London Classic

Surrey Cyclist

BBC Sport article about staging a London one day classic:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cycling/16749106.stm

It syas the route will be based on the Olympic RR route. Add a few of the well-known climbs in the area (Leith Hill, Holmbury Hill, etc) and cut out the laps around Box Hill and you've yourself a tasty looking parcours.

timoid.

Nice idea, but I think the BBC is going a little OTT with the line

"London plans to host a one-day professional road race to rival classic events such as the Paris-Roubaix."

It'd be lucky to be on the level of the HEW Cyclassic

Gazzetta67

timoid. wrote:

Nice idea, but I think the BBC is going a little OTT with the line

"London plans to host a one-day professional road race to rival classic events such as the Paris-Roubaix."

It'd be lucky to be on the level of the HEW Cyclassic

+1 "Rival" who are they kidding - did we not have a "Kid-on" race down in rochester won by Andrea tafi in some housing scheme with somebody`s washing line out the front very picturesque eh - The last kind of decent race was the Leeds classic of any note and that died a death.

Surrey Cyclist

I disagree. As the British Olympic Association have always banged on about leaving a 'legacy' I think they would be prepared to put some serious financial and marketing clout behind the idea. Just look at the success of the ToB in the last 3 or 4 years (something which is only set to get better).
WIth Sky the BOA can rely on a few big names turning up and the timing (August) works out pretty well also as there will be plenty of weary top pros kicking their heels after a 3 week jaunt in France. It only seems logical that the next step on what has been an exponential rise in the popularity of road cycling in the last few years is to host a race that satisfies the fans.

durhamwasp

Rival Paris-Roubaix? Good luck with that.

Great that we are getting such an event, but cant see it taking off very quickly. Guess its gonna be a sprinters classic then, can't complain of course, but a hilly one in the North would have been superb.

blazing_saddles

If they want to make a classic then they need to substitute Surrey and replace it with South/Mid Wales, a nice lumpy part of Scotland, or maybe Derbyshire.
Otherwise, as already said, we'll get another HEW classic type event.
One of those per season, is quite enough.

avoidingmyphd

Surrey Cyclist wrote:

I disagree. As the British Olympic Association have always banged on about leaving a 'legacy' I think they would be prepared to put some serious financial and marketing clout behind the idea. Just look at the success of the ToB in the last 3 or 4 years (something which is only set to get better).
WIth Sky the BOA can rely on a few big names turning up and the timing (August) works out pretty well also as there will be plenty of weary top pros kicking their heels after a 3 week jaunt in France. It only seems logical that the next step on what has been an exponential rise in the popularity of road cycling in the last few years is to host a race that satisfies the fans.

Exactly. This race will rival Paris-Roubaix like the Tour of Britain rivals the Tour de France. And its protagonists will be weary top pros kicking their heels.

Monty Dog

Some folks here obviously have never ridden around the Surrey Hills - the combination of successive short, sharp climbs and narrow, twisting roads could easily a course to rival the Amstel Gold, for example. With the route proposed to go up Leith Hill, it's plenty long and hard enough to break up a pro race - in fact, if they weren't trying to assure Cav's Gold Medal in the RR, it was the natural choice for the Olympics rather than the relatively easy jaunt up Box Hill.

ms_tree

I snorted when I read it would rival 'classics like Paris-Roubaix'. Are they going to ride around the City streets?

inkyfingers

I'm all for it. Obviously you can take the Paris-Roubaix comparisons with a pinch of salt, but they have to say that sort of thing to generate some interest and discussion. Any more top level racing in the UK is a good thing in my book, they need to use the publicity from Cav's success to help the sport get a bigger foothold.

I also think that anybody who says that you have to go to Wales or the North to get a decent race has never spent any time riding in the south east. From the Olympic course you'd think that Box Hill is the only hill we have, but actually there are lots of short sharp climbs to break a race up. I've always thought that a London-Brighton race would be a good one, routing via the Surrey Hills and the Weald to soften them up then down to Brighton over Ditchling Beacon. Obviously it won't happen but always fun to dream!

