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Preview: 2011 Lincoln Grand Prix
Race Date: 8 May 2011
Essential info on May 7th-8th weekender
The Lincoln GP has a special place in the hearts of Road fans in the UK, with its combination of history (it's one of the longest running races) and iconic setting: Lincolnshire may be largely flat, but the multi-lap city centre finish packs a punch and almost always ensures that a lone winner emerges to claim the in in front of a big crowd. We have all the pre-race info, including start list and spectator advice and, of course, we'll be there reporting back on the race itself!
SPECTATOR GUIDE
The riders start from the Yarborough Sports Centre at 10 am and leave via the cycle track and Breedon Drive to join the circuit on Burton Road. They then leave the City to Burton Village and descend Burton Hill to Fen Lane and the A57 where they turn left towards Lincoln.
At the old Racecourse they turn left in to Long Leys Road to climb to Yarborough Road and a right turn to take them into West Parade. They then cross in to Motherby Lane, turn left in to Hungate to start the tortuous 1 in 6 cobbled climb of Michaelgate.
This leads them through to Wordsworth Street and a right turn in to Drury Lane and through Castle Square where the finish will take place after the 11th climb of Michaelgate. The circuit is completed by continuing in to Bailgate and Newport, turning left in to Yarborough Crescent and right in to Burton Road.
The Grand Prix covers 11 laps of the circuit to finish in Castle Square at approximately 1.30 pm.
WHO'S RIDING
A classy line-up includes rider of the season so far, Zak Dempster, a selection of top young riders in 100% me colours, including Luke Rowe Tom Moses and Sam Harrison, a strong Endura squad led by Ian Wilkinson, Ian Wilkinson and a powerful 9-rider Motorpoint line-up, plus all the other leading teams in the country, plus a smattering of overseas competition - Full Start List
NEWS UPDATES
May 2 Update
Nigel Mansell to support UK Youth team at Lincoln Grand Prix
Nigel Mansell OBE will be at the Lincoln Grand Prix in his position of President of the UK Youth Charity to add his support to the team led by Sweden's Magnus Backstedt. The 1992 Formula 1 Grand Prix Champion will be in the team car to watch this exciting event cover 11 laps of the 8 mile circuit probably just a little slower than in his motor racing days but with an average race speed for the Grand Prix at over 27 mph making it one of the country's fastest races.
UK Youth is a leading national youth work charity supporting over 750,000 young people, helping them to raise their aspirations, realise their potential and have their achievements recognised via non-formal, accredited education programmes and activities. Through the network UK Youth has over 40,000 adult volunteers working in over 7,000 youth clubs, youth groups and projects across the UK.
UK Youth has increased its visibility through its support of the team with Nigel's sons Leo and Greg also taking up the sport and who knows they could be in the team for a future Lincoln Grand Prix. Nigel has also been seen on a bike but the cobbled climb of Michaelgate will be more suited to team leader Magnus, a previous Paris-Roubaix winner and the points winner in the first Premier Calendar race of the season the Tour of DoonHame.
Premier Calendar leader Rapha Condor's Zak Dempster was just one second clear of Raleigh's Matt Cronshaw in the final classification of the first Premier Calendar event with Endura's Jack Bauer in third. They now head the seven event major event points league but all could change after 200 minutes of hectic racing around the tourist areas of Lincoln and Burton.
Ireland's Phil Lavery produced an excellent ride in last years Grand Prix to finish second behind a dominant Chris Newton. Phil is back again with a strong team behind him and has been released from the An Post Sean Kelly continental team especially for the Grand Prix and his will to win the race.
A new team name for the Grand Prix also comes from Ireland with 6 riders taking the start including Under 23 rider Thomas Martin. The Under 23 competition this year has 50 riders qualifying for this event within an event with the 100% ME team fielding a full house of 6 riders in this category.
However it would be a brave act to predict the final outcome of the event as it completes its 11 laps to finish in Castle Square at around 1.30 pm on Sunday.
Final traffic plans are now in place and the 160 starters will once again enjoy the freedom of traffic free conditions on the 8 mile circuit, a feature that makes the Lincoln something special for the riders and a great event to watch for the thousands of spectators who line the cobbled climb and finish areas in Castle Square.
