Olympic legend Kenny helps save county cycling race
A WOMEN’S cycling event in Melton that faced cancellation was able to go ahead – thanks to crowdfunding and the support of Olympic legend Dame Laura Kenny.
The organisers of the Women’s CiCLE Classic feared the worst when the sponsor pulled out eight weeks before Sunday’s race.
Race director Colin Clews said they launched a crowdfunding initiative to raise the £15,000 required to bridge the gap.
In total, the appeal raised £20,000 and Dame Laura also offered to support the race by sponsoring the trophies for the women’s and junior men’s events until 2025.
Mr Clews said: “We appealed for support via crowdfunding and received contributions from all over the world. They brought tears to my eyes.
“Most importantly for women’s cycling, however, was securing the future of the race in the longer term, with three years being the minimum.
“We are indebted to Dame Laura for her support.”
Mr Clews, who helped found both the women’s event and the Men’s Rutland-Melton
International CiCLE Classic, said he was now negotiating with new sponsors and had had also received support from British Cycling. “They put aside a sum of money to assist it because they saw the event as being very significant and wished to safeguard it,” he said. In a statement provided to the Daily Telegraph, sponsor Peter Stanton said support for the Women’s CiCLE Classic in Melton had been withdrawn after British Cycling suspended its policy of allowing transgender women to compete at elite female events.
In April, cycling’s world governing body, the UCI, ruled 21-year-old athlete Emily Bridges was ineligible to compete, days before her first elite women’s race at the National Omnium Championships in Derby.
Jason and Laura Kenny were knighted and made a dame at a ceremony at Windsor Castle last month after winning 12 cycling gold medals between them.