Vélo Birmingham & Midlands, billed as the UK’s second biggest closed road sportive, is returning on Sunday 12 May 2019 with ambitious plans to increase the number of women taking part to 50% by the time Birmingham hosts the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
Launching this week at the Cycle Show in Birmingham, a panel consisting of Lord Sebastian Coe (Chairman of organising firm CSM Active), Ian Ward (Leader of Birmingham City Council), local boy Martin Johnson CBE (England Rugby World Cup winning captain and fanatical cyclist) and the event’s female ambassador, cycling commentator Rebecca Charlton, spoke about the event’s aspirations to have an equal number of men and women on the start line.
Whilst the inaugural Vélo Birmingham event was a sell-out, attracting over 15,000 riders, only 15% of those riders were women. CSM and partners have come together to try and change this.
Jon Ridgeon, Executive Chairman of CSM, said “There is increasing momentum behind women’s cycling, but there is still work to be done to tackle gender disparity across the sport. Despite the sell-out success of Velo Birmingham & Midlands in 2017, we were not satisfied with the number of women who took part; and as organisers we are determined to create an environment which is welcoming to all.”
He continued, “We are working hard to understand what’s holding women back from entering sportive events and will do everything we can to try and accelerate change. Inspired by the Commonwealth Games, which is a beacon of gender equality, we have set an ambitious target of gender parity by 2022 and we are committed to achieving it.”
Rebecca Charlton, event ambassador and cycling presenter, said “At a time when women’s cycling is attracting more women than ever, I’m excited to be working with Vélo Birmingham & Midlands to help inspire more women to take on the challenge of riding 100 miles on closed roads.
“Events like Vélo Birmingham & Midlands have an important role to play in making cycling accessible to a wider range of women by spreading the message that while 100 miles may sound like a long way, it’s very achievable. I’m looking forward to encouraging more women to sign up, get pedalling and join me on the start line next May.”
This 50:50 male-female ambition is underpinned by a long-term strategy, which includes:
- Exclusive priority access for British Cycling’s female members to enable them to secure their entry into Vélo Birmingham & Midlands before entries go on general sale
- Holding back an allocation of entries into the sell-out event to be used to build exclusive partnerships with organisations, groups, brands and individuals who can help open the event up to new female audiences
- Launch of the new ‘Women of Vélo’ campaign, which will identify inspirational stories from female Vélo Birmingham & Midlands riders. The campaign will celebrate those women who are playing an important role in helping us to realise the 50% female ambition, ‘in turn opening the eyes of other female riders to the possibility of taking part’. The even organising team has also created a platform through which women can feedback what they would like to see from the event in 2019 and beyond.
- Working with British Cycling to continue to better understand the barriers and motivators to women entering sportive events.
- Working with key regional partners Birmingham City Council, Solihull County Council, Warwickshire County Council, Coventry City Council, Dudley County Council and Sandwell County Council to drive local participation and extend the event’s reach.
- Working with lead charity partners Cure Leukaemia, NSPCC, Alzheimers Society and Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham to help them drive the number of women signing up to ride for charity.
Vélo Birmingham & Midlands (formerly Vélo Birmingham), the UK’s second biggest closed road cycling event, takes place on Sunday 12 May 2019. It returns for 2019 with a new 100 mile route ‘taking 17,000 riders on an unforgettable journey through the West Midlands including two major city centres.’
The inaugural event sold-out 15,000 entries in just three days and with over 40,000 pre-registrations already received for the 2019 event, the organisers add that ‘competition for places on the start line will be fierce’. Entries will open on Thursday 4 October exclusively to everyone who pre-registers before midnight on Wednesday 3 October.
Once again starting in the heart of Birmingham City Centre, the new and improved route will travel through the heart of the 2021 Capital of Culture – Coventry – where riders will cycle on the cobbled roads surrounding the historic Coventry Cathedral. In between these two city centres, riders will travel through Warwickshire, Solihull, Sandwell and Dudley where they will encounter ‘sprawling countryside, panoramic views, picturesque villages, iconic climbs and tens of thousands of residents lining the streets to cheer them on.’
