by Leigh Marshall | Feb 24, 2014
Ok, I’ve used a fair bit of creative license with this blog title. Just humour me…
Some of you will have heard of Filles a Velo, some may even have followed it from its beginnings in 2010 as a blog about British women’s cycling. Some supported and contributed content and interviews and some publicly berated me via social media when I decided to stop the blog at the start of last year.
In a nutshell, I had to pause for thought. I was a one woman band. Just an impassioned fan. I got busy working on other time consuming cycling projects and events. It became a straight up choice between spending what free time I had with my family (husband & kids) or on Filles a Velo. No contest.
Women’s cycling had suddenly become the “in thing” since the 2012 Olympics. Overnight the internet was awash with “experts”. New websites dedicated to women’s cycling popped up. Helping to raise the profile of the sport, culture and lifestyle. Women’s cycling was finally getting coverage. Yes, it was still woefully inadequate for women in comparison to men, but it was getting better. The tide was turning slowly.
However, I had no plans to completely step away. Throughout 2013 I was involved in the organising and delivery of women’s cycling events and initiatives for Scottish Cycling. This led on to many discussions and the shape shifting bit…
In December 2013 Filles a Velo was relaunched as Filles a Velo Cycling Club. A National Cycling Club and Network for Women across Scotland. (affiliated to both Scottish Cycling and CTC Scotland).
2013 Women’s Road Academy
Filles a Velo CC is an initiative led by a group of women who saw the need for an increased level of support for women’s cycle sport in Scotland.
It was set up to provide a badly needed framework of support to the growing number of female cyclists from all cycling disciplines in Scotland.
Cycling provides opportunities for increasing social interaction in both urban and rural areas, improving physical and mental wellbeing, increasing confidence and skills.
Building on the success of last years women’s road academy and track school we will be working in partnership with local cycling clubs, regional cycling associations, Scottish Cycling and other relevant organisations to organise and deliver a series of women only coach led cycling events for novice and intermediate level on the road (closed circuits) and track (indoor and outdoor).
Online entry is now open for the first events – further details can be found here!
The time is now for women’s cycling globally and nationally. Get involved and help us get more women on their bikes more often across Scotland!
2013 Women’s Track School
For more information on Filles a Velo CC and to book onto an event check out the club’s twitter, facebook and website.
by Hayley Davies | Feb 21, 2014
The Koppenbergcross will be the first European cyclocross race to give equal prize money, reported in a press release today.
In co-operation with Twenty20 Cycling, the Koppenbergcross in Oudenaarde sets a new milestone in the history of cyclocross as they become the first European cyclocross race to provide equal prize money for elite men and women. This brings the Koppenbergcross in line with the World Championships, the only other cyclocross event to offer matched prize money, where previously events have seen a gap as big as €5,000 for men versus women in first category races.
The winner of the GP Twenty20 Cycling on Saturday November 1st 2014 will now be rewarded €1667, exactly the same as the winner of the GP Willy Naessens for men elite, and further matched prize money through the ranks.
Helen Wyman on Koppenberg ©Peloton Photos
British rider, Helen Wyman – European Champion cyclocross, member of the cyclocross committee of the International Cycling Federation, triple winner of the race and resident of Oudenaarde is obviously happy with this step in women’s cross and cycling, quoted saying:
“In my eyes, this is a huge step. It is a very significant moment for women’s cycling. This allows women to make one step up the ladder towards equality. I spend a lot of my free time trying to advance women’s cyclocross and I hope this will lead to a chain reaction of races who do the same, as I know the support is there from sponsors, supporters and riders. To be a part of this development for the sport is fantastic for me.”
Kristopher Auer, manager of Twenty20 Cycling, is proud to connect the name of his company to the women’s race of the Koppenbergcross, stating “Twenty20 Cycling Co. is a small two-store bicycle shop located in Baltimore and Savage, Maryland in the United States. One of the things that makes our business unique is how it developed from a cyclocross background. Since before we opened our business I have been supporting the growth of cyclocross in America. I was promoting UCI cyclocross races in Baltimore nearly a decade ago when I met my future business partners. Growing the sport has always been on our agenda and I’ve always looked to ensure both women and men can race with equal opportunity.”
To be part of this landmark event not only for Cyclocross but women’s cycling, make sure to mark your diaries for the GP Twenty20 Cycling women’s race on Saturday November 1st 2014. Who will take the first equal prize? We’ll just have to wait and see!
For more on Helen’s thoughts head over to her blog.
Writer
Riding since Feb 2011 Hayley is a 30 year old female who loves adventures. If she’s not on one of her many bikes or in the water on a bodyboard/surfboard, then Hayley is probably out looking for something new to keep the adrenaline pumping!
