Banbury Star cyclists are ready to ride again

The cycling club, one of the oldest in the country, are celebrating their 130th anniversary this year
Luke Norris was the club's most successful TT rider last season.Luke Norris was the club's most successful TT rider last season.
Luke Norris was the club's most successful TT rider last season.

With lockdown restrictions due to be eased on Monday, Banbury Star Cyclists’ Club now have the all clear to start its 2021 sporting season.

The first of the club’s weekly Wednesday evening time trials can now take place next week on March 31.

The series will run until the second week of September with 25 events on nine local courses of varying lengths. The traditional opening event is the club’s shortest, the five-mile course at Gaydon, with the first rider starting at 6pm.

Daylight time for this first event restricts the club to a 45-rider entry, which is already full.

This season the club will be running their weekly club TTs under the umbrella of The League International (TLI), requiring all competitors to become TLI members prior to entering.

Already 76 club members have joined TLI, which includes an encouraging number of women and junior riders.

Members from neighbouring clubs, who must also be TLI members, are again welcome to take part, ensuring this popular series remains one of the most successful in the Midlands region.

The club’s first Open event, the legendary 23-mile Hardriders TT, which had to be postponed, is now scheduled for Sunday, June 27 while the Open 10-mile TT takes place on Sunday, September 5.

The club has been anxiously awaiting approval from British Cycling to run its main event of the year, the May annual Road Race.

Thankfully this has now been granted, although the field for both the men’s and women’s races has been reduced to 60 rides.

The event again takes place on the club’s 45-mile, three-lap course, which takes in three climbs of Edge Hill, on Sunday, May 23.

Founded in 1891, Banbury Star is one of the oldest cycling clubs in the UK and this year celebrates its 130th anniversary.

As a nice coincidence, probably for the first time ever, Banbury is to be the finishing town for a major UK cycle race.

The opening stage of the Women’s Tour between October 4 and 9, which starts at Bicester, takes in a lap of Banbury town, before a central sprint finish.

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