Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic in race against time to find new route amid roadworks chaos
The Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic is scrambling to find a new route after late-notice roadworks forced a change to its planned finish in Melton Town Centre. With just nine weeks to go, organisers are racing to keep Britain’s only one-day UCI road race on track
Britain’s only one-day UCI road race, the Sigma Sports/Schwalbe UK Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic, is facing a frantic scramble to secure a new route after late notification of major roadworks threatened to derail the event.
The race, which will make UK cycling history in 2025 as the longest-running one-day international race in British cycling, has been blindsided by restrictions on road usage imposed by Leicestershire County Council. With just nine weeks to go before the 19th edition on Sunday 27 April, organisers are now racing against the clock to ensure the event can go ahead.
Image: Joe Cotterill/The British Continental
Race director Colin Clews has expressed frustration at the timing of the setback, stating:
“Despite the race plans being known to Leicestershire County Council for several months, it has come as a significant blow that only now has the race organisation been informed of restrictions upon road usage which pose a threat to the race’s viability.”
Thankfully, Rutland County Council has stepped in to offer assistance, allowing the race start and finish to take place in Oakham rather than the traditional finale in Melton Town Centre. However, much work remains to finalise the new route before the race’s landmark edition.
The CiCLE Classic first took place in 2007 and has since become one of British road racing’s defining fixtures. It has long been a rare success story in the domestic scene, maintaining its international status since its inception. While iconic races like the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix and Tour of the Peak have either lost their UCI classification or disappeared entirely, the CiCLE Classic has continued to thrive. Its popularity is undiminished, with a maximum 176-rider field confirmed and over 45 teams vying for the limited 30+ team slots.
Image: Joe Cotterill/The British Continental
Despite last year’s international race being cancelled due to localised flooding, interest remains high, with teams from the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, and Italy set to take part alongside 30 British squads. The race is both a sporting and economic asset to the region, and organisers are determined to ensure it remains on the UCI calendar.
The road restrictions will not impact the ANEXO/CAMS Women’s and Junior Men’s CiCLE Classics, which will proceed as planned in Melton Mowbray on Sunday 23 March.
The race says that full details of the revised race route and road closures will be published shortly on the CiCLE Classic website and in local media.
Featured image: Joe Cotterill/The British Continental
Britain’s only one-day UCI road race, the Sigma Sports/Schwalbe UK Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic, is facing a frantic scramble to secure a new route after late notification of major roadworks threatened to derail the event.
The race, which will make UK cycling history in 2025 as the longest-running one-day international race in British cycling, has been blindsided by restrictions on road usage imposed by Leicestershire County Council. With just nine weeks to go before the 19th edition on Sunday 27 April, organisers are now racing against the clock to ensure the event can go ahead.
Race director Colin Clews has expressed frustration at the timing of the setback, stating:
“Despite the race plans being known to Leicestershire County Council for several months, it has come as a significant blow that only now has the race organisation been informed of restrictions upon road usage which pose a threat to the race’s viability.”
Thankfully, Rutland County Council has stepped in to offer assistance, allowing the race start and finish to take place in Oakham rather than the traditional finale in Melton Town Centre. However, much work remains to finalise the new route before the race’s landmark edition.
The CiCLE Classic first took place in 2007 and has since become one of British road racing’s defining fixtures. It has long been a rare success story in the domestic scene, maintaining its international status since its inception. While iconic races like the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix and Tour of the Peak have either lost their UCI classification or disappeared entirely, the CiCLE Classic has continued to thrive. Its popularity is undiminished, with a maximum 176-rider field confirmed and over 45 teams vying for the limited 30+ team slots.
Despite last year’s international race being cancelled due to localised flooding, interest remains high, with teams from the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, and Italy set to take part alongside 30 British squads. The race is both a sporting and economic asset to the region, and organisers are determined to ensure it remains on the UCI calendar.
The road restrictions will not impact the ANEXO/CAMS Women’s and Junior Men’s CiCLE Classics, which will proceed as planned in Melton Mowbray on Sunday 23 March.
The race says that full details of the revised race route and road closures will be published shortly on the CiCLE Classic website and in local media.
Featured image: Joe Cotterill/The British Continental
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