Surrey Cycle Classic (i.e. Olympics test run)

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Comments

  • bikergirl17
    bikergirl17 Posts: 344
    mroli: have you looked at the road closures / amt of diversions maps? if it turns out that is only for cars, and i am can amble by on a bike, then yes, i am out of line (and i hope that is the case ... watching the tdf in london in 2007 was brilliant).

    i tried very very hard to get a bracelet for access, but it appears the majority were allocated to residents in surrey or richmond/kingston councils or a few lucky to snag through cycling plus. ironically, those of us in central london weren't given a drawing by our council for the mall bracelets ... and the route -- at least according to the maps -- is blocking off much of my neighborhood.
  • Mark Bom
    Mark Bom Posts: 184
    bikergirl17 wrote:
    mroli: have you looked at the road closures / amt of diversions maps? if it turns out that is only for cars, and i am can amble by on a bike, then yes, i am out of line (and i hope that is the case ... watching the tdf in london in 2007 was brilliant).

    Yeah, this is what confuses me! I appreciate and understand that cars will be stopped, but surely bikes will be allowed to get to the unrestricted areas in Surrey that don't need a wrist band?

    I've checked various sites and, unless I've been a bit 'fick', can't find a definitive answer.
  • snipz
    snipz Posts: 85
    I'm wondering if there will be a big screen at The Mall to watch proceedings?
  • bornagaincycler
    bornagaincycler Posts: 87
    We are not looking to break windows & riot, we are simply looking to view a cycle race! It was no problem cycling down to watch the TDF in Kent, why is this so seemingly restrictive?? Is it that LOCOG want to restrict it to corporate & paying customers & not to the great british public? I reckon just ride your bike down a side road & watch, there wont be that much security to stop you surely????
  • SLX01
    SLX01 Posts: 338
    Mark Bom wrote:
    bikergirl17 wrote:
    mroli: have you looked at the road closures / amt of diversions maps? if it turns out that is only for cars, and i am can amble by on a bike, then yes, i am out of line (and i hope that is the case ... watching the tdf in london in 2007 was brilliant).

    Yeah, this is what confuses me! I appreciate and understand that cars will be stopped, but surely bikes will be allowed to get to the unrestricted areas in Surrey that don't need a wrist band?

    I've checked various sites and, unless I've been a bit 'fick', can't find a definitive answer.

    The official line is only those on foot can use the route after about 6.30 until 9.30 then its shut.
    It is therefore possible to access the route as such down some side roads but getting to a good viewing point may involve a longish walk.
    All footpaths and bridleways are shut but not sure how this will be policed as has been stated if you can rob a JD sports in broad daylight I'm sure a quick hike up a bridlepath may go un noticed.
    I would suggest for the less ambitious that Hampton Court is a good place to watch as they go out and back across the bridge, it has plenty of pubs, shops etc and you can get to it along the towpath if the roads are busy/shut.
    The other obvious alternative is Richmond park which also gets 2 visits and has various Cafes to get food and has access by Bike all day.
  • ant41
    ant41 Posts: 59
    I am massively confused. I was hoping to watch at the junction of headley common road and leech lane/tot hill, which is on the loop but nowhere near the zig zag road or official viewing area on the hill itself. The London prepares website talks about cycles having to be stored at donkey green if you are watching on box hill. It doesn't make clear whether thisnis just for those with wristbands or if it is relevant for the whole of the loop. I will be coming in from langley vale under the m25 via Tilley lane and up through headley, so won' t be on the route at any time. Can anyone help? I am unable to get out on Saturday to have a look at the roads and the websites are as clear as mud.

    TIA
    Bonking is fun . . . but not on the bike.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    It is Putney bridge they go over right?

    I mean, it wouldn't be like the council to fill up all the potholes on it just for the thrill?

