Hertfordshire Year of Cycling

With the Friend’s Life Women’s Tour of Britain racing through sections of Hertfordshire on Saturday 10 May, and a whole host of other events planned, a Hertfordshire Year of Cycling campaign will start in May.

Hertfordshire County Council is supporting the first ever Women’s Tour of an elite group of about 100 racers which starts in Cheshunt and finishes in Welwyn Garden City with a series of cycling activities in both locations. The race includes Hertfordshire’s own double Olympic champion, Laura Trott who started her racing career with the Welwyn Wheelers.

For the majority of the stage, aside from roads close to the start and the finish, a rolling road closure is in place, meaning the roads will only be closed for the short period the race passes by – usually around 10 to 15 minutes around the estimated time of arrival and indicated by police escort vehicles. These are the key areas and anticipated times:

Cheshunt 11:30am

Hoddesdon 11:47am

Hertford 11:57am

Hertford Heath 12:01pm

Cold Christmas 12:13pm

Buntingford 12:47pm

Baldock 13:09pm

Great Wymondley 13:20pm

Codicote 13:38pm

Welwyn 13:41pm

Digswell Hill 13:46pm

Welwyn Garden City 13:50pm

As well as this event, the sixth stage of the Men’s Tour of Britain will finish in Hemel Hempstead on 12 September so it’s a great time to start the Hertfordshire Year of Cycling. The official launch of the campaign will be held at the Hertfordshire County Show on Saturday, 24 May.

Jim McManus, Director of Public Health, said: “Cycling is a great way to get fit, keep fit and contribute to a healthy lifestyle. It is also an inexpensive way to travel and can help reduce traffic congestion and pollution.

“We are very pleased to be supporting the Women’s Tour as it passes through Hertfordshire and will also be working with cycle groups and schools on a regular basis to help residents really make the most of this inexpensive, fun way to keep fit and spend time with friends and family.”

Some of the cycling events and initiatives coming up in Hertfordshire include

• Cyclesafe at Longfield on 7 June
• Cycling activities at Stevenage Day on 8 June
• Launch of the ILove2Bike programme in schools
• Cycle Challenge for business in Watford, Hemel Hempstead and St Albans in June and July

For more information visit the organiser SweetSpot’s website.