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Two of the UK’s most prominent cycling cities faced off in a bid to get the most new cyclists to take part in a cycle challenge.
York beat Cambridge, with the former attracting 134 new cyclists and the latter 111.
The good natured competition was part of the York Cycle Challenge – a three-week long competition aimed primarily at getting major employers across York to encourage their staff onto bikes.
The combined efforts over the period resulted in preventing 20,201 kilograms of CO2 being released into the environment – enough to fill over four million balloons.
Graham Titchener, programme manager for Cycling City York, said: “I am absolutely thrilled that the York Cycle Challenge was so well received by the employers of York; it’s fantastic that so many large organisations chose to be a part of it.”
Businesses, schools, colleges and other organisations took part in categories according to their size. The overall winners of each category were:
-500+ staff: The industrial division at Shepherd Group
-200-499 staff: The University of York’s biology department
-50-199 staff: The Environment Agency
-40-49 staff: The Stockholm Environment Institute at The University of York
-7-19 staff: The Environment Agency
-3-6 staff: The ILT department at York College
Titchener added: “On behalf of the Cycling City York team, I’d like to say well done and thank you to everyone who logged their journeys on the challenge website, and congratulations to the many prizes winners. By cycling to and from work, people are helping to make York a cleaner, greener and safer city for everyone. It’s also really pleasing that York was victorious in the battle to see which of the cycling cities could attract the most new cyclists to take part.
“I think that the York Cycle Challenge was a fitting finale to the three-year Cycling City York programme. It has also helped to cement York’s reputation as one of the UK’s most cycle friendly cities, and confirms its status as a national leader when it comes to championing cycling and other forms of sustainable transport.”
The Challenge was organised in conjunction CTC Challenge for Change.
For more details head to www.yorkcyclechallenge.org.uk
