other world class cycling events.
“It is a very exciting time for cycling with such rapid growth in interest and participation,” said Hugh Brasher, President of WACE and Event Director for RideLondon.“We expect a number of other major international cycling events to join us to promote the many health and lifestyle benefits of cycling and to work together to promote the opportunity to ride in great cities around the world. WACE events are working with city leaders to get more people cycling to help address the global issues of pollution, overcrowding on public transport and public health.”
“We want everybody to participate in our events, not just serious riders,” said Matteo Gerevini, Executive Director of WACE. “Our events cover every aspect of cycling, from a ride in a city like New York to an incredibly tough experience in the French Alps.”
More major international cycling events are set to join WACE and the association is planning the creation of the ‘WACE CHALLENGE’ with awards to riders who take part in multiple WACE events around the world.
To find out more about WACE, please visit the WACE website at www.wacebike.com
by Tom "Minty" Murray | Sep 24, 2015
Tom ‘Minty” Murray – Image ©Copyright www.johnsteelphotography.com
July 2014, the month the wheels stopped turning on my full time cycling career. A near 10 year trip was complete. 3 National medals, round after round of Tour Series, full winters spent at the Revolution track events, several trips around the Tour of Britain and a whole load of experiences across the world stopped, crossing one last circuit race finish line!
So that was the easy bit, stopping. The hard bit… What to do? Who to become? Remembering what they told me back at Uni. How to start all over after 10 years sat in the saddle each day, not to mention who was going to make up the wet bag and food box each day.
But in truth I’d been looking forward to this day, I was lucky enough through cycling to live outside of the “rider bubble” a little, I came to enjoy working with sponsors, developing products, speaking with the media/press and passing on a “pro” insight to amateur riders through my job as full time rider. Early on I perhaps didn’t realise fully what a full time sponsored rider was responsible for other than turning the pedals, but I had enjoyed growing into that role more and more through the years. The years had also sent me on a journey through team roles, from aspiring youngster, through domestique (team helper), on to team leader and finally on to the “experienced head” of the team. Passing on experience and knowledge to the new aspiring youngsters on the team was perhaps one of the most satisfying seasons out of the lot, so much so that during that final season I came to enjoy this role so much it motivated me to keep pushing myself on and perhaps was responsible for sending me off in this new direction in some ways.
Tom Murray Tour of Britain – Stage 7 – 2010 – © Mike Morley
All that meant that come July 2014 I was more than ready to embark on a new challenge within the sport and setup Tom Murray Cycling. There have been early challenges, remembering to pack the suit instead of the Lycra, taking up a spot on the spectator side of the railings instead of the start line and remembering that I no longer have to listen to the five same songs on repeat for each hour during the summer circuit race months… FREEDOM! But the competition and the drive to be successful remains the same. The challenge now is to help others achieve their best, be it amateur cyclist, sportive master or elite racer, with the benefit of 10 years of full time cycling and a knowledge of coaching practices gained from working with those within the cycling world together with the latest coaching theories, I’m loving it!
I have discovered this whole world of cycling away from competition. A completely new direction has been a breath of fresh air, the appetite for cycling in this country at the moment is unbelievable, school kids, HGV drivers, you name it, people want to cycle and develop, through cycling packages, events and professional training days, I have spent the past year helping them do that. Changing perceptions with haulage companies, inspiring kids to take up a bike or just helping people to get going again after many years away is hugely rewarding, this whole community side to cycling alongside its competitive famous brother is developing too.
So 12 months or so on, stepping away from cycling has in fact given me a chance to become even more involved within it. The wheels are turning again, in fact there going more than ever and best of all it’s like being right back at the start all over, ready to go along for the ride again, new experiences, new challenges, new motivation!
Take a moment or two over your next coffee and head over to www.tommurraycycling.co.uk to keep up to date with the Tom Murray Cycling team and follow us @TMCyclePackages on twitter to be part of the journey!
