October 23, 2014 1.37 pm This story is over 113 months old

Olympic cyclist praises Lincoln Access LN6 project

Cycling project: Olympic medalist Bryan Steel congratulated the County Council on its project to promote city cycling.

Bryan Steel at the cycle event.

Double Olympic cycling medallist Bryan Steel has praised the Access LN6 project for its work promoting cycling around Lincoln.

The bronze and silver Olympic medallist was in Lincoln to present Lincs Cycle Challenge prizes at a cycling celebration event, which is organised by the Access LN6 team at Lincolnshire County Council.

He said: “The work that Lincolnshire County Council is doing in Lincoln is fantastic. The fact that cycling has almost doubled in Lincoln since 2012, and more people are choosing to commute to work by bike, shows just how much demand there is for cycling in the local area.

“It is a real achievement for Lincoln and something I hope can continue in the future.”

The event at The Showroom on Tritton Road helped attending cyclists get free bike maintenance, cycle security, HGV safety awareness, children’s activities and more.

The event later celebrated the winners of the four week Lincs Cycle Challenge throughout September and October.

Prizes were given to companies and individuals such as Grantham District Hospital, Mouchel, Simons and Rockstar Lincoln.

Winners of the top prize of a brand new bike worth £500 were Paul Banton from Ruddocks and Hayley Flint from The Showroom, and other individual prizes included D-Locks, cycling accessories and helmets.

In total, 1,300 people from 100 local businesses registered for the challenge. Cyclists saved almost £10,000 in fuel, burnt more than one million calories and saved 10,000kg of CO2. Collectively, they cycled 30,000 miles.

Councillor Richard Davies, Executive Councillor for Highways and Transportation, said: “The Lincs Cycle Challenge encourages people to give cycling a go. Whether you want to start commuting to work, or just cycle more for leisure, we’re encouraging people to get on their bikes and have fun.

“The challenge has been a real success and we hope more people will consider cycling more often.”