Olympic road race warmup this weekend

rick_chasey

jerry3571 wrote:

I

As for people sat at home watching the TV instead of showing up and supporting UK cycling; there has been an invention called the VCR which has been popular since the early 1980's. After, DVD recorders and Sky+ also have added forms of recording ACTUAL live television events; technology holds no bounds. :shock:
Also if you don't turn up then the roads look empty and it looks really bad on the telly as with some of the stages we'll see during the Vuelta in the next few weeks.

-Jerry

It wasn't shown on TV.

jerry3571

I guess that backs me up to get off the Sofa and go and see a bit life in 3D (without the glasses). Yes, life does come in 3D and HD! Amazing!

-Jerry

rick_chasey

jerry3571 wrote:

I guess that backs me up to get off the Sofa and go and see a bit life in 3D (without the glasses). Yes, life does come in 3D and HD! Amazing!

-Jerry

Maybe UK cycling could arrange a bike race at a more social hour?

Say, rather than starting at 9am on a Sunday morning.

What happened to races aiming to finish at 5pm local time?

That way if people want to travel, they have a bit of time in the morning, and if they've been out on a Saturday, they don't have to wake up having slept less than 5hrs (like I ended up doing).

iainf72

I live in London and I didn't watch it live because

a) it would've taken an hour to get anywhere near it
b) started too early
c) struggled to be interested

I am happy people generally had a positive experience though.

Tusher

And don't forget that around 10% of the population are in Church on Sunday mornings.

iainf72

Tusher wrote:

And don't forget that around 10% of the population are in Church on Sunday mornings.

I can't believe 10% of the population are in the Church

rick_chasey

Tusher wrote:

And don't forget that around 10% of the population are in Church on Sunday mornings.

A race shouldn't be starting on Sunday morning.

It should aim to finish 5pm local time.

Tusher

iainf72 wrote:

Tusher wrote:

And don't forget that around 10% of the population are in Church on Sunday mornings.

I can't believe 10% of the population are in the Church

Monty Dog

LOCOG weren't actually out to create a spectator friendly event, but to test everything else. They actually have run other test events with no spectators. One of the problems has actually been the lack of cycling volunteers and the need to bring in others from other sports. The Field Of Play volunteers have given up at least 10 hours this weekend for no gain and certainly aren't able to claim expenses. Many slept in Hotels at their own expense or even some slept in their cars.

mikeyboy12345

Rick Chasey wrote:

Maybe UK cycling could arrange a bike race at a more social hour?
Say, rather than starting at 9am on a Sunday morning. What happened to races aiming to finish at 5pm local time?

Yeah, but the rules of holding an event like this state that the roads around the entire course must be closed for several (can't remember the specific number!) of hours prior to the start. So for a race ending at 5pm would require the roads to be shut ALL day, as opposed to some of it. Roads around Walton-on-Thames were shutting at 6am, riders passed through 0930-0945hrs. The stewards wanted that section open between 1030-1100hrs. A 1700hrs finished would have screwed the area all day.

mroli

crikey people moan. We have local residents moaning that stewards shipped in from around the country can't give the road directions - what was stopping you from looking at the internet at the detailed route maps and working out your own route? People complaining about the time - the last TT I rode, I went off before 6am on a Sunday. Peoplle complaining about Box Hill not being challenging enough - it is the one hill around there that you will get decent overheads of, it will look great and it has a lot more and safer viewing than say Whitedown. UCI have rules and regs about road closures and IT WAS A TEST EVENT!!!!! The whole point is to work out what will go wrong and act accordingly. Thankfully most press I have seen was positive....

MrTapir

Was anyone watching at Headley Common Road (on the back of the Box Hill loop after Box Hill village)? What was it like if so, regarding room for spectators and views and stuff? We were planning to go and park our car in one of the car parks night before but they are being closed off. We'll still watch their hopefully next year.

Ginjafro

Brilliant, cyclists complaining and whining about road closures, in London, on a Sunday !

SLX01

MrTapir wrote:

Was anyone watching at Headley Common Road (on the back of the Box Hill loop after Box Hill village)? What was it like if so, regarding room for spectators and views and stuff? We were planning to go and park our car in one of the car parks night before but they are being closed off. We'll still watch their hopefully next year.

I was there it was terrible thousands of people, no room, you couldn't see a thing I wouldn't recommend it all tell everyone to stay away next year!!!

SLX01

mikeyboy12345 wrote:

SLX01 wrote:

If you have been up there and seen the the amount of metal fencing placed all over the hill I doubt very much has been done in the way of saving the wildlife its probably done more damage most of the fans would have done less damage just standing at the roadside.
I was very pleased to see the 3 people in their lovely 2012 prepares T shirts in the queue in front of me asking for receipts for their tea and cake up the hill today so they could claim it as expenses. I thought to myself at least my Council tax is not going to waste its paying for some overpaid idiot to stuff their face with cake whilst planning more ways to get the public even more annoyed off with the Olympics fiasco.

SLX, just so you know: the guys in the "London Prepares" t-shirts are unpaid volunteers who gave up their entire weekends to take verbal abuse from Joe Bloggs, and can't claim travelling or accomodation expenses, never mind cake! And taxation doesn't actually fund the cost of the Olympic events or the London Prepares events. The free-to-watch road race and time trials are paid for by the lucky few with tickets and those who bought cuddly mascot merchandise. Obviously not you.