Surrey Cyclist

The only thing that would restrict the event from offering a course that could leave a select few at the front is if they keep the long run in to central London (as in the Olympic RR) allowing for sprinters teams to get organised.
Here's an idea! why not throw in all the short sharp climbs that Surrey has to offer. A clever route could give 5 or 6 , 100m+ 7% climbs within 20km, more than enough to weed out the weak. Then, from Dorking you could throw in a quick ascent of Box Hill before a final scrap back to a Paris Roubaix style finish at the Herne Hill velodrome (about 25km).

greasedscotsman

25km? I think your route for this race is going to have quite a few sprinters contesting the finish at Herne Hill.

Here's an idea, why not go and watch Paris Roubaix!

Monty Dog

I once rode every climb in the Surrey Hills, it was over 200km, featured about 17 climbs (came down Box Hill as I went up Pebblecomb) and hard as some may find, ascended over 4000m which is actually tougher than Liege Bastogne Liege (which I have also ridden). Plenty of climbs exceed 20% and a kilometre in length. An extra 60km from somewhere in London and back and you'll have a tough race.

avoidingmyphd

Monty Dog wrote:

Plenty of climbs exceed 20% and a kilometre in length

I nearly responded to your whole post until I realised it was satire.

rick_chasey

Doubt Surrey or SW London would tolerate the roads shut once a year.

They can barely stand it for the Olympics.

greasedscotsman

Rick Chasey wrote:

Doubt Surrey or SW London would tolerate the roads shut once a year.

They can barely stand it for the Olympics.

Or the spectators. It certainly isn't going to rival Flanders for fans stood by the side of the road.

Gazzetta67

You would think Box Hill is the only climb down that way - The Wincanton,Leeds Classic,Rochester grand prix whatever you called it was a damp squib when it was held in Brighton & Rochester - The Leeds classic was a good course plus it wont face the same hostility that you get with those "little englanders" who cant or wont organise 1 day out of 365 for a cycle race. You would get better crowds and it would be easier for cyclists all over britain to travel to see it.

RichN95.

London's very big. Luton, Stansted and Gatwick are all in 'London' so there's a lot of scope there.

Obviously any unbiased assessment says that the best UK classic would have to start and finish in Cardiff (on a Sunday, or a Saturday outside the hockey season). As a bonus, hot Italian female TV presenters would be offered free accomodation (as long as they don't mind sharing).

huret

Monty Dog wrote:

I once rode every climb in the Surrey Hills, it was over 200km, featured about 17 climbs (came down Box Hill as I went up Pebblecomb) and hard as some may find, ascended over 4000m which is actually tougher than Liege Bastogne Liege (which I have also ridden). Plenty of climbs exceed 20% and a kilometre in length. An extra 60km from somewhere in London and back and you'll have a tough race.

gsk82

i think its great that BC are looking to organise this sort of thing, its just a shame that they seem to think no one will be interested unless its in london. hold it somewhere else and it would be far more successful as an event, unfortunately anything held outside london seems to be deemed a risk commercially. they could easily host it in leeds, sheffield, manchester and have a great route and still have the big city finish. alternatively they could not run it as a loop and do somethin like sheffield to manchester via some big hills.

is that one day pro race in wales that was mentioned last year still going ahead?

iainf72

I tend to think something like this is always going to struggle in the UK. And August is a dire month - Any big name pro worth their salt is minting it on the crit circuit after the Tour so you're unlikely to attract any big names.

If you moved the timing, and had a population transplant, there maybe....

inkyfingers

I agree that August is not the best time, may be better in September as a precursor to the ToB when you have some big teams heading this way already.

It's unlikely to ever match up against the big continental one day races, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't even bother. Look at the Canadian pro tour races, they've had some great racing and good support, and the Strada Bianchi race is also extremely highly regarded for such a young race.

Monty Dog

Monte Paschi is well-deserving of it's classic status, beautiful and tough course. No doubt the UK organisers will want it either the weekend before or after ToB