Next weekend seven women will embark upon a 500 mile time trial of the North Coast, aiming to complete the ride in under 36 hours. Their goal: to spread the word about a new group that exists to inspire women to reach their own targets.
The North Highlands don’t present the easiest of riding terrain, in fact the route covers over 10,000 metres of climbing. The clock will be ticking noisily, though, as the group want to beat the time recorded by endurance cyclist Mark Beaumont.
The ride on 14 and 15 May will mark the launch of the Adventure Syndicate, a new cycling organisation that aims to encourage women to achieve goals they did not believe possible.
The Adventure Syndicate was an idea that sprung from the brain of former Scottish and UK mountain bike champion, Lee Craigie. Though she spent many years in competition, she wants to harness the passions of women all over the world – celebrating endurance, cooperation, and collaboration above all.
“All too often, the physical appearance of a female athlete is the first thing that is considered, rather than her skill and ability.” – Lee Craigie
Explaining her motivations, she said: “We feel it is time to present women in cycling in a different light. All too often, the physical appearance of a female athlete is the first thing that is considered, rather than her skill and ability. Less combative approaches to triumphing over challenges are rarely celebrated in the sporting world, or the world in general. It’s time these things changed.”
