Location: Tudor Grange Park, Solihull, West Midlands
Event: 20 April 2013
British Cycling’s recently announced vision to inspire one million more women to ride bikes by 2020 and women’s racing is on the increase this year with far more women’s events being held than ever before.
On Saturday 20 April, two races are planned at Tudor Grange with the first race being organised exclusively for women of all categories with a support race for male third and fourth category riders. Similar events are scheduled in Solihull on Saturday 25 May and 22 June.
The key aim of the women’s race at Tudor Grange is to have “cheap and cheerful” racing where riders of all abilities should be able to enjoy a good race. Held over 40 kilometres, on the purpose-built and safe circuit in Tudor Grange Park in central Solihull, riders will be started on a handicap basis with third and fourth category riders enjoying almost one lap (about one and a half minutes) head-start over the first category riders. Second category riders will be set off in between about thirty seconds after the third and fourth category riders. Each category will have their race numbers in different colours so even if a rider or group of riders is overtaken by a faster group it will still be easy to see which category a rider is and give everyone every incentive to beat someone of their own category/ability. The better riders will have to work hard to catch the earlier groups so it will not be an easy race for them by any means.
Although it is possible to enter on the day, Guy Elliott the organiser is encouraging riders to enter in advance with a heavily subsidised total entry fee for women of just £5 if paid on the British Cycling system versus an on-the-day entry fee of £8.
The supporting race for male third and fourth category riders costs a total of £9 if entering in advance on the British Cycling system and £10 on the day but with entries now coming in fast it makes sense to enter in advance and be guaranteed a ride.
You can find more details of the event on British Cycling’s website following this link:
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/86834/Solihull-CC-Circuit-Races-1
Let’s hope there is a great turnout for this first event as if it is well supported the intention is to run numerous other events for women at this great venue. Come on ladies – get entering now!