Tom “Minty” Murray
by Chris Maher | Sep 23, 2015
All images ©www.cyclingshorts.cc | www.chrismaher.co.uk
Giant Sheffield Women’s Elite ½ Cat Race
Gabriella Shaw (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International) sprinted to victory in the third Giant Sheffield Women’s Elite, 1st and 2nd Cat circuit race.
The race built into a dramatic bunch sprint in the final few laps with former winner Tanya Griffiths trying to break free in a repeat of last years race.
The front of the race had been hotly contested through-out the sixty-minute circuit race, with Corley Cycles Drops RT driving the race along in the early stages.
Amy Gornall (Corley Cycles Drops RT) had escaped the pack, only to-be neutralized whilst the emergency services accessed part of the circuit.
The race re-started after the circuit had been cleared with Corley Cycles once again setting the pace.
Team Jadan’s Henrietta Colbourne rode aggressively on the front of the race, but was unable to forge ahead with counter moves from Charlotte Broughton (Corley Cycles), Rebecca Womersly (Corley Cycles) , Amy Gornall and Annasley Park (Team Giordana-Triton).
Annasley Park began the first move of the race initially, quickly marshaled by Rebecca Carter (Team WNT) and Hannah Walker (Team WNT).
After the re-start, Rebecca Womersly took-up the pace, before Annasley once-more found herself driving the race along.
The lead group whittled down to a manageable fifteen riders, as the girls looked amongst themselves to see who would try and break-free next.
With good representation from Corley Cycles Drops RT and Les Filles Racing Team whom had both fired riders off the front through-out, any move though soon got counteracted. The pace remained high as the final few laps grew close.
Womersley, then Gornall, then Womersley once more led the race. The bell lap was looming.
Gornall was joined by Tamara Davenne (Oxford University CC), then they were brought back together for the final lap and inevitable bunch sprint.
Elite/1/2 Women Results
1 Gabriella Shaw Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Intl 58.13
2 Henrietta Colborne Team Jadan “”
3 Charlotte Broughton Corley Cycles – Drops RT “”
4 Elizabeth-Jane Harris Army Cycling Union “”
5 Annasley Park Team Giordana- Triton “”
6 Jennifer George Les Filles Racing Team “”
7 Rebecca Womersley Corley Cycles – Drops RT “”
8 Elizabeth Stedman University of Sheffield CC 00.03
9 Delia Beddis Les Filles Racing Team “”
10 Tamara Davenne Oxford University Cycling Club “”
11 Laura Greenhalgh Les Filles Racing Team “”
12 Melissa Lowther Matrix Fitness “”
13 Amy Gornall Corley Cycles – Drops RT 00.07
14 Tanya Griffiths Velosure Starley Primal 00.08
15 Nicole Oh Les Filles Racing Team
16 Rebecca Carter Team WNT
17 Lucy Shaw Matrix Fitness Development
18 Sophie Lankford Team WNT
19 Hetty Niblett Team Velosport
20 Sian Botteley Velosure Starley Primal
21 Ellie Russell Sportcity Velo
22 Hannah Walker Team WNT
23 Charmaine Porter Army Cycling Union
24 Clover Murray Corley Cycles – Drops RT
25 Rebecca Rimmington
26 Jenny Holl Stirling Bike Club
27 Julia Van Campen Sheffrec CC
28 Melissa Brand IKON – Mazda
29 Laura Cheesman Velosure Starley Primal
30 Nicola Moore Squadra RT
31 Tracy Best Zappis Racing Team
32 Samantha Verrill Speedflex Race Team
33 Nikki Metcalfe Team WattCycle
34 Fiona Hunter Johnston Onit Cycles WRT
35 Karen Poole Team WattCycle
36 Sophie Black Elitevelo Kalas Sportswear CRT
Yesss Electrical – BikeBoxAlan Elite 1/2 Men’s Race
1 Christopher Lawless Team Wiggins
2 Graham Briggs JLT Condor
3 Jake Hales Spirit Bikes Racing Team
4 Connor Swift Polypipe Cycling Team
5 Adam Kenway SportGrub KUOTA Cycling Team
6 Tom Mazzone Polypipe Cycling Team
7 Simon Wilson Polypipe Cycling Team