The race starts from Lincoln's Yarborough Leisure Centre at 10 am where the new Sports Hub built on the side of the cycling circuit become the Race HQ for the day. The finish will be in Castle Square at around 1.30 pm where the awards ceremony will also take place.
Lincoln will further establish itself as a major attraction for cyclist when the inaugural Lincoln Grand Prix Sportive takes place the day before the Grand Prix. This has proven to be a super attraction itself with over 300 riders now enrolled for the 95 mile tour of the county and over 200 for the 55 mile route. The riders will be starting in groups from the Bishops Grosseteste College with the finish for both events in Castle Square after a climb of Michaelgate adds a sting in the tail of the event.
April Update
With just over two weeks to go before the Lincoln Cycling Festival final preparations are being made to ensure the ongoing success of the Lincoln Grand Prix and the brand new Lincoln Grand Prix Sportive.
The inaugural Lincoln Grand Prix Sportive on Saturday May 7th currently has an entry of 238 for the 94 mile circuit around Lincolnshire's countryside which includes some sharp climbs in the Lincolnshire Wolds. Entries for the 55 mile route for the not quite so brave stand at 150 but both events bring the riders to the finish line in Castle Square via the 1 in 6 cobbled Michaelgate climb, a real sting in the tail. We hope they all enjoy this taste of Lincolnshire and are in the crowd at Sunday's Grand Prix.
All the UK's top teams are present in the 160 strong start list for Sunday's 56th Annual Lincoln Grand Prix and the race is back on its usual circuit through Bailgate, now restored to health following its surface make over last year. The 2009 record average speed could be challenged, the 86 miles covered at 27.5 miles per hour, quite a feat considering the 11 climbs of Michaelgate and Long Leys Road. The home teams all have their best riders here and will be fighting hard for the Premier Calendar points and a share of the £4,230 prize list.
The race is missing last year's winner Chris Newton who has now retired from top class competition to take on a coaching role, so there could well be a new name on the Roy Hart Trophy this year. The team from Ireland is back in strength with 2010 runner up Phil Lavery specially released from his foreign team commitments to ride the Grand Prix and taking up the Number 1 position on the programme. We also have Sweden's Magnus Backstedt, a former Paris - Roubaix winner, leading a strong UK Youth team and the Rapha Condor Sharp team with the Rutland CiCle Classic winner Zak Dempster and 2010 Omnium Track Champion Ed Clancy. Motorpoint's Marcin Bialoblocki and Jimmy McEvoy will also need watching after being 3rd and 4th at Rutland. Whilst foreign teams are not as numerous as usual a quick look through the entries will find 34 riders from outside of Great Britain.
The race again features the Brian Cossavella Michaelgate Trophy. This was won in 2009 and 2010 by the race winner and provides an added dimension to the race and a tribute to a well known and hard working cycling official and organiser. Michaelgate is by no means an easy climb in the later stages of the race as the lactate starts to build up in the leg muscles but you can be assured of a strong tussle for the points on each lap.
The rapid descent and the right angle bends in the picturesque village of Burton are always a popular vantage point for viewing the race. This year the race coincides with the West Lindsey Open Churches Festival and the Church of St Vincents on the hillside is arranging a flower festival and offering tea, coffee and soft drinks from 10.30 am. All are welcome to call in to view this beautiful church with its lovely stained glass windows and the coronation chairs from the last 3 coronations which are located in the Monson Gallery or to walk round the churchyard with its many plants and flowers.
The major viewing areas are certainly around the Michaelgate climb and through Castle Square in to Bailgate where the race heads out of the City via the Roman Newport Arch. The Castle Square area again has extra events with British Cycling's WATT bikes providing a means to test physical outputs and compare these to British Cycling's national squad members. Alongside this there will be Lincolnshire Sports Partnership's bike 4 life stand, the usual Bits for Bikes area, a clothing stall by Impsport and the popular Smoothies bar. Across the other side of the Square the Lincolnshire Farmers' Market is back with stands serving up some interesting snacks with Ostrich and Venison Burgers very popular. Audi Lincolnshire, one of our race vehicle suppliers, also have a new car display with staff on hand to talk to those who need four wheels as well as a bike.
