Cumbria proposes bid to host British cycling national championships

Cumbria could bid for the rights to host a future British Road National Championships which could incorporate the Lake District.

A presentation in the county last week explained how Carlisle would be the start and finish point of the Championships.

The end-of-June Championships involve numerous laps of a circuit so the road race would not stretch deep into the Lake District but may include a climb of Honister Pass. If the circuit was to head east it could pass Hadrian’s Wall landmarks.

A time-trial route would more likely be confined to Carlisle and the area of closer proximity.

Mike James, whose idea it is, pointed to this year’s hosts Lincoln as proof that smaller cities can compete with comparatively larger hosts.

>>> Lincolnshire to host 2015 British Road National Championships

“No offence to Lincoln but if they can do it, we can – we are Carlisle. It would bring national live television here, and I want to get people like Jason Gooding (Carlisle City Council CEO) and the like to make it happen in Carlisle,” he said.

The area has strong links with the powers-that-be in the sport, having struck up a four-year deal with Tour of Britain organisers SweetSpot last year that ensures that the region hosts a stage of the ToB in the next four years or a leg of the Tour Series.

The plans to bring the nation’s best cyclists to the region are only in their preliminary stage with James delivering his outlines to Carlisle Ambassadors, a scheme set up by the local authority to give local businesspeople the opportunity to put ideas into practice.

Source: in-cumbria