Sheffield Grand Prix: City comes alive for cycling race

It started in 2013 and has been a key part of the British Cycling National Circuit Race Series.

Participants came from all across the UK to compete on a 1.4km city circuit with 118 competitors including 49 youth riders. Former Olympic gold medallist, Ed Clancy OBE, who is also the South Yorkshire Active Travel Commissioner, presented and joined the community ride before the races started.

The competitive race on Wednesday, July 17, began with a series of youth races starting at 5.55pm, finishing at 9.30pm with podium presentations.

The circuit was in the city centre in Sheffield for the first time. Beyond the races, the event village in the Peace Gardens offers a variety of attractions for spectators, including food stalls, bike stands, and entertainment.

Lord mayor of Sheffield Jayne Dunn said: “If you’ve never experienced this, even if you do not cycle still come along to this. The atmosphere is just great here and it is a nice evening out to see the best of this city.”

The event saw a good turnout with thousands of spectators.

Marc Etches, the event director, said: “It’s busy tonight. There are lots of people. It is probably the biggest crowd we have had in 10 years.”

You can find more about the Sheffield Grand Prix here.