Calling all budding designers and cycling enthusiasts, this is your chance to design a jersey for the winners of the Women’s Tour stages as it passes through our region.
The Women’s Tour cycle race is heading to our region on October 8-9, and as the riders flash past on their way through, it’s the colourful jerseys that will enable spectators to pick out their favourites and cheer them on.
The jerseys are an important part of the kit for the 16 teams that will be taking part, and in the build-up to the event, partners across Suffolk and Essex have come together with the East of England Co-op to launch a competition to design a jersey to be presented to the winners of the stages that pass through our region.
Are you a budding designer? Are you creative? Do you love cycling? Then this is the competition for you!
Winners will receive four VIP hospitality tickets for either the stage start or finish, a jersey in their design to keep and the opportunity to present their jersey design to the winner of either Stage 4, 5 or 6 of the Women’s Tour.
East of England Co-op’s joint chief executive, Niall O’Keeffe, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting this exciting leg of the Women’s Tour and the Design a Jersey competition. It’s fantastic that part of the Women’s Tour is coming through our region and we look forward to giving the competitors a very warm welcome.”
There will be four winners in total, with two age categories – under 15s and over 15s – for both Stage 5 and Stage 6.
A selection of six entries from each stage competition (three for under 15s and three for over 15s) will be shortlisted by a panel of judges and published in the East Anglian Daily Times for the public to vote for their favourites.
Frinton-based Clover Murray, whose team CAMS-Basso Bikes will be competing in the Women’s Tour, will be helping to judge the competition.
"I'm really excited to see the Women's Tour return this year,” she said. “It's one of the best races in the world and having a stage so close to home is brilliant. It's also wonderful to see people getting behind the Women's Tour and I'm looking forward to judging this competition.
“I really hope that CAMS-Basso and all the racers involved will inspire the next generation to cycle when they see us come through their towns and villages."
The winners of each category must be available on October 8 or 9 to present their winning jersey design to the winners at the start or finish of the respective stage. Winners will be notified week commencing September 6.
Stage 5 competition – presented on Friday, October 8
The winner of the under 15s category will present to the Stage 4 winner in Colchester and the over 15s winner will present to the Stage 5 winner in Clacton.
Stage 6 competition – presented on Saturday, October 9
The winner of the under 15s will present to the Stage 5 winner in Haverhill and the over 15s winner will present to the Stage 6 winner in Felixstowe.
Full details about the race and routes can be found on the Women’s Tour website at www.womenstour.co.uk
HOW TO ENTER
1. Download the jersey template at www.keepmovingsuffolk.com/design-a-jersey/
2. Design your jersey either by hand or digitally.
3. Upload your design via the form on the website by the deadline of Sunday, August 22.
4. Remember to state whether you are entering the Stage 5 or Stage 6 competition.
Full terms and conditions can be found on the website.
TOP TIPS
There’s no limit on the number of colours, so feel free to go wild!
Keep within the design template to enable the printers to match your design as closely as possible.
If you need some inspiration, check out the colourful jersey designs for this year’s Women’s Tour teams, or have a look at www.thecyclejersey.com
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