Manx Telecom announced as headline sponsor for Manx round of British Cycling National Road Race Series

Manx Telecom is pleased to announce it has become the headline sponsor for the Manx round of the annual British Cycling National Road Race Series.

The Isle of Man has been selected as a host venue for Round Four of the 2022 Series, an elite competition for the top male and female British professional and amateur domestic racing teams.

This year’s event will see four stages being held around the Island over three days from Friday 22^nd July to Sunday 24^th July with racing expected to be broadcast widely across a range of platforms.

Stage One on Friday evening will see the riders tackling laps of a super-fast 1.1km circuit around the Isle of Man Business Park with the finish line immediately in front of Manx Telecom’s headquarters. This stage featured in the 2019 National Road Race Series when it was won by Olympic Gold medallist Ed Clancy OBE.

Stages Two and Three on Saturday switch to the North of the Island with a circuit race on the Jurby Raceway in the morning, followed by a 10-mile Individual Time Trial in the afternoon. Sunday will see the most difficult stage of the event, with a challenging road race over 55 miles for the women and 83 miles for the men. The route will include a lap of the TT Course followed by a trip through the Baldwin villages and the climb of Injebreck.

Around 200 of the best cyclists in Britain and Ireland are expected to take part, accompanied by team personnel, race officials and journalists. Local Manx cycling talent will be well represented in both the men’s and women’s races. The leading rider in each event will wear the Manx Telecom Blue Leader’s Jersey while the leading Manx rider will don the Synapse 360 White Jersey.

Manx Telecom is also the telecommunications partner for the event and will be supporting the large army of volunteers involved, including providing the volunteer’s raffle draw prize.

Gary Lamb, Manx Telecom CEO, said it was a pleasure to sponsor the event, adding that it will be “another highlight” on the Island’s sporting calendar.

“Cycling is such a popular sport on the Island, attracting the very young all the way up to some very senior veterans so it is fantastic to see this elite road racing series return to our shores,” he said.

“Much credit must be given to the Manx International organising team who clearly have the full confidence of British Cycling in staging such a major event on the Island once again.  We look forward to a great weekend of racing and hope that spectators will come out in force to cheer on the riders.”

Richard Fletcher, one of the Manx International organising team, said that hosting a round of the National Road Race Series was good publicity for the Isle of Man and the Island’s selection as a venue also reflected the top standards being reached by local riders.

“The Isle of Man is well known in cycling circles for producing talented riders and it is a great opportunity for our elite cyclists to take on competitors on their home ground,” he said. “It’s also a fabulous chance for the Manx public to see the drama and spectacle of high level cycling competition right on their doorstep.

“We are grateful to everyone at Manx Telecom for their support, both financially and technically, for this event.

“Manx Telecom has always been a great supporter of the Manx cycling community and it will be brilliant to see the race leaders competing for those distinctive blue and white jerseys on these stages.”