The Cycling National Road Championships come to Lincoln on Sunday 17 October with two top class races on an 8-mile circuit that includes Long Leys Road. The events feature a number of high-profile riders including current men’s national champion, Ben Swift (wearing number 1) and Mark Cavendish (wearing number 38), who this summer equalled the record number of stage victories in the Tour de France (34 stage victories). On the women’s side, Alice Barnes (wearing number 1) will be defending her title.
The women’s race starts at 9am from Castle Square and is 8 laps of the course (63 miles). The men’s race starts at 1pm and is 13 laps of the course (103 miles).
Long Leys Road Access and Stewarding
As for previous events, a one-way system will be introduced for the day on Long Leys Road with inward access from the A57 only and outward access via Yarborough Road. Side road access onto Long Leys Road will be managed by volunteer stewards. Please do listen to the instructions of the stewards who are there to protect the safety of both riders and residents.
If you are thinking of using your car between 8:30am and 4:30pm on Sunday 17 October then do allow extra time for your journey as there will inevitably be 10-20 minute delays for residents to get out of side roads. Access to Long Leys Road will not be possible at all between approx. 8:30am and 9:20am (when the first lap of the women’s race should be complete). The closure is to ensure that the course can be checked for hazards, including cars parked in a hazardous position on the route. Access will then be available every 15-20 minutes as each lap progresses. The trigger to opening Long Leys Road to access will be after the “sweep police BMW with a blue flashing light” has gone through. Long Leys Road will stay open until the race comes round again and the closures will be triggered by a lead police motorbike.
Timings may be adjusted for safety reasons, such as a racing crash.
Where to Watch the Race
Anywhere on Long Leys Road is a good place to watch the race from, with the spectacle of the peloton and the accompanying support vehicles, as it is less crowded than the start/finish area of Castle Hill and it is also easier to see lone breakaways trying to keep clear of the chasing pack before the uphill finish. This year we will have our Speed Indicator Device (SID) by the Curtis bakery, and this may give a guide to the speed of the cyclists!
When watching the race, do bear in mind there will be a number of support vehicles following the cyclists.
You can find out more about this and other races at: http://www.lincolngrandprix.co.uk/site/
Route Map
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