Brighton woman honoured in Cycling UK's 100 Women in Cycling

Tess Agnew works as a fitness copywriter, blogger and social media marketer. She is an ambassador for This Girl Can and a British Cycling Breeze Champion.

Tess leads bike rides for women around Sussex and with Sustrans, leads bike clubs for teenage girls in secondary schools. She works to break down barriers, helps women build up skills and confidence and works to close the gender gap.

She joins TV presenter and personality, Gail Porter, four-time Olympic gold medal winner Laura Kenny CBE and Olympic gold-medallist Nicole Cooke MBE in the cycling charity’s list recognising significant achievements in promoting women’s cycling. 

The women have all been recognised in celebration of the amazing work they have done to inspire other women to get on their bikes as part of the national cycling charity’s Women’s Festival of Cycling which ran until the end of July. 

Although the number of women cycling has increased during lockdown, men are still cycling nearly twice as much as women. The Women’s Festival of Cycling aimed to address that imbalance by inspiring more women to get in the saddle. 

Other well-known names who have made the list include Isabeau Courdurier, the youngest woman to have won the Enduro World Series; Lizzie Deignan, Olympic medallist and 2015 World Road Race Champion; and cycle touring author Bettina Selby.  

The list also includes less well-known names who have been working tirelessly at grassroots level to encourage more women to ride. People like Tess.

She said: “Everyone’s lives can be enhanced in so many ways by cycling – it’s accessible for all.”

Helen Cook, Cycling UK’s head of engagement, said: “Every woman on our list is an incredible ambassador for women’s cycling, and with the surge in interest in cycling over the past few months we want to make sure women continue to get on their bikes and more women join them.  

“During the festival we are asking women who cycle to share pictures of their rides with us using the hashtag #BeYouByBike to show the fun, freedom and adventure we can all have on a bike.” 

Gail Porter said: “I absolutely love cycling; I love it to bits. I wouldn’t be without my bike. When I get on my bike, with no idea where I am going, it just makes me feel really happy. My bike is like my little sanctuary.” 

To find out more about the festival and to see a full list of nominees, visit: cyclinguk.org/womensfestival