British cycling announces equal prize money for National Women's Road Series

British Cycling have announced that the prize money for the National Women's Road Series will be equal to the Men's Spring Cup and Grand Prix Series.

While the prize money for individual races will still be decided by their organisers, each series will have a prize pot of £10,000 meaning a combined prize award of £30,000.

The overall series winners will get £3,000 while the rider in second will earn £2,000, third place will receive £1,000 and the winning team awarded £4,000.

British Cycling director, Jonny Clay, said: "We're committed to getting one million more women on bikes by 2020 and equal prize money was a big part of this ambition when we launched our strategy three years ago.

"More and more women are getting involved in cycling, particularly at a competitive level, and we are confident that moves such as this one are heading in the right direction of addressing the historic gender divide in our sport."

The Women's National Road Series consists of nine domestic races starting at the Tour of the Wolds on April 9 and concluding at the Ryedale Grand Prix on August 9.

The announcement comes shortly after it was decided that Junior Women would start racing their own individual events instead of racing among their seniors.

Clay told Total Women's Cycling: "The opportunity to stage a standalone women's race has come about due to the surge in numbers of competitors eligible to race."

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