    I don't want to turn up to the bridge, probably resplendid in a '08 QS kit, only to see the peloton fly over the next bridge along....
    _
  • bikergirl17
    bikergirl17 Posts: 344
    it is putney bridge, and it has been repaved on the side going towards putney (although the center is still a disaster) ... and those speed bumps in the park are gone now too. they started to do box hill as of last sunday ... and with real tar not that funky chip seal that sheds in the winter.

    as for headley, it looks like the part that is downhill (and as of last week NOT repaved) is closed to all traffic, foot or otherwise. i have been on most of the route, and all the signage just says cars will be towed, closed from about 6:30 pm on saturday til 3 or so on sunday. i am likely to be out on the route late saturday, so if see more (e.g., totally blocked off) will post.

    i am just hoping they don't have the man power to police every single stretch of this, footpath included.
  • SLX01
    SLX01 Posts: 338
    ant41 wrote:
    I am massively confused. I was hoping to watch at the junction of headley common road and leech lane/tot hill, which is on the loop but nowhere near the zig zag road or official viewing area on the hill itself. The London prepares website talks about cycles having to be stored at donkey green if you are watching on box hill. It doesn't make clear whether thisnis just for those with wristbands or if it is relevant for the whole of the loop. I will be coming in from langley vale under the m25 via Tilley lane and up through headley, so won' t be on the route at any time. Can anyone help? I am unable to get out on Saturday to have a look at the roads and the websites are as clear as mud.

    TIA

    Provided when you reach the route you wheel your bike you can keep it nearby the rules only apply to the restricted areas.
  • bikergirl17
    bikergirl17 Posts: 344
    now if someone could route me to staple lane from london, bypassing going past hampton court or using 307 or 308 from kingston, as both closed. i have a sinking suspicion that i will hit the road at 6 am, get diverted so many times that the race will likely have finished by the time i make it to surrey -- and i would have been better off hanging in richmond park as they whizzed by.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Can come meet me at Putney bridge if you're really stuck.

    Happy to grab a coffee if anyone turns up.
    _
  • Moomaloid
    Moomaloid Posts: 2,040
    I'm gonna try and get down to the bridge... u riding down or strolling down in ya QS regalia.. :)
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Moomaloid wrote:
    I'm gonna try and get down to the bridge... u riding down or strolling down in ya QS regalia.. :)

    Depends on the weather. Me thinks strolling (no mudguard see).

    I'll have some QS (under a jacket).... *ahem*
    _
  • sonny73
    sonny73 Posts: 2,203
    http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/529681/box-hill-set-for-the-london-surrey-cycle-classic.html

    Box-Hill-fences-2.jpg

    From the same article Porte and Rogers out training this morning:

    Richie-Porte-and-support-car-Box-Hill.jpg

    Michael-Rogers-Team-Sky-on-Box-Hill.jpg
  • SLX01
    SLX01 Posts: 338
    bikergirl17 wrote:
    now if someone could route me to staple lane from london, bypassing going past hampton court or using 307 or 308 from kingston, as both closed. i have a sinking suspicion that i will hit the road at 6 am, get diverted so many times that the race will likely have finished by the time i make it to surrey -- and i would have been better off hanging in richmond park as they whizzed by.

    Where you coming from?
  • bikergirl17
    bikergirl17 Posts: 344
    london ... and normally i go the usual route from richmond park - hampton court -- now blocked -- down portsmouth to cobham and to w horley to shere lane. that bit is unobstructed til hit the a24 to cross to shere lane. my idea was to take that as a back way into staple lane, but the problem is that it crosses where they turn down to shere, so likely blocked. i think i am going to capitulate, and just sleep in.


    i am not sure i can even make it out my front door, which is several roads off from where they ride. now has signs everywhere advising about major traffic congestion ... i don't get it... 100 riders, 30 cars ... and 24 hours of traffic jams?
  • SLX01
    SLX01 Posts: 338
    bikergirl17 wrote:
    london ... and normally i go the usual route from richmond park - hampton court -- now blocked -- down portsmouth to cobham and to w horley to shere lane. that bit is unobstructed til hit the a24 to cross to shere lane. my idea was to take that as a back way into staple lane, but the problem is that it crosses where they turn down to shere, so likely blocked. i think i am going to capitulate, and just sleep in.


    i am not sure i can even make it out my front door, which is several roads off from where they ride. now has signs everywhere advising about major traffic congestion ... i don't get it... 100 riders, 30 cars ... and 24 hours of traffic jams?

    London is a big place, lol!!

