With just one week to go until the big night itself, we’re excited to be revealing the women who have been shortlisted for the final two categories of the inaugural Total Women’s Cycling Awards.
These Awards are set to be the ultimate celebration of the incredible achievement in women’s cycling over the last 12 months. Brought to you in association with The London Bike Show, they have also been greatly supported by VeloVixen.
Although all the awards are prestigious and special, these final two are particularly close to our heart, as these celebrate the women who have gone over and above to champion cycling, and have achieved great things.
The categories are the Outstanding Achievement Award, and the Unsung Cycling Heroine. Please scroll down to find out which amazing women have made the shortlist!
Nominations, Finalists and the Judging Panel
We asked you to nominate whomever you thought deserved recognition for these categories, and share with us why you thought they deserved to win. The finalists represent the women who gained the most votes from our readers overall.
Last week, a judging panel comprising some of the most senior and influential women in the cycling industry met to talk through your selected finalists, and decide which women in each category would be crowned the winner. It was an immensely difficult task, since each finalist is so clearly deserving.
The Judging Panel
- Kellie Parson – Marketing Director, Madison
- Natalie Justice – Women’s Network Project Manager, British Cycling
- Sarah Pain – MTB and Women’s Category Manager, Wiggle
- Chris Garrison – UK Media Relations, Trek
- Weisia Kuczaj – Fusion Media Services Ltd, Team MuleBar Girl rider
- Catherine Litherland – Membership Marketing Manager, British Cycling
Announcing the Winners
Want to find out who won? We’ll be announcing the results of these and all the other categories at a prestigious Awards Ceremony at The London Bike Show on the evening of Thursday 13th February.
The winners of each category will receive the highly coveted Total Women’s Cycling Award – a specially designed and framed AnaNichoola Award Jersey!
In addition, as a special thank you for their incredible work, the winner of the Unsung Cycling Heroine Award will receive a Lush Legends gift box worth £100, and a Team GB jersey kindly provided by British Cycling, signed by the great and good of British Women’s Cycling. This includes Joanna Rowsell, Laura Trott, Dani King, Lizzie Armitstead, Katie Colclough, Amy Roberts, Lucy Garner and Elinor Barker.
Category 15 – Unsung Cycling Heroine Award
We asked you which women you knew who inspired more people to get involved in cycling in their community, who gave up their time or worked to develop ways to encourage others to take to two wheels.
Finalists for Unsung Cycling Heroine Award
- Sara Braidwood – Breeze Co-ordinator for Cheshire and Merseyside
- Sue Booth – Founder of Chester Fabulous Ladies Cycling Club
- Heather Bamforth – Cycling coach and North West volunteer activist promoting women’s road races and events
- Bee Gregorie – British Cycling coach and co-founder of the Kent Velo Girls Cycling Club
- Glynis Francis – Founder of Team Glow, Manchester Women’s Cycling Network
Category 16 – Outstanding Achievement Award
We asked our readers to nominate which woman they felt had achieved something incredible over the last 12 months, whether that was a race or series win, overcoming a challenge, a new world record or a personal victory.
Finalists for Outstanding Achievement Award
- Rachel Atherton – World Champion Downhill mountain bikers
- Hannah Barnes – Pro road cyclist, winner of Johnson Health Tech Tour Series
- Becky James – World Champion track cyclist
- Maria Leijerstam – World-record holding adventure cyclist
- Laura Trott OBE – Double Olympic Gold Medal winning track cyclist