8 Oliver Peckover Sherwood Pines Cycles SRAM RT
9 Alastair Hepworth Team Envelopemaster/Bikeboxalan
10 Richard Hepworth SportGrub KUOTA Cycling Team
11 Jacob Hennessy Spirit Bikes Racing Team
12 Samuel Williams One Pro Cycling
13 Kieran Simcox Bike Box Alan/Envelopemaster
14 Elliot Jones Paramount CRT
15 Alex Minting Neon-Velo Cycling Team
16 Ryan Davis SportGrub KUOTA Cycling Team
17 Edward Clemens Spirit Bikes Racing Team
18 Max Williamson Bike Box Alan/Whiston Velo
19 Buauna Ball Zappis Racing Team
20 Robert Scott VCUK PH-MAS Junior Cycling Team
21 Michael Thompson Team Wiggins
22 Matthew Nowell Kuota – Spinergy – GSG
23 Thomas Traviss-Pollard Polypipe Cycling Team
24 James Hill Team Envelopemaster/Bikeboxalan
25 Joseph Clark Team Envelopemaster/Bikeboxalan
26 Adam Turner Andy Moore Autocentres Racing
27 Calum Lawson Broom Wagon Racing Team
28 Ashley Marshall Achieve Northside Skinnergate
29 David Clarke Giordana-Mitsubishi Electric RT
30 Jake Beach Knottingley Velo
31 Liam Davies Broom Wagon Racing Team
32 Cameron Jeffers Bill Nickson Cycles RT
33 Jacob Trotter Team Envelopemaster/Bikeboxalan
34 David Bates Giordana-Mitsubishi Electric RT
35 Luc Hall Team Wiggins
36 Alexander Colman Arrow Cycles
37 Andy Bishop Andy Moore Autocentres Racing
38 Matthew Hindmarsh Dinnington Racing Club
39 William Lewis High Peak Cycles RT
40 Liam Gilpin NFTO Race Club
by Anna Magrath | Sep 20, 2015
It’s Yesss Tickhill GP time! With just over an hour to go to today’s event where we will see over 450 riders take to the streets of the small South Yorkshire town of Tickhill the atmosphere is hotting up.
Tickhill GP organiser Rich Stoodley has worked his socks off to make sure this event brings equality to the men and women riding providing them with the equal status and value of prizes, the largest prize fund awarded on the UK racing calendar. With the race day in it’s third year; this is the second year the women have been given this status, and the quality of riders attending proves Tickhill GP is an outstanding success.
The racing kicks off with the youth and junior riders leading up to the elite category of riders including Team WIGGINS in the mens race, the women are represented by teams like Les Filles RT and our very own Racing Chance Foundation and Team Jadan amongst others. It’s unusual for such a large event to give riders of all levels a chance to race the same circuit and mingle with their rivals and cycling stars.
The whole village and surrounding area get into the spirit of the day with local pubs serving the official Tickhill Grand Prix Ale, you can pick up a race programme with all the information you need; riders, teams, sponsors, food and attractions. Riders will be available to sign autographs and there is a merchandise village and you can test yourself against the clock or other spectators and riders at the Rollapaluza stand. The whole event is shown on large screens around the circuit with a full commentary of the action. This year Anna Glowinski will join Matt Stephens for commentary.
The racing starts at 11.30am on the closed race circuit, get yourself down to Tickhill for a great family day of street food and top notch cycling if you can’t make it down then don’t fret, Cycling Shorts.cc are proud to be official sponsors of Tickhill GP and you can watch it live all day here on CyclingShorts.cc! Just pull up a chair, click on the link and tuck in to your Sunday lunch while you watch the action unfold.
You can find more details at: www.tickhillgp.com
Race Programme
11:30 U12 (Mixed) 15mins
11:55 U14 Boys 30mins
12:35 U16/U14 Girls 25mins
13:20 U16 Boys 40mins
14:10 Cats. 3/4 Women 50mins
15:10 Cats. 3/4 Men 50mins
16:25 E/1/2 Women 1hr
17:35 E/1/2 Men 1hr
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