BOXING DAY

 Cyclists’ uphill battle to shed Xmas lbs 

Cycling fans who stuffed themselves with Christmas dinner will be getting straight back in the saddle on Boxing Day – to slog their way up a notorious Erewash gradient. The annual Bath Street Hill Climb in Ilkeston is expected to see droves of cyclists gather to pedal to the top of town as crowds cheer them on. Erewash council is closing the route to traffic from 8am to 2pm on December 26. 

Ilkeston Cycle Club, which holds the event, has been selling tickets to take part -- £6  for adults and £3 for under-16s. An online post by the club, which was founded in 2017 and has 360 active members, promises: “There will be cash prizes, loads of banter, everyone is welcome and it’s always one to remember!” Another Facebook message included a sunshine tracker and declared: “The weather looks perfect for Boxing Day and it’s destined to be a vintage year.” Bath Street will be closed to traffic from its junction with Stamford Street and Pelham Street to the Market Place.Councillor Claire Marie Poole, who is Erewash’s Lead Member for Health and Wellbeing, said:  “The Bath Street Hill Climb is the perfect way to shake off the effects of too much turkey and Christmas pud. It has become a great annual spectacle.”