The Jef Schils Memorial race comes back to our Essex lanes on the first Sunday in September every year. With great feedback from sponsors, riders and supporters every year, this cycling event continues to be one of the best races in the area. The Jef Schils Memorial race is a British Cycling, Belgian cultured cycle race for categories E/1/2/3. Great riders from the UK and International race not only for the win but to be Champion of the Hot Spot Sprints. Starting at The Marks Tey hotel near Colchester which is the perfect headquarters and the ideal location for the riders to prepare for the race, the perfect area to watch and support the race is at The Hare and Hounds Pub in Layer Breton where the sprint line and finish area is. Have a beer and some food on the green with the ambiance of music and live commentary. Jef Schils was born at Kersbeek-Miskom on 4th September 1931 and died in Zellik Belgium on the 3rd of March 2007. As a cyclist he quickly made an impact. As a youth, he won 87 races. In the Independent category he won 18 of the 19 races in which he started - the only one he didn't win being the Belgian Championship where he broke his frame. He became National Professional Belgium Champion in 1952. As a 20 year old, one day before he had to start his 2 year Military Service, despite his limited training opportunities because of his military service, in 1953 he won the 293km long Paris-Tours with a record average of 43.53 km per hour. Despite the many set backs in his career, he won 108 Professional road cycling races amongst them many semi-classics. His nickname was “Little Coppi”, because the great Fausto who regarded him to be one of his best friends. Eddy Merckx claimed that because his father was a great supporter of Jef and took him to watch Jef race it stimulated Eddy’s desire to start racing himself. Along with Jef’s super cycling career, his passion for Schils Bikes started in 1948. Since then, Jef’s son Patrick Schils was also Belgian Professional cyclist and moved to England in 1983 where he met his wife Nickie and started his family business Velo Schils Interbike, selling custom built Schils Bikes, clothes and accessories, based in Marks Tey, Colchester - where the signing on for the event is.