Oh so everyone that works for 'london prepares' is a volunter then, next you will be telling me Seb Coe is doing this for nothing to?? As regards costing me nothing, I guess Boris must have been putting the surcharge I pay on my Council tax for the Olympics into some secret slush fund then?? As a Council tax payer in Surrey I also have to pay for all the publicity, road closures, road repairs, Police etc etc or is that paid for by buying a Teddy? Maybe if you are going to criticise you could at least get your facts right!!!

G-Wiz

One of the problems has actually been the lack of cycling volunteers and the need to bring in others from other sports.

I haven't noticed any attempts to recruit volunteers? I'd gladly do it ahead of the muppets Matlock Security roped in.

herc264

I live in Putney and was watching at the junction of the upper richmond road and putney high street as the race came back through at midday. The corner was packed and there were crowds at least two deep the whole length of the road down to Putney bridge. There was plenty of atmosphere and everyone got a big cheer (from the police bikes leading the way right back to the last stragglers following the team cars).
I thought that for a trial run it was brilliant and i really appreciated the opportunity to see some cycling superstars close up.
If we can't manage to be positive about something like this on a cycling forum then why are we bothering?

Sorry to be all preachy in one of my first posts...

TMR

herc264 wrote:

If we can't manage to be positive about something like this on a cycling forum then why are we bothering?

Sorry to be all preachy in one of my first posts...

I don't think you've got anything to apologise for. I went yesterday with my wife and our baby, and a friend I cycle with and his family. We stood at a roundabout by a petrol station near Box Hill and had a great time.

I've been looking at the Daily Mail article about the test and the amount of whining is insane. I guess you just can't account for the f*ckwit factor - too many miserable arses in the UK these days.

gmillsy

i was on box hill in the spectator area and thought it was pretty good - you could see them three times on the zig zags coming up. I thought the infrastructure there worked well - the bike park was well organised and it was well signed etc. The only annoyance was the commentator there who was more focussed on the health and safety aspect than the actual racing, but hey, im sure that will change for the real thing.

We rode back to london along the route with the roads still closed - was absolutely brilliant, and none of the marshalls batted an eyelid. There were so many families out cycling, it was a shame they couldnt have combined the road closures with a SkyRide or something to make the most of it.

With regards using Leith Hill or Whitedown, they are tough climbs, but have even worse spectator access - there's no pavement on either of those narrow roads, so i would imagine that if they were used, they would either be completely closed, or even more restricted

timmyflash

I saw Peta, mmmmmmmm 8)

garryc

We watched at the bottom of Box Hill, caught them first as they turned off the dual carriageway from Dorking, then got on our bikes and nipped up to the turn into to Mickleham, then nipped up the road again to watch them peel off the Box Hill loop back to London. I was surprised I managed to see as much as I did. I expected many more spectators.

The marshalls were a bit useless though, we got to the first roundabout in plenty of time and stood on the grass about 100yds from the roundabout, just before the riders were due we were told we had to stand behind the barriers which were on the other side of the road about 80 yards away, a bit stupid really as there was a miles of road without barriers. Then when it was all over the barriers were up for ages afterwards. It was nice to cycle up and down the A24 without any traffic but they could have started moving barriers much sooner.

rebs

Was Team England really riding for Cav? Not that is really that big of a deal. If true would seem to be a little against the spirit of the event :P

Saying that I'm sure if a strong Scottish Team was available they would go all out to ride against Team GB :P /ducks

iainf72

I enjoyed Charlie Wegalius's tweet on the England team.

andyp

iainf72 wrote:

I enjoyed Charlie Wegalius's tweet on the England team.

Yes, that made me smile too.

inkyfingers

andyp wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

I enjoyed Charlie Wegalius's tweet on the England team.

Yes, that made me smile too.

Me too, but if anyone thought that entering GB and an England team was anything more than a ruse to have better support for Cav then they're probably a bit naive.

roberts8

I thought the race itself was good. I was on the Boxhill Stalag and the PA was irritating and kept on about safety, local wildlife and told people at the front to sit down when the riders came past. Not a good spectating experience. I am sure this will change for next year. Me, I am going down onto the A24 as I heard that the atmoshere was very good I have written to LOCOG as I assume they will not read forums like this one. Accepting the sensitive areas need to be kept safe, why not actually have spectotors on the bends, I am sure there are no orchids there. With a bit of give and take it would look fantastic if we could emulate some of the Belgium climbs on the day, not sure but I don't think they are much bigger.
Perhaps if we all sent comments in it might help?

Tusher

Ah, so it's orchids. I thought it was a red squirrel style animal. Or an endangered adder.

Why couldn't they just fence in the orchids? With a little netting on the top?

SLX01

Tusher wrote:

Ah, so it's orchids. I thought it was a red squirrel style animal. Or an endangered adder.

Why couldn't they just fence in the orchids? With a little netting on the top?

I think there is a rare butterfly there to! I heard the main reason for doing it as it was, was down to health and safety they didn't want people sliding down the steep chalk inclines and the road is too narrow for spectators at the roadside.

ant41

I would like to echo SLX01's point about avoiding headily common road. Awful experience, especially the tea and bacon sarnie from the van! That no doubt contributed to the crowds meaning you couldn't see a thing, not even a great view of cav on the outside of the peleton as they swept down tot hill. Stay away next year.

I am sure my point will be echoed by the chap who got his Audi towed by the police for having the temerity to park within 100m of the route/spectators. In his defence I got the impression that he had been told by the stewards that it was ok. Still, at least the arrival of the low loader and the Austin powers like 3 point turn provided us with some entertainment while we waited.

On the stewards, quite instructive to hear them being admonished over the airwaves that if they kept on mucking about with the radios, no-one would get paid . . . . .

ant41

Headley :roll: damn autocorrect.