Website: www.hjdonline.co.uk
by Anna Magrath | Feb 21, 2014
Today we can announce that the legendary cycling event The Milk Race is to return again in 2014 after a triumphant comeback last year.
The event, which was brought back in 2013 by The Dairy Council and the Milk Marketing Forum after a 20 year hiatus, will take place for the second year running in Nottingham on Sunday 25 May as a major city centre race.
For 2014, The Milk Race will once again be a key event in the British sporting calendar and will constitute both an elite women’s race and an elite men’s race on the same day, alongside a full day’s festival of cycling for all the family.
Last year, 60,000 spectators saw Olympic gold medalist Dani King and Rapha Condor JLT’s Felix English join The Milk Race’s Hall of Fame by becoming victorious in the women’s and men’s elite events.
Already confirmed for this year’s race is multi gold medal Paralympian, Dame Sarah Storey, along with her team The Madison Boot Out Breast Cancer Cycling Team. On taking part in 2014, Dame Sarah said: “I am very excited to see The Milk Race return to Nottingham for 2014. It was a superb event in 2013 recapturing the excitement of the event from its previous format. This year I am excited to be riding with my new road team and I look forward to seeing the amazing crowds that watched the event in 2013. A huge thanks to everyone who has worked to bring us this superb event again.”
Also confirmed for 2014 is last year’s Milk Race men’s elite champion, Felix English. On returning again this year, Felix said: “As the current men’s Milk Race champion, it’s brilliant that the event is returning again in May. The atmosphere last year in Nottingham was fantastic so I can’t wait to race the circuit once again.”
The 2014 elite races will once again be directed by former world champion Tony Doyle MBE, who was also a founder of the Tour of Britain in 1994 and was President of the British Cycling Federation in 1996.
On his involvement with this year’s Milk Race, Tony said: “I am delighted to be involved in 2014’s event. Last year was a great success and a brilliant addition to the cycling calendar. It’s a very exciting time for cycling and with the heritage of The Milk Race, combined with its new city centre format, I’m sure it’ll once again prove to be a big hit with cyclists and supporters alike.”
Nottingham was chosen as the location of The Milk Race for the second year running as it played a huge part in the success of last year’s event. The city also has a long standing heritage in cycling – it houses the headquarters of leading brand Raleigh – and maintains an outstanding commitment to community cycling.
Further information about the 2014 Milk Race can be found at www.themilkrace.com and additional details of the event will be unveiled over the coming weeks. Registration for family and advanced rides will open mid March.
The History of The Milk Race
- Between 1958 and 1993, The Milk Race was the most prestigious cycling event in the British calendar, and the (now disbanded) Milk Marketing Board’s sponsorship remains the longest association that the sport has ever had.
- The multistage race of old was conducted over a number of day races – across a number of locations – and was contested by some of the most successful ever road cyclists.
- Previous Milk Race winners include Shane Sutton – a current part of British Cycling’s coaching set-up – and Malcolm Elliott, the team manager of the Node4-Giordana professional team.
- In 2013, The Milk Race returned after 20 years and was held in Nottingham city centre – attended by over 60,000 people. Dani King and Felix English won the women’s elite race and the men’s elite race respectively.
by Heather Bamforth | Jan 23, 2014
Okay, I will admit it, I have been eyeing one of these up for quite a while. In fact, ever since I bought the full sleeve (rain cape) version in 2012.
The gilet comes with a small bag that means that it can be folded away into a compact size and put back in your pocket – a great idea for those of you wanting something that you can take on and off without worrying that you haven’t got space in your back pocket to keep it.
Being 5′ 7″ and a size 10, I struggle with a lot of women specific cycling clothing as it tends to be too short and I often end up “borrowing” my husband’s cycling clothes as they tend to fit much better. Not so with this gilet. It is fairly long in the body and has a scooped elasticated bottom on the back of the jacket to ensure a snug fit.
Sometimes, jackets can be quite tight around the neck, which means that you never end up doing the zip right to the top. Again, there is enough room within the design to ensure that this is not a problem.
It is windproof and breathable, and is great for keeping the chill off at the start of a ride. It is small enough to be packed away until you need to put something on to keep you warm on that descent back down into town.
