Liverpool is renowned worldwide for its sporting heritage. As well as boasting two Premier League football clubs, the city also hosts the Grand National horse race and is one of the locations on the Open Golf Championship rota. The region has also produced many professional boxers including world champions John Conteh, Paul Hodkinson, Liam Smith and Tony Bellew. And current Heptathlon world champion Katrina Johnson-Thompson is also from Liverpool.
Cycling heritage
The city also has strong links to cycling and was home to one of Britain’s earliest cycling clubs which was formed in 1869 just two years after the first bicycle had been sold. The same year, the city also hosted one of the country’s first road races, an event which drew thousands of spectators.
More recently, Liverpool was chosen as the finishing location for the 2008 Tour of Britain and the starting location for the 2014 edition. The city has also hosted other stages of the event. The stages for the 2020 edition have yet to be announced but cycling fans will be keeping an eye on the latest news as well as the cycling betting odds when the full details are announced early next year. The hope of seeing home-grown stars such as Chris Froome – now on the road to recovery, after a major crash at last year’s Tour de France – Geraint Thomas or Mark Cavendish take part will be a huge draw for traditional and new spectators alike.
When it comes to cycling for leisure, the city has plenty to offer. The coastline that runs from the north to the south of the city is spectacular and there are many other countryside areas that can be explored by bike. In truth, the city has not always got it right when it comes to making the most of what it has to offer to cyclists but that could all be about to change.
Green corridors scheme
As part of plans to improve the highways network, Liverpool city council is launching a green corridors initiative as part of a new urban project to improve roads for all users with a strong focus on cycling. The council has appointed actor, TV presenter and keen cyclist Simon O’Brien as its cycling champion following his involvement in the Green and Open Spaces review in which he cycled over 1500 miles to identify possible cycling routes in the area.
Part of the plan will involve the creation of a 30-mile riverside cycling route that would connect the southern and northern shorelines. Other green routes, linking and using the city’s parks, will also be created throughout the city in response to the upsurge in interest in cycling in the city over the past few years.
Inspiring the next generation
A dedicated green corridor network would open up the city for cyclists and help to create a cleaner environment for future generations. It could also help the city to produce more professional cyclists to follow in the footsteps of double Tour of Britain classification winner Mark McNally, four-time National Road Championships winner Matt Brammeier and former Vuelta de Espana and Tour de France stage winner Steve Cummings.