London-Surrey Classic > spectator info

ednino
ednino Posts: 684
edited August 2013 in Road general
I don't want to miss this opportunity to see pro tour teams in action but I've never driven into London

Anyone have any suggestions on...
a) where to park
b) what tube to get to the Olympic park where the race starts
c) good places to watch
d) would it be easy enough to get from the Olympic park to the Mall to see the finish?

Comments

  • ednino
    ednino Posts: 684
    no ideas?
  • peat
    peat Posts: 1,242
    How about supplying some info as to where abouts you are coming from?

    Does that avatar say Hereford? If so, perhaps drive as far as Hillingdon (Just inside M25) and tube from there. Driving in London is a nightmare at the best of times, let alone when half the roads are closed for some bloody cyclists.
  • charliew87
    charliew87 Posts: 371
    id say jumping on a train will almost certainly be your best bet.

    Getting from Stratford to the Mall is easy on the Jubilee Line, 20 mins or so to Green Park. I imagine the Mall will be fairly busy fairly early.
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  • Dezza
    Dezza Posts: 155
    Does anyone know if there will be restrictions on spectators up leith hill? According to the timetable, the 100 sportive should be clear by 1330ish and the first lap of the pros arriving around 1500. We didnt have trouble accessing these areas for the Tour of Britain.
  • AchillesLeftKnee
    AchillesLeftKnee Posts: 713
    Dezza wrote:
    Does anyone know if there will be restrictions on spectators up leith hill?
    Not that I'm aware of, although actually getting to it will be a bit of a challenge given the roads that are closed.
    Mangeur
  • pkripper
    pkripper Posts: 652
    Dezza wrote:
    Does anyone know if there will be restrictions on spectators up leith hill? According to the timetable, the 100 sportive should be clear by 1330ish and the first lap of the pros arriving around 1500. We didnt have trouble accessing these areas for the Tour of Britain.

    it better be a big broom wagon knowing some of the people that have signed up!
  • geoffh73
    geoffh73 Posts: 85
    Does anybody have a rough idea what time the race is likely to finish?
    Planning on coming down from Leeds and my train home is just after 7

    Thanks
    Geoff
  • RDW
    RDW Posts: 1,900
    AchillesLeftKnee wrote:
    Dezza wrote:
    Does anyone know if there will be restrictions on spectators up leith hill?
    Not that I'm aware of, although actually getting to it will be a bit of a challenge given the roads that are closed.

    Is there any reasonable open road route from Dorking to some point on the Leith Hill loop? Failing that, is Box Hill open to walkers?
  • AchillesLeftKnee
    AchillesLeftKnee Posts: 713
    RDW wrote:
    AchillesLeftKnee wrote:
    Dezza wrote:
    Does anyone know if there will be restrictions on spectators up leith hill?
    Not that I'm aware of, although actually getting to it will be a bit of a challenge given the roads that are closed.
    Is there any reasonable open road route from Dorking to some point on the Leith Hill loop? Failing that, is Box Hill open to walkers?
    I would have thought you could get up Leith Hill via Coldharbour. Should be fine on a bike, may well be utter chaos in a car. That's about the only route up that doesn't involve crossing the course. All access to the Abinger Road end of things is going to be very restricted because of the Classic route. My planned watching point has evaporated for various reasons, so may well resort to spending a few hours in Holmbury St. Mary which will be accessible by bike via Holmbury Hill Road (technically also by car, although where anyone would park I have no idea).
    Mangeur
  • simonhead
    simonhead Posts: 1,399
    Possibly one of the best places to watch it will be Kingston as you will get to see them twice. I believe its across kingston Bbridge on the way out and the high street on the way back.
    Life isnt like a box of chocolates, its like a bag of pic n mix.
  • ednino
    ednino Posts: 684
    The more I look at this, the harder it looks. Traveling from Hereford by car, would like to park out of London and get a train to the Olympic park...

    but it looks like that would involve several changes :-/
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    RDW wrote:
    AchillesLeftKnee wrote:
    Dezza wrote:
    Does anyone know if there will be restrictions on spectators up leith hill?
    Not that I'm aware of, although actually getting to it will be a bit of a challenge given the roads that are closed.

    Is there any reasonable open road route from Dorking to some point on the Leith Hill loop? Failing that, is Box Hill open to walkers?

    From what I can make out box hill is not closed off. So you could get a train to Box hill and west humble and walk.

    Mole Valley is on lock down on sunday - I hope nobody needs an ambulance.
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  • AchillesLeftKnee
    AchillesLeftKnee Posts: 713
    diy wrote:
    Mole Valley is on lock down on Sunday
    "Ockley Society pulls 187 on undercover cop, sippin' on gin and juice - Autumn Quiz cancelled"?
    Mangeur
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    yeah bah humbug - I actually want to go riding tomorrow. :D
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  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    Watching the amateurs was a lot of fun, but Box hill was sooo over marshalled with every footpath closed (without the correct orders) it was a waste of time going up there. Plus I spotted one of the security guards stubbing his fag out in the dry grass - hope others had a better experience. Felt like the whole district had been kettled today.

    Really don't understand why so many roads had to be closed all day.
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  • AchillesLeftKnee
    AchillesLeftKnee Posts: 713
    Decided to sod watching in person because, as per DIY's comments, access in the area was really poor. Personally, I think it's a major mistake to run the pro race over the same route because the need to make closed roads mean closed roads for the sportive meant access to the pro race course was terrible - no option to ride or walk out to a decent spot a al ToB or the Olympic road race. Watching the telly coverage, it looks like most people took the same view, with there being very few spectators out in the hills apart from the locals in the villages through which it passed. I really do think they'd do better next year to come up with a system whereby the sportive ran it's course, but the pro race ran over a more interesting and potentially more selective route through the hills on rolling closures, then maybe joined the sportive course for a run back into London. If they want more fans on the route, a different approach will be needed, not least in the area of pre-event communication with regard to how to actually get to a decent viewing spot.

    (Actually, that's a lie. I reckon the pro race should start in London, follow the sportive route onto the A25, then make some serious use of the hills, downs, and surrounding area to the south, and finish on top of Newlands Corner from a southern approach for a proper hilly classic feel. I reckon a good few passes over the hills and Ranmore towards the end, combined with the tight nature of the roads, would make for an excellent race... but it won't happen because the world revolves around bloody L****n so we've got to have naff, never-going-to-be-a-major-race flat sprinty bunch thingy).
    Mangeur
  • Dezza
    Dezza Posts: 155
    We cycled up leith via coldharbour lane, no problems at all. Loads of others spectators who'd walked or cycled up there too.
    The best bit was our own clear closed road from leith to BH via dorking after the race had passed, made my day.

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