London one-dayer

rick_chasey

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... nched.html

Riders in the sportive and road race will head into central London, before heading towards Surrey in a route that largely replicates that of the Olympic road races. Both events are currently scheduled to finish on The Mall.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) ranking for the pro race has yet to be decided.

So a 1.1 chipper?

inkyfingers

Rick Chasey wrote:

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/534312/london-s-olympic-cycling-legacy-event-launched.html

Riders in the sportive and road race will head into central London, before heading towards Surrey in a route that largely replicates that of the Olympic road races. Both events are currently scheduled to finish on The Mall.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) ranking for the pro race has yet to be decided.

So a 1.1 chipper?

It's a start. No it won't be a new Paris-Roubaix, but it will be a chance to see a decent field racing in the UK, and with the right marketing it should get a decent turn out. Pretty much every race starts out a chipper, you only have to look at the success of the new races in Canada which have attracted good fields and have produced some good racing to see that new races can work.

I think it would be better to time it so that it's just before the Tour of Britain though as you are more likely to attract the best teams over if they can race both events at a similar time and it can be marketed as more of a festival of cycling or some such twaddle.

greasedscotsman

So this is like a British HEW/Vattenfall Cyclassics?

rick_chasey

Kinda meant more the route than the 1.1. but yes.

You know me, never enough one day races.

The olympic race obviously showed that a bunch sprint isn't a foregone conclusion, though you'd imagine they wouldn't make it 260km so maybe it will be, especially with proper teams.

As someone who shamefully is finding the harsh light of cycling's current popularity difficult to deal with, I'm genuinely pleased ( a kinda 6 or 7/10 pleased) about this.

rick_chasey

greasedscotsman wrote:

So this is like a British HEW/Vattenfall Cyclassics?

Pretty much.

Finish is more impressive.

Pross

Sounds good, be nice if they took in a few of the other Surrey hills we hear so much about!

rick_chasey

Pross wrote:

Sounds good, be nice if they took in a few of the other Surrey hills we hear so much about!

Nah.

Surrey hills are usually - narrow - wooded - badly maintained - liable to flooding - covered in twigs.

Box Hill is pretty and well maintained. It's pretty enough it's mentioned in Jane Austin's Emma.

It's got a cafe at the top and space to put race faff stuff - even room for a big screen.

None are tough. But they're pretty good fun on club runs.

greasedscotsman

Rick Chasey wrote:

greasedscotsman wrote:

So this is like a British HEW/Vattenfall Cyclassics?

Pretty much.

Finish is more impressive.

Isn't that the problem though. You could have a far more interesting course if it finished somewhere else.

Jez mon

Isn't the problem with one dayers, and 'interesting' finishes that you get no real action until the finish? How do the national trust feel about a yearly race on box hill though? IIRC they weren't too happy about the olypic course

rick_chasey

Jez mon wrote:

Isn't the problem with one dayers, and 'interesting' finishes that you get no real action until the finish? How do the national trust feel about a yearly race on box hill though? IIRC they weren't too happy about the olypic course

Le cash is good at cheering people up.


It's not so much the interesting finish as the 60km flat run in....

greasedscotsman

Rick Chasey wrote:

The olympic race obviously showed that a bunch sprint isn't a foregone conclusion, though you'd imagine they wouldn't make it 260km so maybe it will be, especially with proper teams.

With trade teams, it will be a bunch sprint.

rick_chasey

greasedscotsman wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

The olympic race obviously showed that a bunch sprint isn't a foregone conclusion, though you'd imagine they wouldn't make it 260km so maybe it will be, especially with proper teams.

With trade teams, it will be a bunch sprint.

Yeah.

You can see my thought process as I typed that sentence.

greasedscotsman

I dunno, I can't help but feel it's a wasted opportunity. A big single day race preceding an established stage race would be great, especially with the general interest in cycling at the moment. But I don't think you will get the numbers of people out as it's not the Olympic games. That's a huge draw to people who don't know much about bike racing. And you could come up with some fantastic courses if it didn't have to be tied into finishing in London.

But then there isn't much on around that time of year and at least no one is saying it will be the new Paris Roubaix!

rick_chasey

greasedscotsman wrote:

I dunno, I can't help but feel it's a wasted opportunity. A big single day race preceding an established stage race would be great, especially with the general interest in cycling at the moment. But I don't think you will get the numbers of people out as it's not the Olympic games. That's a huge draw to people who don't know much about bike racing. And you could come up with some fantastic courses if it didn't have to be tied into finishing in London.

But then there isn't much on around that time of year and at least no one is saying it will be the new Paris Roubaix!

