A CYCLING competition between 12 Bradford primary schools will take place this week, to celebrate the UCI Road World Championships coming to Yorkshire.

The competition, organised by Bradford Council’s Sport and Cultures Adventure Development Unit, is being held between 16th and 20th September, at Horsfall Stadium.

The UCI Road World Championships is being held across Yorkshire, with some of the races running through Bradford. It is an annual, international competition for bicycle road racing and has been held since 1921.

One of the races, the Women Elite Road Race which takes place on Saturday 28th September, begins in City Park and will work its way through Lister Park, Shipley, Baildon and Hollins Hill. The following day’s Men Elite Road Race comes through the Bradford district via Ilkley and Addingham.

To mark its arrival, children from Westminster C of E, Merlin Top, Fagley, Bowling Park, Parkwood, Lapage, Lower Fields, Copthorne, Horton Park, Burley Oaks, Reevy Hill and Victoria primary schools, all in Bradford, will take part in their own cycling competition at Horsfall.

All those taking part will receive a certificate and there will be medals for the winners, which will be awarded at the end of each day.

The school who wins the overall competition will be presented with a framed UCI Rainbow t-shirt.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “we are really looking forward to the Yorkshire 2019 UCI Road World Championships coming to Bradford. Access to top level sporting activities is really important for our local children to help them to be inspired by these role models.”

Councillor Ferriby also mentioned how the competition can help to improve community cohesion in Bradford, saying “it’s great to see that children from across the whole of the district from different backgrounds will be able to get together to take part in this sporting competition.”

In addition to the children’s’ competition, there will also be a conference held specifically aimed at women and girls, but still open to all, taking place on 19th September. It runs from 9.30am to 4.30pm at the Dubrovnik Hotel, on Oak Avenue.

Multiple organisations will be presenting at the event., while attendees can also take part in cycling yoga and cycle rides in nearby Lister Park, and are therefore encouraged to bring their own bicycles, with secure bike storage available.

The conference is free and lunch and refreshments will also be provided.