Eelmoor circuit in Hampshire - what's it like?

greeny12

Rather rashly I've signed up to a 4th Cat event at the Eelmoor Driver Training Circuit to be my first ever cycle race.

Anybody raced there before? If so, what can I expect of the circuit and are there any tips specific to it I should bear in mind?

Cheers!

paddlemyowncanoe

Essentially 2 half mile straights with a tight hairpin at each end. So position going into the last hairpin before the final sprint is crucial. People do get pedal strike but you will need to get the power on in the bend to avoid getting gapped. Breaks do get away and if you think you are strong and find you have help, I'd go for that tactic as the bunch can be lazy at Eelmore.

It's good for experience but not very interesting tactically and definitely not scenically.

Zero facilities. Like, zero.

Monty Dog

It's about 10 minutes from home and I know it very well. It's 0.9 miles round and the bottom bend is effectively is a tight 180 - the top one is far more open. The back straight is slightly downhill and you can easily enter the bottom bend at full chat and crashes aren't unknown. Don't try and pedal around the bottom - simply set it up for a big sweep and get the power-down on the exit. Finish is slightly uphill and line is a lot further than you think - quite often there's a headwind too and many sprint has started too soon and ended in ignominy. Racing can be quite negative and break-aways often stay away. As it's your first race, your aim is to finish with the bunch, nothing more TBH.

greeny12

Cheers guys - appreciated.

Frankly, if I can finish in the bunch I'll be doing handsprings - fully expecting to be dropped although I'll do my best to not be...