In 2010 the organisation introduced events for younger riders with a Michaelgate Hill Climb Challenge. In a similar vein British Cycling will be organising a Go-Ride inter-schools competition. Riders from four schools start at the Grand Prix finish line and after a small circuit based on Bailgate, Eastgate, Minster Yard and Exchequergate come back to the finish line. These are short events taking place in between the early laps of the Grand Prix and will provide some exciting racing for young riders and great photos with the Lincoln Cathedral as a magnificent backdrop.
County Conference & Events lead the 2011 sponsorship for the third year with the City of Lincoln Council and the University of Lincoln providing additional sponsorship of the budget needed to organise this major event on the British road race calendar. They are backed up by our other local sponsors who support the event each year and our thanks also go to them for their continued support. Television is back for the eighth time with the event again being recorded for Eurosport.
Course Information
The riders start from the Yarborough Sports Centre at 10 am and leave via the cycle track and Breedon Drive to join the circuit on Burton Road. They then leave the City to Burton Village and descend Burton Hill to Fen Lane and the A57 where they turn left towards Lincoln. At the old Racecourse they turn left in to Long Leys Road to climb to Yarborough Road and a right turn to take them into West Parade. They then cross in to Motherby Lane, turn left in to Hungate to start the tortuous 1 in 6 cobbled climb of Michaelgate. This leads them through to Wordsworth Street and a right turn in to Drury Lane and through Castle Square where the finish will take place after the 11th climb of Michaelgate. The circuit is completed by continuing in to Bailgate and Newport, turning left in to Yarborough Crescent and right in to Burton Road.
The Grand Prix covers 11 laps of the circuit to finish in Castle Square at approximately 1.30 pm.
Competitor list (correct as of 19th April)
Philip Lavery Team Ireland Ireland
Martyn Irvine Team Ireland Ireland
Felix English Team Ireland Ireland
Sam Bennett Team Ireland Ireland
Ryan Sherlock Team Ireland Ireland
Spare Number
Adam Armstrong Eurocycles Cycling Team Ireland
Thomas Martin Eurocycles Cycling Team Ireland
Conor Murphy Eurocycles Cycling Team Ireland
Urban Monks Jnr Eurocycles Cycling Team Ireland
Frazer Duncan Eurocycles Cycling Team Ireland
Paul Mulligan Eurocycles Cycling Team Ireland
Tom Moses 100% ME Keighley
Simon Yates 100% ME Bury
Joseph Kelly 100% ME Isle of Man
Luke Rowe 100% ME Cardiff
Erick Rowsell 100% ME Cheam
Mark Christian 100% ME Isle of Man
Jonathan Mould 100% ME Newport
Samuel Harrison 100% ME Newport
James Jones Beeline Bicycles RT Abingson
Simon Gaywood Team Corley Cycles Kempston
Matthew Higgins Team Corley Cycles Pelsall
Richard Cartland Team Corley Cycles Worcester
Ian Knight Team Corley Cycles Wootton
James Millard Team Corley Cycles Earley
Chris McNamara Team Corley Cycles Worthing
Ashley Cox Team Corley Cycles Biggleswade
Richard Lambert Cottingham Coureurs Doncaster
Tom Barras CyclePremier.com-Metaltek Keighley
