Hundreds of workers from across York have cycled over 102,519 miles in the York Cycle Challenge – the equivalent of cycling over four times around the world.
The three week challenge started on the 16 June and ended on 6 July, the same day as Stage Two of the Tour de France Grand Depart set off from York.
The challenge between workplaces aims to introduce as many newcomers to cycling as possible. Participants logged their cycling online and a variety of prizes were on offer for individuals and teams.
This year’s challenge saw an even greater number of businesses sign up, 82 organisations competed and clocked up the greatest percentage of staff cycling with 1519 individuals participating. Even more new cyclists signed up this year as 365 individuals cycled for the first time in over a year to help their workplace ride to victory.
Bettys Tearoom donated a years supply of Yorkshire Tea and CycleStreet put up a bike worth £1000 as a prize. 200 cinema tickets from City Screen Picturehouse were awarded both to those encouraged to ride for the first time in a year or more and to those who did the encouraging. The winning teams receive the highly sought after York Cycle Challenge certificate and are presented with a scrumptious cycling jersey cake.
The winning teams are:
500+ Size Category – Portakabin Group, 14% of staff cycled
200 – 499 Size Category – TSYS, 18% of staff cycled
50 – 199 Size Category – Economics – University of York, 59% of staff cycled
20 – 49 Size Category – Logopak International Ltd, 100% of staff cycled
7 – 19 Size Category – Childcare Strategy Service – City of York Council, 100% of staff cycled
3 – 6 Size Category – IT – Logopak International Ltd, 100% of staff cycled
The annual York Cycle Challenge is supported by City of York Council’s i-Travel York initiative, made possible by £4.6 million of government funding which the council successfully bid for in 2011.
All results and spot prize winners are published at www.lovetoride.net/york
Many thanks to CycleStreet, Bettys Tearoom, Grand Opera House York, Lost Earth Adventures, Mi Pilates, Scoot Cycling Holidays, Shannons Cycles, York Cookery School, York Sports Village, York Yoga Studio and York Sports Massage all for donating prizes this year.