Vélo cycle ride to return 15,000 riders raise £2m for good causes
BIRMINGHAM’S inaugural cycle sportive Vélo is to return next year after 15,000 riders took to the streets at the weekend raising more than £2 million for charity.
The 100-mile ride started under sun-kissed skies in Birmingham city centre on Sunday before taking in the countryside of Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Sandwell and Dudley.
Vélo Birmingham’s four gold charities – Cure Leukaemia, Alzheimer’s Society, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Charity Birmingham and NSPCC – along with many other charities will receive an estimated £2 million raised by cyclists taking part on their behalf.
The event helped reinforce Birmingham’s credentials as a host of large-scale events such as the Commonwealth Games after the city recently won the race to be chosen as England’s candidate city for the 2022 Games.
Among those crossing the Broad Street finish line was England Rugby World Cup-winning captain and Vélo Birmingham ambassador Martin Johnson, who took part in the Business 100 challenge, as more than 100 companies took part in the event in teams of four. It is anticipated the Business 100, run in partnership with the Birmingham Post, will raise more than £100,000 for good causes.
Mr Johnson said: “It was a really good British ride – out through the city, quite hilly, lovely countryside, nice towns and villages. It was always up or down, so it was a tough course. The last 25 miles was hard, so it was a real achievement for everyone riding today. It’s a real privilege to ride closed roads, with no cars.
“There were also a lot of people out on the course. Going through some of the towns, there were thousands of people out cheering on the cyclists. It was quite a community event, lots of people out, sitting on their lawn chairs with a cup of tea or whatever, cheering you on.”
Cure Leukaemia also had a team of 600 on the 100-mile route with all funds raised going towards the charity’s £1 million appeal to expand the globally-significant Centre for Clinical Haematology at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
Birmingham City Council’s interim leader Cllr Ian Ward, said: “This was an absolute success for the city and our partners.
“Given that this weekend we hosted the Archery GB National Series final at Eastside City Park, the Birmingham Weekender arts festival and Vélo Birmingham, it yet again underlines the city’s ability to host major events and is why we will deliver a 2022 Commonwealth Games the whole country can be proud of.”
Jon Ridgeon, executive chairman of CSM Active, organisers of Vélo Birmingham, said: “We would like to thank all of our local authority partners for helping us make the first ever Vélo Birmingham a truly unfor- gettable event for the Midlands. Vélo Birmingham will return next year and we have no doubt that it will be even more exceptional than the inaugural edition.
“This event has the potential to be one of the world’s most iconic cycling events, a stalwart event in the British sporting calendar and a fantastic shop window for the Midlands and we look forward to working with our local authority partners to help make this vision a reality.”
Cllr Ward has, however, written to the event partners calling for them to “take stock” and try to keep disruption to residents to a minimum after some complaints this year.