Stephen Gallagher CyclePremier.com-Metaltek Armagh, Ireland
Robert Smail CyclePremier.com-Metaltek Dartington
Simon Wilson CyclePremier.com-Metaltek Burnley
Dale Appleby CyclePremier.com-Metaltek Pontyclon, Wales
Ross Creber CyclePremier.com-Metaltek Kirkliston
Ian Wilkinson Endura Racing Barnoldwick
Scott Thwaites Endura Racing Ilkley
Alex Blain Endura Racing Peillon, France
James Moss Endura Racing Newcastle on Tyne
Callum Wilkinson Endura Racing Livingston
Robert Partridge Endura Racing Wrexham
David Clarke Endura Racing Swadlincote
Rob Hayles Endura Racing High Peak
Oliver Beckingsdale Endura MTB Racing N Somerset
Jack Adams Forme Procycliste Sanlamere Sherborne
Dexter Gardias Forme Procycliste Sanlamere Witney
Will Fox Forme Procycliste Sanlamere Banbury
Adam Rayner Forme Procycliste Sanlamere Northern Ireland
Alex Coutts Giant Kenda Racing Team Burntisland
Nic Hutchings C S Grupetto Fulham
Douglas Dewey GWR Team Somerton
Llewellyn Kinch GWR Team Faringdon
Sam Redding GWR Team Waterlooville
Richard Bott Herbalife/Wheelbase Ellsmere Port
Andrew Hawdon Herbalife/Wheelbase Millom
Andy Coupe Herbalife/Wheelbase Preston
Simon Baxter Herbalife/Wheelbase Middlesbrough
Stuart Reid Herbalife/Wheelbase Kendall
Alastair Kay Herbalife/Wheelbase York
Anthony Move CC Luton Hitchin
Martin Ford Mammoth Lifestyle RT Newcastle, Staffs
Russell Falder Mammoth Lifestyle RT Stafford
Adam Yates Maxgear Racing Team Bury
Chris Coyle Mayo Castlebar Western Edge Ireland
Ian Bibby Motorpoint Preston
Jimmy McEvoy Motorpoint St Helens
Pete Williams Motorpoint Croston
James Sampson Motorpoint Upper Denby
Marcin Bialoblocki Motorpoint Poland
Will Berjgfelt Motorpoint Portishead
Tobyn Horton Motorpoint Guernsey
Malcolm Elliott Motorpoint Sheffield
Andrew Magnier Motorpoint Stoke on Trent
Jack Kirk CC Multipole Berre D'Etang France
Mike Auger Velo Club Norwich Norwich
David McLean Pasta Montenegro Zheroquadro Cambridge
Daniele Santoni Pasta Montenegro Zheroquadro Italy
Wojciech Szlachta Pasta Montenegro Zheroquadro Poland
Rowan Dever Pasta Montenegro Zheroquadro Australia
Matt Myers Pasta Montenegro Zheroquadro London
Ray Alexander Pasta Montenegro Zheroquadro New Zealand
Mark Holt Pasta Montenegro Zheroquadro Cambridge
Wayne Coombs Primal Europe Wichcombe
Junior Heffernan Primal Europe Yelverton
Ben Simmons Primal Europe Newport
Beb Stockdale Team Qoroz Lower Swell, Glos
Tom Stockdale Team Qoroz Lower Swell, Glos
Luke Dunbar Team Qoroz Bristol
Scott Law Team Qoroz Evesham
Mikey Thelwell Team Qoroz Worcester
Matt Ullmer Team Qoroz Stow on the Wold
Matt Jones Team Raleigh Milton Keynes
Philip Mooney Team Raleigh Valparasio, USA
Matt Cronshaw Team Raleigh Carnforth
Richard Handley Team Raleigh Warrington
James Sparling Team Raleigh Victoria, Canada
Liam Holohan Team Raleigh Lichfield
Gael Le Bellec Team Raleigh Yffinic, France
Matt Gee Team Raleigh Lichfield
Kristian House Rapha Condor Sharp Texas & Middlewich
Dean Downing Rapha Condor Sharp Rotherham
Jonathan Tiernan-Locke Rapha Condor Sharp Plymouth
Zak Dempster Rapha Condor Sharp Bendigo Australia
Tom Southam Rapha Condor Sharp Penzance
Andrew Tennant Rapha Condor Sharp Wilmslow
Graham Briggs Rapha Condor Sharp Doncaster Wheelers
Ed Clancy Rapha Condor Sharp Newton le Willows
