‘Ride the route’ event to be held for Tour of Britain stage through Ripon‘Brilliant news’: Excitement builds in Ripon as international sports event heads to districtWorld’s best cyclists to race through Ripon, Boroughbridge and Pateley BridgeCouncil set to approve £200,000 towards Tour of Britain raceCampaign to promote cycling arrives in Harrogate this month

A campaign for anyone wishing to rediscover or start cycling is arriving in Harrogate this month.

Ten free workshops for adults will take place in Harrogate in August and September as part of the Big Bike Revival 2022; aiming to break down barriers to cycling, improve bike confidence and help people cycle more safely on the roads.

Free bikes and helmets can also be pre-booked in advance and locations include Cardale Park, Hornbeam Park, OneWellness Clubs, on Mowbray Square, St Marks Church and the Great Yorkshire Showground.

Places are filling fast, according to organisers Cycling UK, so anyone inspired to get more active by the Lionesses, Tour De France or Commonwealth Games is advised to book early.

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Workshops will be delivered by accredited British Cycling coach, Kate Auld, from The Personal Cyclist, which is based in Harrogate.

She said:

“These sessions are about encouraging and supporting everyone to try cycling again. I wanted to get behind this important campaign to help everyone rediscover the joys of cycling in daily life; from getting fitter to saving money on fuel.”

According to latest research by Cycling UK, leisure cycling increased from 35% to 55% during 2020 and 42% of people in England own or have access to a bike. In 2020 this rose to 47%.

To book contact Kate on 07779 152750 or email: thepersonalcyclist@gmail.com.

The full programme:

BIKE CONFIDENCE SESSIONS:

SOCIAL CYCLE DATES:

Harrogate event hopes to encourage more women to cycle

An event to encourage more women to take up cycling is being held in Harrogate this weekend.

Businesses in the town have teamed up to host three days of ‘personalised cycling support, skills and inspiration’.

Hosted by activewear store Sweaty Betty, health food café Hustle & Co and cycling firm The Personal Cyclist, women of all ages and abilities are invited to take part from Friday to Sunday.

Research by Sport England’s Active Lives Survey (May 2020 – May 2021), revealed that 8.3 million adults cycle regularly in England, with only 13 per cent of these being women.

The weekend is being supported by the Electric Bike Shop, on Leeds Road, which will provide a fleet of test bikes and pre-bookable safety checks for all appointments during the weekend.

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Whilst the physical and mental benefits of exercising outdoors are undisputed, British Cycling coach Kate Auld, founder of the Personal Cyclist, said:

“Some of cycling’s special magic lies in its sociability, sustainability and the almost childlike joy it brings out in people. Not forgetting fabulous coffee and cake stops. But it can sometimes feel intimidating to get going.

“Together with Hustle & Co and Sweaty Betty, we want to empower everyone with the confidence and skills to cycle safely.

“Whether it’s for fitness, commuting or errands around town, we’re building healthy habits around busy lives, without judgement or jargon.”

Nici Routledge, co-owner of Hustle & Co, said she loved the idea of cycling around Harrogate, but admitted she was “a bit scared”.

She said:

“What should I wear? What about punctures? Where are the best routes? I needed some hand-holding to help me out, starting with the right bike for my budget.”

Pre-bookable appointments, costing £20 per person, are available Friday 6 to Sunday, May 8 and last around 40 minutes. A bike is not essential.

Email thepersonalcyclist@gmail.com to book.

2022 Tour de Yorkshire cancelled

The 2022 Tour de Yorkshire bike race has been cancelled today.

Race organisers Welcome to Yorkshire and French company Amaury Sport Organisation issued a statement at 7pm tonight blaming covid and “escalating financial challenges and uncertainties” for making the event “unviable”.

The 2022 route was not due to include the Harrogate district but had financial implications for local people because North Yorkshire County Council agreed last month to give £200,000 of council taxpayers’ money to support the event.

It is not clear yet what will happen to that funding.

The Tour de Yorkshire was held annually from 2015 to 2019 following the success of the 2014 Tour de France’s Grand Départ, which ended in Harrogate. Covid scuppered it last year and this year.

Despite today’s decision, Welcome to Yorkshire said in tonight’s statement its “ambition to continue hosting international events is as strong as ever and this is the beginning of a whole new positive plan to showcase Yorkshire globally through dedicating time to varied and exciting opportunities”.

But there was no mention of the Tour de Yorkshire being resurrected in 2023, raising doubts about it happening again.

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James Mason, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, which is a marketing organisation for Yorkshire, said:

“We had every intention for the race to go ahead but unfortunately some of the circumstances were out of our control and sometimes you have to make big calls for the right reasons.

“People from Yorkshire are proud and we only want the best for the county. We still have ambitions for large events going forward to put Yorkshire on the world stage and we will continue to work with our partners to plan for those.”

Brian Facer, chief executive of British Cycling, said:

“Clearly this is very disappointing news for everyone who recognises the value the Tour de Yorkshire brings to the county and to cycling in Britain.

“This is not just about the economic boost that top level bike racing has brought to Yorkshire, but also in the huge numbers of people who have been inspired to cycle themselves.

“The local authorities in Yorkshire have done a fantastic job over recent years and deserve credit for trying to find a way forward.”

 

UCI World Championships caused ‘major disruption’ in Harrogate, says report

A new report into the UCI Road World Championships 2019 has said the event inspired people to cycle more — but had a ‘major disruptive impact on the community in Harrogate’.

The study commissioned jointly by British Cycling, Sport England and UK Sport found that 45% of those surveyed said they would take up cycling or cycle more after watching the event.

The 11-day event in September 2019 received a hostile response from many local businesses because road closures hampered trade. The event also caused £130,000 worth of damage to the West Park Stray.

The report, compiled by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University, covers awareness of the event, its perceived impacts, and the extent to which it influenced changes in physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, individual and community development.

It found that:

But the report adds:

“There were also some negative consequences of the Road World Championships expressed by host community residents surveyed, particularly in Harrogate, where respondents were critical of the inconvenience and disruption due to the prolonged road closures compared with other host locations such as Doncaster and Leeds.

“Another sticking point in Harrogate was the damage caused to a section of the Stray – a protected public area of green space – where the Championship Fan Zone was located.

“The event was seen to have had a major disruptive impact on the community in Harrogate, which is illustrated starkly by Harrogate Borough Council’s decision to refrain temporarily from hosting major events of this scale.”

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Cllr Stanley Lumley, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, said the report showed the UCI Road World Championships had inspired people to get more involved in sport.

He added:

“It is inevitable that hosting an international event of this scale can cause some disruption on day-to-day life.

“But the global television audience has no doubt left a lasting impression on what Yorkshire and specifically the Harrogate district has to offer. This will no doubt encourage a number of visits in the future which our tourist economy so desperately needs.

“It was also positive to read that the volunteering opportunities the event created has had a lasting impression on those involved.”

Rod Findlay, British Cycling’s business services director, said:

“The 2019 UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire was a truly momentous celebration of cycling, and from the report published today it’s clear that the legacy of those nine days of racing will be felt for many years to come.”

Review into UCI

Last week, a public survey into the UCI championships, which were held in Harrogate, closed.

Harrogate Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny committee set up the review to build on “its successes and identifying any areas for improvement to inform the organisation of future events”.

However, questions were raised over why the committee decided to hold a review on the UCI two years after the event.