When the ToB comes to London it gets a pretty solid turnout. For the standard of the race the crowds are good.

It's also an easier sell to teams and sponsors alike than say, in the middle of Derbyshire.

I also think London is one of the more accommodating areas for road closures etc - they seem to happen all the time round here for one sporting event or the other.

FJS

Great news. Adding some more UCI pro races in the UK is long overdue. It won't be the most exciting race, and it'll be interesting to see the tolerance of SW London and Surrey to closed roads when it's not the Olympics, but a good start.

What happened with that plan for a UCI race in South Wales?

greasedscotsman

Rick Chasey wrote:

I also think London is one of the more accommodating areas for road closures etc - they seem to happen all the time round here for one sporting event or the other.

That last bit is very true. When I marshalled on the ToB a few years ago, all the "locals" wanted to know was what was happening. Once you told them it was a bike race, they wandered off, quite happy. You compare that to arguments you get where I live, out in the sticks, when you try and stop traffic for a few minutes for a bike race!

Jez mon

Obviously not a massive possibility, but it would be nice to see a 3/4 and E/1/2 race on the Surrey hills loop the day before the main event. Also, if this is really about legacy, surely they should be looking at a woman's race? Perhaps instead of the races I suggested in my first sentence!

rick_chasey

greasedscotsman wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

I also think London is one of the more accommodating areas for road closures etc - they seem to happen all the time round here for one sporting event or the other.

That last bit is very true. When I marshalled on the ToB a few years ago, all the "locals" wanted to know was what was happening. Once you told them it was a bike race, they wandered off, quite happy. You compare that to arguments you get where I live, out in the sticks, when you try and stop traffic for a few minutes for a bike race!

Sure they were locals?

One's horizons shrink when you're in London.

The other side of Fulham might as well be a different time zone to me.

squired

Could a route that is a variation of the Olympic route actually avoid Box Hill?

Outside of the Olympics I doubt they would want to spend the money it would cost to fence off (and police) Box Hill so that spectator numbers are limited along with the damage they could inflict on the local flora. I also doubt that there would be demand for purchase of tickets for the hill.

greasedscotsman

Rick Chasey wrote:

Sure they were locals?

One's horizons shrink when you're in London.

The other side of Fulham might as well be a different time zone to me.

No idea. All people who live inside the M25 are the same to me!

thegibdog

The Ride London "Classic"? Why don't they just go the whole hog and call it the Ride London Monument?

Good to see a one day race in this country, it'll be interesting to see if they can come up with a decent course for it. I'm daydreaming of a one day race up North taking in the Peaks and maybe with a finish at Mow Cop.

Abdoujaparov

Good news, but will surely be a terrible route. If they start in Stratford I can't see them doing more than 3 or 4 laps of Box Hill which isn't enough. Huge bunch sprint every bloody year! Still, better than nothing so shouldn't grumble and I'm definitely up for the elite crit.

hammerite

Jez mon wrote:

Obviously not a massive possibility, but it would be nice to see a 3/4 and E/1/2 race on the Surrey hills loop the day before the main event. Also, if this is really about legacy, surely they should be looking at a woman's race? Perhaps instead of the races I suggested in my first sentence!

A 3/4 race over some of the Surrey hills might be a bit tough for a lot of 3/4s. Riders would be scattered all over the place, although maybe not so much of a problem on closed roads.

Are any of these on tough hilly courses? http://www.surreyleague.co.uk/calendar.htm (I have to admit to not knowing Surey and it's hills very well).

rick_chasey

hammerite wrote:

Jez mon wrote:

Obviously not a massive possibility, but it would be nice to see a 3/4 and E/1/2 race on the Surrey hills loop the day before the main event. Also, if this is really about legacy, surely they should be looking at a woman's race? Perhaps instead of the races I suggested in my first sentence!

A 3/4 race over some of the Surrey hills might be a bit tough for a lot of 3/4s. Riders would be scattered all over the place, although maybe not so much of a problem on closed roads.

Wouldn't that be the idea? Stops them crashing every 15m?

LeicesterLad

Glad to see another British race.

But - and I'm talking to you Rick - lets not try and make out the route is good. It isn't. It's profitable. We have the lake district, the Scottish highlands, The Black Mountains, the Peak District...but they chose grubby, flat Larndon and a few lumps in Surrey for a UCI ranked, 'Classic'? really?

Wish cycling was more about the spectacle and less about the money, but still, any race is good at this stage.

hammerite

Rick Chasey wrote:

hammerite wrote:

Jez mon wrote:

Obviously not a massive possibility, but it would be nice to see a 3/4 and E/1/2 race on the Surrey hills loop the day before the main event. Also, if this is really about legacy, surely they should be looking at a woman's race? Perhaps instead of the races I suggested in my first sentence!

