Vélo Birmingham & Midlands, the UK's second biggest closed road sportive, has announced plans to increase the number of women taking part to 50% by the time Birmingham hosts the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
Launched last week at the Cycle Show in Birmingham, the revamped Velo Birmingham & Midlands sportive will return on Sunday 12 May 2019 after a one-year hiatus. A panel including Lord Sebastian Coe (Chairman of organisers CSM), 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 at the launch 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 success attracting over 15,000 riders, only 15% of those riders were women. A quick glance around the start pen of almost any sportive would suggest this imbalance isn't exclusive to the Midlands event, but organisers CSM and partners have come together to effect a change.
Their strategy will include exclusive priority access for British Cycling's female members to secure their entry into Vélo Birmingham & Midlands before entries go on general sale.
An allocation of entries will also be reserved for partner organisations, groups, brands and individuals who can help open the event up to new female audiences.
The drive will be reinforcedby a 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 realise the event's ambition, which the organisers hope will encourage women to "open their eyes to the possibility of taking part". A platform has also been set up enabling women to feedback what they would like to see from the event in 2019 and beyond.
The event organisers will also work with British Cycling to better understand the barriers and motivators to women entering sportive events, and with regional councils and lead charity partners to drive local participation and extend the event's reach.
Jon Ridgeon, Executive Chairman of CSM, commented:
"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. 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, commented:
"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."
Velo Birmingham & Midlands features a brand new route for 2019, with 17,000 riders taking on the challenge of riding 100 miles through the centres of Birmingham and Coventry as well as scenic country roads.
Entries open 9am on Thursday 4 October. Pre-register now at www.velobirmingham.com.
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