British Cycling has today announced the routes for the 2016 British Cycling National Road Championships that will take place in Stockton-on-Tees from 23-26 June.
The championships form part of the annual Stockton Cycling Festival and will begin on Thursday 23 June with the national time trial championships.
Won in 2015 by Alex Dowsett, Hayley Simmonds and Scott Davies, this year’s race will see the riders complete on a 7.6-mile course with the men completing four laps, while the women and U23 categories will each complete three.
The road race will take place on Sunday 26 June with current road world champion Lizzie Armitstead and Team Sky’s Pete Kennaugh anticipated to return to defend their titles.
The race starts in the centre of Stockton before heading out of town where the riders will complete six laps (women) and 12 laps (men) of a circuit that takes in the neighbouring villages of Carlton, Thorpe Thewles and Redmarshall.
The riders will then return to Stockton town centre entering the fast finishing circuit to complete three laps in the women’s race and six in the men’s before racing for the line on the High Street.
British Cycling’s director of cycle sport and membership, Jonny Clay, has commented: “We are delighted to be able to announce the routes for this year’s national road championships in Stockton. Lincoln’s iconic course last year resulted in a great race for both the athletes and fans.
"We’ve worked closely with Stockton Borough Council to deliver a testing but fast course which incorporates a mix of punchy climbs and rolling roads. I think we can expect to see some exciting racing that the National Championships is now well known for.”
Councillor Norma Wilburn, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s cabinet member for arts, leisure and culture, said: “We are incredibly excited as we move closer to the prestigious championships arriving in Stockton Borough and seeing the official routes announced will set many sporting hearts racing.
“Stockton Borough residents have shown a great appetite for such events throughout our Cycling Festival and other sporting showpieces in previous years and I have no doubt that they will be out in force again, both along the routes and at the finish, to show that Stockton is a superb destination for sports and events.”
As the championships form part of this year’s Stockton Cycling Festival, there will also be activity on the Friday and Saturday, with a youth race on Stockton High Street taking place on Friday and the Stockton Sportive taking place the following day. Sunday will also see the 'RideStockton' mass-participation event.
Time trial course
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Road race courses
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