A 3/4 race over some of the Surrey hills might be a bit tough for a lot of 3/4s. Riders would be scattered all over the place, although maybe not so much of a problem on closed roads.

Wouldn't that be the idea? Stops them crashing every 15m?

Not on normal open road circuits. For safety it's difficult to manage riders being scattered over a long distance. The tail safety cars have to be reasonably close to the main bunch to provide a barrier from traffic.

As I said above it isn't as much of a problem on roads closed to traffic.

Incidentally, I can only remember three crashes in all the races I've done this year (probably around twenty), I wasn't involved in them either (touch wood for future races).

rick_chasey

LeicesterLad wrote:

Glad to see another British race.

But - and I'm talking to you Rick - lets not try and make out the route is good. It isn't. It's profitable. We have the lake district, the Scottish highlands, The Black Mountains, the Peak District...but they chose grubby, flat Larndon and a few lumps in Surrey for a UCI ranked, 'Classic'? really?

Wish cycling was more about the spectacle and less about the money, but still, any race is good at this stage.

I'm not saying it's a good race for the spectacle.

Without the cash you don't get any races. Take a look at all the Spanish races that have gone down the sh!tter.

LeicesterLad

Rick Chasey wrote:

LeicesterLad wrote:

Glad to see another British race.

But - and I'm talking to you Rick - lets not try and make out the route is good. It isn't. It's profitable. We have the lake district, the Scottish highlands, The Black Mountains, the Peak District...but they chose grubby, flat Larndon and a few lumps in Surrey for a UCI ranked, 'Classic'? really?

Wish cycling was more about the spectacle and less about the money, but still, any race is good at this stage.

I'm not saying it's a good race for the spectacle.

Without the cash you don't get any races. Take a look at all the Spanish races that have gone down the sh!tter.

I know, I know, I'm just irritated - this Country has so much more to offer than Box bloody Hill. What a waste of an event - as said by somebody else, dull route ending in sprint finish each year. Great for sponsors, organisors etc etc. Sh*t for fans north of Watford.

Yorkshire getting the Tour will put the world to rights.

Jez mon

Rick Chasey wrote:

hammerite wrote:

Jez mon wrote:

Obviously not a massive possibility, but it would be nice to see a 3/4 and E/1/2 race on the Surrey hills loop the day before the main event. Also, if this is really about legacy, surely they should be looking at a woman's race? Perhaps instead of the races I suggested in my first sentence!

A 3/4 race over some of the Surrey hills might be a bit tough for a lot of 3/4s. Riders would be scattered all over the place, although maybe not so much of a problem on closed roads.

Wouldn't that be the idea? Stops them crashing every 15m?

That would be the idea, not to stop them crashing, as much as making a very tough race, think there are a fair few 3/4s who would fancy themselves doing well in something other than the typical boring circuit race!

As for the course, think I'd rather have a bit of a dull course with a race that gets held for a good number of years, with good support, rather than a race that offers a more exciting race, but which only has one or two editions. But then, as a southerner, I guess I'm not exactly impartial!

rick_chasey

LeicesterLad wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

LeicesterLad wrote:

Glad to see another British race.

But - and I'm talking to you Rick - lets not try and make out the route is good. It isn't. It's profitable. We have the lake district, the Scottish highlands, The Black Mountains, the Peak District...but they chose grubby, flat Larndon and a few lumps in Surrey for a UCI ranked, 'Classic'? really?

Wish cycling was more about the spectacle and less about the money, but still, any race is good at this stage.

I'm not saying it's a good race for the spectacle.

Without the cash you don't get any races. Take a look at all the Spanish races that have gone down the sh!tter.

I know, I know, I'm just irritated - this Country has so much more to offer than Box bloody Hill. What a waste of an event - as said by somebody else, dull route ending in sprint finish each year. Great for sponsors, organisors etc etc. Sh*t for fans north of Watford.

There are reasons 7 million people deal with all the sh!t London has to offer.

This is a symptom of one of them - London gets stuff people want to see.

NWLondoner

The best way to look at it is that it's a start. Lets get more people interested In watching it as a spectators sport then take it forward.

Mind you i think we need to learn how to behave on the roadside as reports from many of the pro's were NOT too happy with overall standard of behaviours,epescially in the narrow surrey lanes. It still amazes me that "some" of the crowd could not understand why waving LARGE flags over the barriers was not a could idea!!!

Like others have said, London is used to closing roads for events and "maybe" if this goes ahead oaky with NO major traffic chaos then other towns/ares may be open to the idea of closed road racing?