    There are numerous routes out to course missing out the closed sections if you know the area let me know where you are starting out from. If you are starting out from the park a suggestion is to leave via Ladderstile gate and head out via New Malden, Surbiton, Chessington direction towards Leatherhead and you can get out that way.
  • MrTapir
    MrTapir Posts: 1,206
    ONe of the comments in the CW article said this:

    "Obviously most people commenting here have not attended any of the meetings held by local authorties and LOGOC in which the various restrictions were highighted and explained. If they had, then they would know that the restrictions in place for the TEST event this weekend are not the same as those that will be in place for the actual road race next year."

    I was under the impression that sunday's race is run under exactly the same conditions as the real thing....
  • Roobsa
    Roobsa Posts: 37
    Is this race going to be televised at all? I had a quick glance over this thread and couldn't see anything mentioned but apologies if I did miss anything.
  • SLX01
    SLX01 Posts: 338
    Roobsa wrote:
    Is this race going to be televised at all? I had a quick glance over this thread and couldn't see anything mentioned but apologies if I did miss anything.

    Apparently the BBC will be showing a few token clips (about 20 mins) on a programme next week about the Olympics.
  • dag_on_a_bike
    dag_on_a_bike Posts: 581
    SLX01 wrote:
    Roobsa wrote:
    Is this race going to be televised at all? I had a quick glance over this thread and couldn't see anything mentioned but apologies if I did miss anything.

    Apparently the BBC will be showing a few token clips (about 20 mins) on a programme next week about the Olympics.

    Maybe that's for the best - with all the restrictions that are in place, the televisual spectacular that it could have been will be far from what viewers have come to expect from Eurosport etc for the TdF.

    No doubt the TV rights have been given to the BBC, and not ITV4, Sky or Eurosport.
    There's no such thing as too old.
  • SLX01
    SLX01 Posts: 338
    DAG on a bike wrote:
    SLX01 wrote:
    Roobsa wrote:
    Is this race going to be televised at all? I had a quick glance over this thread and couldn't see anything mentioned but apologies if I did miss anything.

    Apparently the BBC will be showing a few token clips (about 20 mins) on a programme next week about the Olympics.

    Maybe that's for the best - with all the restrictions that are in place, the televisual spectacular that it could have been will be far from what viewers have come to expect from Eurosport etc for the TdF.

    No doubt the TV rights have been given to the BBC, and not ITV4, Sky or Eurosport.

    I think the BBC have first shout on all the Olympic coverage, which probably explains why there has been a huge hired crane with a TV camera on top of box hill for nearly a month the commercial stations would have had the sense to stick it up a few days in advance and save a few hundred ££!!
  • mikeyboy12345
    mikeyboy12345 Posts: 187
    Monty Dog wrote:
    I'm part of the Olympic Test event crew getting our first 'run out' on Sunday

    What sector did you marshall? Walton-on-Thames was lined three-deep as far as the eye could see! If every town was like that then that's a astronomical number of spectators. I'd have loved to have talked to somebody marshallign Box Hill, as looking at the "restricted access" map, Cycling Weekly have blown this out of all proportion
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    "I was complaining about two Japanese riders at the finish. Most of them are professional riders so it's not like they've not ridden in the professional ranks. I think if you ask many people it takes a brave person to try and push me off my lead-out man and twice in the last 5km I had Japanese riders trying to do it. If I stay solid, they're not big guys, and they're going to bounce off me and come down."
    -Cavendish

    :lol:
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    Intruder on the course:

    254689_10150263248011868_565591867_7675082_5365915_n.jpg

    :D
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • Atz
    Atz Posts: 1,383
    Jeannie Longo - 52 years old and has 58 national titles to her name on road and track. I think where I was standing, nobody else knew who she was
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    You can't fault her for focus and dedication. I just wonder if any of the other women bothered to be there.
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • Atz
    Atz Posts: 1,383
    I heard some of the GB women were there but I can't say I saw them and I was on the hill from about 9am.
  • roberts8
    roberts8 Posts: 18
    I was at Boxhill and it was a very flat spectator experience. The race itself was good to watch but the National Trust have nearly achieved what they set out to , that is have nobody on the zigzag, a sad reflection on their attutude, it should have been on another hill. The atmoshere elsewhere sounded great so I will watch on the A24 next year.
  • Atz
    Atz Posts: 1,383
    I think if they'd done the lap around denbies up to ranmore and back into dorking it would have been better given the restrictions. That said I think I quite fancy standing at the bottom of the hill where the turn off the road onto the zig zag is as I reckon that corner should be quite interesting.

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