New local Cycling Event labelled a ‘Classic’

The Bronte BigK Cyklesportive and Race the Train 2010 – Results

The inaugural Bronte BIGK CyKle Sportive was held last Sunday and was instantly hailed as a classic ride to match any in the country by the majority of the field. The event was organised by SportKeighley and Sue Ryder Care – Manorlands Hospice which was the beneficiary of over £3,000 raised.

Over 100 riders defied the rain and blustery winds to test themselves on routes of between 4.8 and 88 miles through the undulating Bronte countryside. Some participants signed up for the charity element, some to enjoy a scenic ride but most were temped by the personal challenge of this event in and the incentive to try and keep pace with a train on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway line.

The new Leeds City College Keighley campus on Dalton Lane made for an impressive start finish point for the event and riders started and finished between Shorn the Sheep and a Bronte Cow which symbolised the landscape were riders were encountering on the routes, the longest which included 21 “classic” climbs in Airedale and Wharfedale.

They were followed at 9.40am by the traditional 4.8 mile Race the Train event, starting next to Keighley Station to climbing Halifax Road to Oxenhope. This year the KWVR Diesel service revved up for the challenge by completing the scheduled 20-minute journey in just 16 minutes 28 seconds meaning that only four of the cyclists in this group managed to beat it up the Worth Valley! It is planned to get someone to hail the train next year at the request stop at Damems in order to slow it down!. The fastest finisher this year was Joe Moses at 15 minutes and 57 seconds. Andrew Blackwood matched the train to the second. Amongst the youngest were Stan Lawler and Molly Holder who started from the special point at Lees Primary School at Cross Roads. All Race the Train finishers received a bacon butty and other goodies upon their arrival at Oxenhope Station.

They were then able to relax and watch the sportive riders as they completed the initial loop of their challenge around Haworth, Oakworth, Oldfield and Stanbury and headed off towards Leeming, Cullingworth, Saltaire, Otley, Ilkley and East Morton. At this point 18 riders returned direct to Keighley, but 51 brave souls continued to complete the full 88 miles and 21 hills finishing with the Murder Mile in Silsden, Cononley, Cowling Pinnacle and Keighley Tarn. The final climb from Steeton drew several unprintable comments from riders with weary legs!

Fastest on the 88-mile route was Stefan Macina in a time of 5 hours 30 minutes and he along with four others managed to beat the average KWVR steam train speed of 15mph for the journey. The last riders home from this route took just under nine hours!
Martin Peace was the first to complete the 65-mile loop but agonisingly in a time of four hours and twenty one failed to beat the train by one minute. David Warden and Michael Thewlis shared a time of two hours and 40 seconds for the 42-mile loop and David Dobson was the first finisher on the 30-mile loop.

All riders enjoyed an “all-you-can-eat” BBQ provided by Manorlands at the finish and generally agreed that it was a memorable challenge and a great day out. Already many of the riders have stated their intention to come back next year with friends and colleagues and several people have offered further help and support for the event which is hopefully set to become a national classic.

Manorlands Fundraiser Andrew Wood who was present at the event said “I’d like to thank all who took part and volunteered at the event and a special thank you to John Dennis who came up with this fantastic format. From the feedback we have received we are expecting to be overwhelmed with interest in the 2011 event which will take place on 17th July and hopefully it will continue to raise substantial funds for the hospice.”

John Dennis thanked the many people who helped to mark the course and marshal the event, and also to Sue Ryder Care, Leeds City College, sportKeighley, Keighley & Craven AC, All-Terrain Cycles, SIS, CTC, KWVR, Sky, British Cycling, the Busfield Arms and Keighley Just Ride Cycle Club.

The next challenge in the BIGK series is the Bronte Mountain Bike Challenge from Oxenhope on Sunday 19th September – see www.brontebikechallenge.org.uk for details.