'Best British cycle race' returns to Oakham and local villages on Sunday

Starting and finishing in Oakham once again, the 185 km race featuring Britain’s best teams, and with a spread of foreign competition from the Netherlands, Australia and Italy, the race gets underway at 11am on Sunday.

From there the competitors will be taken on a challenging course comprising some of Rutland and East Leicestershire’s smallest roads, with numerous farm tracks thrown in to spice up affairs.

Firstly, heading towards Wymondham and its iconic Windmill, to which the race will climb to pass three times, the race heads back through Oakham at around 12.30pm before heading to Owston, which over the past 20 years has earned its reputation as the ‘Heart of the Race’.

With six passages of Owston village over a period of two hours, a live commentary, BBQ and beer tent will keep the large numbers of spectators gathered there entertained.

The race then heads towards Stapleford Park and a further brief passage of Wymondham before reaching Oakham once more, but where on this occasion there will still remain 12k of hard racing before the final passage into the town, and finish of the race where it started, adjacent to the Market Place in the centre of Oakham.

“Finishing as well as starting in Oakham last year proved a great success, “ said race director Colin Clews.

“And this year we want to build on that with entertainment in the form of the Rutland Morris Men performing in the centre after the start and cycling related activities for young and old in the town centre in the afternoon.

“Hopefully there is something for everyone, including giveaways such as cowbells and hats etc.

“We want everyone to join in the festive atmosphere that we hope can be generated by a major sporting event of this type for the whole community.”

A field of 176 riders from 15 nations are represented in the 35 teams accepted for the race.

There are six categorised climbs in the race at Cold Overton (twice), Burrough on the Hill (three times in varying directions) and one climb of Cuckoo Hill in addition to the 11 categorised off-road sectors ,which are an iconic feature of the race and represent its unique nature and character.

Now the longest ever continuously running one day international race in the history of British Cycle Sport, the CiCLE Classic continues to set a benchmark in presentations within the sport.

Unlike any other race, its support and attraction to both British and foreign teams remains solid at a time when many other British racers are falling by the wayside.

The staging of the event also contributes considerably to the local economy with the most recent estimates suggesting that over the weekend of the race there is over £250,000 plus spent on local services and in local businesses.

The event is totally funded by commercial sponsors, the major of these being Sigma Sports (Oakham) and Schwalbe UK who are joint title sponsors.

This year they are joined by ANEXO/CAMS as presentational sponsors.

In addition, Pearce’s Jewellers sponsor the King of The Bergs and Top Team competitions and Wymondham Windmill the Sprint competition.

As they have done for 20 years, Tim Norton Motors provide the race officials vehicles and The Grainstore Brewery sponsor the unique prize of a rider’s Weight In Beer at a special sprint which takes place in Owston village.

Clews added: “Overall, this is a great day of sport, and all totally free of charge. So enjoy the spectacle and all the action.

“However, anyone wishing to gain an insight an experience into what the professional; competitors will face in terms of the course, have their chance to take part in the Sigma Sport CiCLE Classic sportif all comers rides over 50, 70 or 100 kms being held on Saturday, starting from the Sigma Sport premises in South Street.”