There is one improvement that I’d look to make – there is no back pocket so it can be a bit difficult trying to get food out of your jacket pocket. Not a major issue, I admit, but with gloves on it can be difficult. Also, the RRP is £55 which could be seen to be quite expensive for a gilet and therefore not a “needs must” purchase but a “wish list” purchase instead. However, the best price we’ve found is at ProBikeKit who are selling them for less than £40, at the moment, which makes them a bit more affordable:
http://www.probikekit.co.uk/sports-clothing/castelli-women-s-leggera-cycling-gilet/10756878.html
In Summary
- Fit – 89 out of 100 the gilet fits well, and the elasticated bottom means that it stays in place
- Quality – 95 out of 100 – I would expect a market leading brand to be high quality, and I wasn’t disappointed
- Price – 70 out of 100 – £55 for a gilet may prove too expensive for some
- Value for money – 80 out of 100 – ultimately, high quality doesn’t come cheap but I liked the fit, quality and think it looks great.
- Overall that’s an impressive 84 out of 100!
Would I recommend this gilet to my cycling friends? Definitely!
by Heather Bamforth | Jan 9, 2014
After the success of last year’s inaugural Cycling Development North West women’s road race league, I was approached by Carley Brierley, a female coach in Blackpool, to assist her with developing some women’s race training sessions for women in the New Year, which Huw Williams has instigated.
After an overwhelming response, and all three sessions being oversubscribed within a week of going live, I decided that it would be a good idea to try and ease the move into road racing for women by including a novice league within the women’s league, especially given that there seems to be less early season circuit races (in the North West at least) this year.
Last year, a guy called Sean Jackson, of Cucina Cycles in the North East, provided some sponsorship money which I used for the Most Improved Rider Award and the Most Tenacious Rider Award. This year, we will be scrapping these awards and, instead, the money will be used to provide for the leaders in the Novice League.
You might think that I have gone off on a tangent with this concept, however the women who took part in the CDNW women’s league last year really improved as road racers as the season progressed. The races were aimed at developing confidence whilst being encouraging, with 100% (yes, that’s right 100%) of the women who completed my end of survey said that they would definitely recommend the races to a friend, and with this in mind, some novice women racers might be put off about joining the league thinking they don’t have a chance. But by holding a separate “mini-league” I hope to reach out to those women so that they will have an opportunity for a race within a race. Ultimately, there aren’t enough women to hold two separate races, but I know from experience that racing with second and third category women is much better than racing with fourth category men!
So ladies, if you want to get into racing, here is your chance! You will need a full racing licence (as you are racing on the open road) however if you are thinking of racing anyway, a day licence costs at least £10, so if you plan on doing more than three races, you will save money by purchasing a full licence. For the record, I am not a sales person for British Cycling, I am just someone trying to persuade more women to have a go at the sport I enjoy.
If you haven’t bought BC membership yet, you can find more about it here: http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership
If you like the thought of giving racing a go and would like to register for the league, as a woman you don’t need to be a member of an affiliated club – it costs £5 to register for the league and you have to agree to marshal a race (it can be one you are riding if you can find somebody to do the marshalling for you): https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/club/subscriptions?&club_id=6406
by Heather Bamforth | Dec 6, 2013
Back by popular demand, the women’s race training sessions are returning to the North West in the New Year, with sessions being held at Tameside, Rhyl (Marsh Tracks) and Blackpool (Palatine Leisure Centre). Hosted by Huw Williams, me and Carley Brierley, the sessions are designed to offer women who are either relatively new to cycling or are third/fourth category riders the opportunity to develop their confidence and skills so that they will have the tools available to embark on a competitive cycling career, up to whatever level they wish to attain.
Dates/times venues
Session 1: Tameside Cycle Circuit, Manchester OL7 9HG
Sunday 5th Jan 2014 9am-1pm
Session 2: Marsh Tracks, Rhyl, LL18 2AD
Sunday 19th Jan 2014 12noon -4pm
Session 3: Palatine Circuit Blackpool FY4 2AP
Sunday 2nd Feb 2014 12noon – 4pm
Each 4-hour session will be progressive, on a dedicated, traffic-free cycle circuit where you will learn the techniques, skills, tactics and group riding etiquette needed to race, as well as advice on training theory and practice that will allow you to prepare for the coming, 2014 season. Each session is structured in a way that allows all riders to participate at their own level of ability and there will be no instances of novice riders feeling ‘out of their depth.’
The sessions will be delivered by Carley Brierley, British Cycling level 3 road and TT coach, Heather Bamforth a level 3 ABCC coach and current 2nd category racer and Huw Williams, a British Cycling level 3 road and TT coach. We also have guest riders from two of the UKs leading womens’ race teams, Epic Scott Contessa WRT and Matrix Vulpine, on hand to answer questions and offer tips and advice during the training.
Cost
£20 per rider per session payable on the day
Rules
You have to be female and wearing a helmet at all times when on the track.
How do I enter?
Please email me at [email protected] for more details and to register your interest. Spaces are limited, so please register early.
Ok, I’ve used a fair bit of creative license with this blog title. Just humour me…
You must be logged in to post a comment.