Abergavenny Festival of Cycling

Pross
Pross Posts: 40,587
edited April 2013 in Amateur race
Not really sure of the best place to put this but the details are now out and there is plenty for everyone http://www.abergavennyfestivalofcycling.co.uk/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=28%3Afestival-of-cycling-2013-launch-news

I think I'm organising the handicap race (I offered and it is listed but I haven't heard any more yet!). Great to see the Grand Prix of Wales back though, good work by Bill Owen who has promoted many great races over the decades. This should be a genuinely challenging race for the domestic pros and hopefully it will attract a few smaller overseas teams :)

Comments

  • lyn1
    lyn1 Posts: 261
    Good to see the Grand Prix back. What status does it have?

    This is a little confusing as the NetApp-Endura riders like Downing will only be able to ride if it's a UCI 1.1 category.

    "Finally, on Sunday July 14, those domestic riders - including former National champions such as Russell Downing and Kristian House, the latter of whom won his title in Abergavenny in 2009, will be hitting the road for the long-awaited return of the Grand Prix of Wales, one of only six races in the annual Premier Calendar Series".
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,587
    Not sure of its status other than what is in the link to be honest. There may be some confusion resulting from the Endura merger perhaps.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,271
    No time trial up the Gospel pass?
    No hill climb up "the tumble"?
    left the forum March 2023
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    No time trial up the Gospel pass?
    No hill climb up "the tumble"?

    It's likely the GP is going to go up the Blorange/Tumble/Fiddlers Elbow and thus a closed road, but probably a rolling one.

    TT's/Hill climbs would be fun, but has to be remembered that roads like the above are routes between towns and during the week are used for folks getting around.

    Do seem to have a fairly full week now, which may well be another reason.
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    No time trial up the Gospel pass?
    No hill climb up "the tumble"?

    There's the TumbleUp4Life challenge in May. Here's hoping for double digits!
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,587
    Grill wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    No time trial up the Gospel pass?
    No hill climb up "the tumble"?

    There's the TumbleUp4Life challenge in May. Here's hoping for double digits!

    I'm going to give that a go this year too. A clubmate has done it the last two years and managed 7 ascents, the dutch bloke who came over the first year did something ridiculous like 13 ascents. It's along climb too as it includes the extra drag up from the Keeper's Pond to Foxhunter's grave which can be a slog if the wind is blowing the wrong way even though it's only a gentle gradient.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,587
    OK, the handicap road race on Tuesday 9 July (7.00pm) is now up on the British Cycling site for anyone interested in entering. It's a flat circuit using the old road between Raglan and Abergavenny and then turning to make the return trip on the A40 (3 x 15 mile laps). Entries from Elite and 1st cat riders particularly welcomed to get a good balance of the groups (the races are usually 4th cat in group 1, 3rd in group 2 and a scratch group of E/1/2).
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,271
    Pross wrote:
    Grill wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    No time trial up the Gospel pass?
    No hill climb up "the tumble"?

    There's the TumbleUp4Life challenge in May. Here's hoping for double digits!

    I'm going to give that a go this year too. A clubmate has done it the last two years and managed 7 ascents, the dutch bloke who came over the first year did something ridiculous like 13 ascents. It's along climb too as it includes the extra drag up from the Keeper's Pond to Foxhunter's grave which can be a slog if the wind is blowing the wrong way even though it's only a gentle gradient.

    I've done it once a few years back as part of a big loop, soon after the Gospel Pass... I think I can manage 3-4 times... it's a pretty steep fucxxer
    left the forum March 2023
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,587
    Yeah, done it a fair few times as it's my local climb. Used to enjoy it and did the Welsh hill climb champs on it a couple of times but age and weight aren't on my side anymore :(
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,271
    Pross wrote:
    Yeah, done it a fair few times as it's my local climb. Used to enjoy it and did the Welsh hill climb champs on it a couple of times but age and weight aren't on my side anymore :(

    I seem to recall it takes 20-25 minutes to go up to where the three way junction is... so doing it 13 times means 250-300 minutes of climbing which is not otherworldly... a typical stage of the Raid Pyrenees had about 3-4 hours of climbing... however, that is 10-12% all the way up, while the Tourmalet+Aubisque are not... :roll:
    left the forum March 2023
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,587
    Sounds about right but on the charity ride you turn left at the pond at the top and go up for about another half a mile, it's not so steep on that bit but probably about 5%. By time you add in the descent time and the flat section each way from the foot of the climb to HQ you are looking at probably 45 minutes to an hour for each ascent so quite a long day out!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,587
    A round of the national para cycling road race series has now been added to the Festival schedule, the first para road race held in Wales. Hopefully we'll see Pokerface riding?

    Both the Elite circuit race and Grand Prix of Wales Premier calendar race are getting half hour slots on Eurosport. Only 4 places are left in the Tuesday evening handicap race despite there being 3 months to go!

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