Wyke Community Sports Village in Bradford is set to host the highly anticipated British Cycling’s National Youth Circuit Championships for 2023 this weekend. The event will take place on Saturday, 8 July, starting at 9 am, and will feature races for U10s and U12s, followed by heats for the Under 16 Boys. The finals will take place in the afternoon. Young cyclists from across the country will converge at the venue to showcase their skills and compete for the prestigious title.
The event is organised and run by volunteers from East Bradford Cycling Club, which happens to be the oldest club in Bradford, established in 1899. The club has made the new circuit at Wyke Community Sports Village its permanent home and is known for conducting regular Saturday morning coaching sessions for children aged 2-18, encompassing various cycling disciplines.
Wyke Community Sports Village, the first of three multi-sports hubs in the district, has been developed as part of the Council’s Sports Pitches Investment Programme in collaboration with Sport England, British Cycling, The Premier League, The FA, and the Government’s Football Foundation. The facility has received a generous funding of £495,000 from Sport England and British Cycling through the Places to Ride initiative, as well as an additional £500,000 from the Football Foundation.
The sports village not only caters to the hosting of events like the National Youth Circuit Championships but also serves as a new home for local sports clubs. It boasts an array of amenities, including an all-weather football pitch, three improved grass pitches, a community and changing pavilion, and a close loop cycle track with cyclo-cross facilities.
Expressing her delight, Cllr Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said, “We’re delighted that our fantastic new Wyke Sports village has been chosen to host this amazing event. It will be great to see the facilities being used by these young athletes. I hope they have a fantastic time competing, best of luck to all taking part.”
Mandy Parker, the Chief Coach of East Bradford Cycling Club, also shared her enthusiasm, stating, “The new venue is superb, providing so many different opportunities for children to enjoy cycling, whether it is having fun learning new skills or taking their cycling to a professional level. We feel privileged to have been able to work closely with Bradford Council in every step of the development and have helped shape what you see today. The local community has welcomed us, and we are seeing growing numbers of children from the local areas start their cycling journey with us.”
The British Cycling’s National Youth Circuit Championships at Wyke Community Sports Village promises to be an exciting and memorable event, showcasing the incredible talent of young cyclists from all corners of the country.
