TWO Bradford woman have become two of the first people to be awarded the UK’s inaugural “Real Yellow Jersey” for their everyday cycling heroics.

Ten jerseys, hand-knitted in Tour de France yellow, have been presented by Cycling UK to people who have used cycling to change their lives and inspire more of us to ride our bikes.

Farzana Khan, a paediatric dietician and mother-of-three, set herself the challenge to learn to ride a bike before she turned 40. Thanks to help from a local Cycling UK Community Cycle Club she is now enjoying cycling with her children.

She was not always able to ride a bike but was determined to learn before turning 40 so she and her children could enjoy cycling together as a family.

“I think it was fear that prevented me from learning as a child,” she said. “I remember my dad trying to teach me when I was 13, and he was saying ‘just let go’ and I just wouldn’t. After that I never revisited it.”

Last year her two eldest children were riding with stabilisers, but not yet able to balance on their bikes she felt it was time they all took the next step.

Farzana and her two children, aged nine and five at the time, were taught by Mumtaz Khan, founder of Onna Bikes, and Farzana recognised that having a group where her whole family could learn together made the world of difference.

“Mumtaz has been fantastic,” she said. “She’s been a pillar of support. Without her I wouldn’t have felt as confident, and I would’ve kept thinking that at my age I should really know how to ride, people might make fun of me. But honestly the group was amazing, really down-to-earth; anyone can come.

“They’re so friendly and make me feel welcome – it’s such a diverse group of people whether it’s gender, race, religion or creed, they’re all there enjoying riding together.”

Keen cyclist Rebecca thought her cycling days may be over when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2016, but thanks to a more suitable bike she has not let her condition get in the way of her life-long passion and she joined a women’s cycle club in Bradford called Girls Gotta Ride.

She began cycling at a very young age and even spent her very first wage packet, at the age of sixteen, on a new set of wheels.

But after being diagnosed with MS, a lifelong condition affecting the brain and/or spinal cord, Rebecca didn’t want to stop cycling.

She joined a women’s cycle club in Bradford called Girls Gotta Ride, which aims to attract black and Asian women, as female ethnic minorities are vastly underrepresented in cycling.

“They cycled by the side of me, encouraging me to carry on,” said Rebecca. “My favourite thing about cycling is that I’m out free and I can feel the wind.”

Far from letting her condition slow her down, Rebecca has now expanded her cycling world by training as a cycle mechanic.

“I learnt in three days, which was quick! They said it normally takes a week to learn to fix a bike from scratch,” she said.

Jenny Box, Head of Behaviour Change in England, said: “We wanted to celebrate all those amazing people across the country who are getting back on their bikes, changing their lives and helping others to do the same.

“Farzana and Rebecca are two of the real heroes of cycling whose skills, commitment and personal journeys are helping the nation reap the benefits of two wheels.

“The Real Yellow Jersey is also a symbol of everything that’s to be celebrated about everyday cycling and an encouragement for more people to get in the saddle.”

In the Tour de France, the yellow jersey has been worn by the overall leader since its introduction to the race 100 years ago in 1919. It is an iconic sporting symbol recognised throughout the world and held by only eight British riders in the tour’s 116-year history.

But Cycling UK’s Real Yellow Jersey recognises that cycling isn’t just about sport; it’s an everyday activity for leisure, transport and health, and part of a solution to many of society’s biggest problems from climate change and air pollution to obesity and mental health issues.

Each ‘jersey knit’ garment took eight hours to complete. Created in canary yellow they are a stylish symbol of real cycling excellence.

Chris Boardman, policy advisor for British Cycling, won three stages of the Tour de France and wore the yellow jersey on three separate occasions. He said: “The Real Yellow Jersey for the everyday heroes of cycling really shines a light on how cycling can turn lives around, improving health, fitness and wellbeing and I applaud all the recipients for their achievements.”