European Cycle Speedway Championships come to Wigan for first time ever

Video report and article by Granada Reports journalist Claire Hannah

A fast-paced dirt track sprint event which sees cyclists ride as quick as possible with no brakes is headed to the North West for the first time ever.

Hundreds of cycling fans are expected to flock to Wigan as the European Cycle Speedway Championships, one of cycling's lesser known disciplines, takes place.

The International Cycle Speedway Federation has confirmed the tournament will be staged at Astley and Tyldesley Cycle Speedway club after it was cancelled in 2021 due to the pandemic.

What is Cycle Speedway?

Cycle speedway is a fast-paced dirt track sprint event, with up to four riders racing four laps of a 70 metre oval track, over several rounds, in order to win points.

The bikes have no brakes, no suspension and only one low gear.

Its origins are obscure as it was around in the 1920s, but it really took off in the aftermath of World War Two on bomb sites around East London.

Simply, it was groups of teenage lads with nothing to do, who decided to imitate motorcycle speedway, but on their rickety old push bikes on makeshift tracks in the rubble.

Like its motorbike counterpart it was four riders, riding four laps, as fast as they could go.

Their kit was home made, they wore battered old crash helmets, and what started out as a bit of fun soon started to draw large crowds.

It wasn’t long before the sport had spread to all corners of the UK, with over 3,000 teams.

Races were televised, and national newspapers followed the results.

By the late 1950s cycle speedway began to get official recognition with The National Amateur Cycle Speedway Association set up to oversee it.

But as the bomb sites were cleared and many potential riders drafted away for National Service, this heyday was short lived, but the sport still exists and is still thriving.

There is a national league, UK competitions are run annually and world championships biannually, alternating with the European championships.

Today cycle speedway is overseen by British Cycling and there are approximately 40 clubs in the UK.

One of those clubs is Astley and Tyldesley Cycle Speedway Club at the Gin Pit in Tyldesley.

Club founder Mike Hack invited ITV news to one of the training sessions which are held every Tuesday night, and you'd have to go a long way to find someone as passionate about cycle speedway as Mike.

Mike traces his roots into it back to his primary school days in Manchester.

During his 55 years in the sport he has represented Great Britain in the inaugural Ashes series against Australia and supported the ongoing development of the sport as a referee, event organiser and club volunteer.

Mike founded Astley and Tyldesley Cycle Speedway club in 1989 and built the original track himself with two friends, on a shoestring budget.

Thanks to funding from British Cycling in 2016 it was rebuilt with new fencing, drainage and shale to create what we see today.

Mike says the appeal of cycle speedway is clear: "We welcome people from all backgrounds - some need help to get started, and others come ready to help others as volunteers, but it’s certainly not elitist.

"It’s fun to ride on the track, and you can get straight on there to give it a try.

"Many of our clubs run sessions where there isn’t formal racing or the pressure of competition, and riders can then just develop at their own pace.

"Just the camaraderie of being part of a team is enough for some riders, and there really is something for everybody."

As we found out when we visited the Gin Pit, the club is a real heart of community.

It supports riders from the ages of four to 75 to get on their bike, including Jonah, four, who agreed to let us put a go-pro on him.

Jonah has been riding a bike since he was two but was too young to go to the Velodrome in Manchester so started coming here.

He now has his own specially made cycle speedway bike and his mum told ITV news "we love it, it's fun and a safe place for him to ride his bike".

Some more youngsters at the training session also made it very clear having fun is a big part of why they go, along with being able to "push people".

Cycle speedway is very competitive, each race lasts approximately 45 seconds for the four laps as the riders go full pelt and slide their left foot along the track as they race round the turns.

Physical contact is legal and often necessary so you will often see riders elbowing each other out of the way.

The appeal of cycle speedway isn't just limited to cyclists.

Burnley FC's Adam Phillips, who has recently been out on loan at Accrington Stanley and Morecambe started riding for Astley and Tyldesley Cycle Speedway Club at the age of four.

He is a three-time British speedway champion, and combined his cycling with football as he was also part of Liverpool FC's Under 18s academy.

Adam retired from cycle speedway at the age of 16 after he was called up for Liverpool's pre-season tour of the USA in 2016 but has turned out again for Astley and Tyldesley as recently as 2019.

The European Cycle Speedway Championships take place at Astley and Tyldesley Cycle Speedway Club at the Gin Pit in Tyldesley on the 29, 30 and 31 July 2022.

Admission is free.