Jamie Scott Renault Rotor Colbert RT Desborough
Richard Wilkinson Renault Rotor Colbert RT Middlewich
David Palmer Renault Rotor Colbert RT Kettering
Joshua Cunningham Royal Antwerp Bicycle Club Belgium
Alistair Rutherford Science in Sport Manchester
Dan Duguid Sigma Sport - Specialized Fleet
Simon Richardson Sigma Sport - Specialized Bristol
Russell Hampton Sigma Sport - Specialized Southend on Sea
Tom Murray Sigma Sport - Specialized Huddersfield
Tom Copeland Sigma Sport - Specialized Eastbourne
Kit Gilham Sigma Sport - Specialized Sheffield
Ashley Brown Sportscover Strategic Altura Pontefract
John Tanner Sportscover Strategic Altura Doncaster
Collin Humphrey Sportscover Strategic Altura Newcastle on Tyne
Kevin Dawson Sportscover Strategic Altura Doncaster
Luke Ryan Team Toachim Canterbury
Marcel Six Twenty3c-Orbea St Albans
Rafa Rodriguez Segarra Twenty3c-Orbea Spain
Rob Sharman Twenty3c-Orbea Derby
Kristian Downs Twenty3c-Orbea Basildon
Andrew Griffiths Twenty3c-Orbea Hornchurch
Joe Perrett Twenty3c-Orbea Ilford
Mike Cuming Twenty3c-Orbea Stoke on Trent
Magnus Backstedt Team UK Youth Sweden
James Stewart Team UK Youth Chelmsford
Niklas Gustavsson Team UK Youth Sweden
Frederik Johansson Team UK Youth Sweden
David McGowan Team UK Youth Liverpool
Filip Rudenstam Team UK Youth Sweden
James Lowsley-Williams Team UK Youth Gloucester
Steven Burke Team UK Youth Colne
George Richardson Team Tor 2000 Bromsgrove
Phil Borrett Team Tor 2000 Sidmouth
Josh Yetman Team Tor 2000 Taunton
Jason Duckworth Team Tor 2000 Ilchester
Adam Norris Vanillabikes.com Romford
Jack Pullar Vanillabikes.com Lancaster
Harry Grey Vanillabikes.com Chester
Daniel Smith Velo29 Cycling Team Saltburn
Rob Carter Velo29 Cycling Team Middlesbrough
Rob Graham Velo29 Cycling Team Gosforth
Chris Mark Velo29 Cycling Team Middlesbrough
Jack Rees Velo29 Cycling Team Stockton on Tees
Ciaran O'Sullivan Velo29 Cycling Team Ireland
Nick Busst Velo29 Cycling Team Brixton
Michael Dales Velo29 Cycling Team Middlesbrough
Hugh Wilson Willier Goselfdrive.com Barry
Jack Cousins Wills Wheels Manchester
Henry Furniss WyndyMilla- Maxifuel Seale, Surrey
Alex Higham WyndyMilla- Maxifuel Godalming
Giancarlo Checchi WyndyMilla- Maxifuel Garda, Italy
Adam Cotterell WyndyMilla- Maxifuel Epsom
Gyles Wingate Zanata cycling team Belgium Bognor Regis
Reserves
Oliver Davies Dinnington Road Club Nottingham
Tim Allen Cyclesport/Pygott & Crone Lincoln
Jamie Caldwell St Ives Cycling Club Huntingdon
Mark Thomson St Ives Cycling Club Stanwick
Carl Dyson Clay Cross Racing Team Leicester
Chris Snook Banjocycles.com Lambourn
Lee Tunnicliffe Planet X Racing Team Morley
Lee Allen RVO Worksop
Phil Malt Velo Club Lincoln Lincoln
Stephen Henson Ellis Briggs Racing Team Leeds
Harry Wickham leslie bikes/rightmove windows Sunderland
Duncan Moralee Sportscover Strategic Altura Normanton
Martin Wheeldon Doncaster Wheelers Doncaster
Rob Orr Forme Procycliste Sanlamere Leicester
James Hawkins GWR Team Saffron Walden
William Penn Mammoth Lifestyle RT Lichfield
James Newall Team Corley Cycles Camberley
Sam Ward Wills Bros Racing Otley
Mike Rudling Wightlink Racing Team Isle of Wight
Gavin Daley Velo Club Lincoln Lincoln
