500 take part in first ride of Cycletta 2012 season

WOBURN ABBEY, Bedforshire - The first Cycletta ride of the 2012 season took place on Sunday 13 May with more than 500 women taking part in the 40km and 60km rides.

Cyclettas are women's only events on safe UK roads designed to increase mass participation in cycling; there are six more events scheduled in the 2012 Cycletta series.

Many of the participants were fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support, the main charity partner of Cycletta, and a total of £70,000 has been raised to date since the events started.

Television presenter Zoe Hardman started the event and rode the 40km course. She said afterwards: "Cycletta Bedfordshire was a fantastic day out! I really enjoyed getting out on my bike in the beautiful British countryside and joining the hundreds of other ladies all cycling for Macmillan Cancer Support. It was awesome!"

Kate Shawyer, a mother of two from Amersham, said she had enjoyed her first mass cycling event: “It was an absolutely brilliant day. I never thought it would be so much fun. You felt totally safe on the route with masses of support from the organisers, the atmosphere with all the girls was amazing, everyone cheering each other on. The pamper zone at the end just topped it all off. I feel totally inspired to enter another Cycletta!”

Jo Dytch from event organiser Human Race said, “We are delighted with the success of Cycletta Bedfordshire, it was a great day to start the series of seven events in 2012. The sun shone all day, and a combination of a stunning route and the lovely host venue of Woburn Abbey ensured we had plenty of happy women crossing the finish line. We are looking forward to our next Cycletta in Wiltshire on 24th June”

The next Cycletta is at Lydiard Park in Wilshire on 24th June, followed by events in Cornwall, Warwickshire, Brighton, Cheshire and New Forest. Participants must be over 16 and helmets are compulsory. Events cost between £35 and £46 depending on the distances and entries can be made at the Cycletta website.

The 2013 Woburn Abbey Cycletta will take place on 30 June 2013.