Rutland – Melton International CiCLE Classic
Sunday 21st April 2013
(Britain’s ONLY UCI Europe Tour 1.2 race)

The East Midlands biggest annual one day sporting event under real threat of cancellation!

Despite the signifi cant success of Britain’s cyclists during 2012 the future of Britain’s ONLY International single day road cycle race, the East Midlands based Rutland – Melton CiCLE Classic, has been plunged into uncertainty this week as doubts surfaced concerning the ability and willingness of its main sponsor to honour its contractual obligations.

Faced with further reductions in sponsorship owing to investment strategy changes, or cutbacks owing to the current fi nancial situation, race organisers now face the worst possible uphill battle to raise the minimum £20,000 required to stage next years race which is due to take place on Sunday 21st April.

After signing, in January 2012, a three-year contract with Mountivation to sponsor the CiCLE Classic Race Director Colin Clews believed that the race was at least secure until 2014, but after several changes of senior personnel at the north-west based management development company all contact with the company has been lost. Whatever the status of the formal contract that exists, which is to be investigated, it seems extremely unlikely that the outcome will be helpful to next years race. If an alternative sponsor or sponsors are not found, the unthinkable that the race will have to be cancelled for 2013 seems inevitable.

Over the eight years that the race has been held it has grown dramatically from just one of a number of major domestic races to the biggest and most outstanding single day race in Britain, with a reputation for its professionalism of promotion and inventiveness. This reputation and the toughness of the event was greatly enhanced in 2012 when the event took place in the worst possible weather conditions including fl ooded roads making it necessary to divert the race several times before fi nally arriving on time at its Melton fi nish. Such was the severity of the race in 2012 that ‘Cycling Weekly’ magazine even proclaimed on its front page that ‘CiCLE Classic: tougher than Paris-Roubaix’, the race it was based upon and has always sought to emulate.

Such is its appeal that for 2013 the organisers already have requests from eight foreign based teams to take part, from as far afi eld as Poland, Slovakia and the United States. Not wishing to rest on their laurels, the organisers were also negotiating for a revised fi nish to the race which would see the race pass through the fi nish line in Melton Mowbray 20 minutes before the actual fi nish taking place, as well as a spectacular new section earlier in the race.

Anyone interested in helping support the retention of the CiCLE Classic, in any way, is asked to contact Colin Clews on 07979 85 6262. www.cicleclassic.co.uk

 

International CiCLE Classic

International CiCLE Classic