VeloUK visits the course for the British Road Racing Championships on the eve of the big races.
![]() |
Tomorrow at 9am sees the first of two races to decide who will wear the British champion’s colours in road races for the rest of 2012 and into 2013. Today at Ampleforth, the weather has been quite nice, blowy yes, cool perhaps but drier than it was the previous day and if its like this on Sunday, I and most others will be pleased.
The most exciting bit of the course is the switch backs to get out of the college grounds … awesome.
The course for the championships is tough. I never looked at the big loop for the men but the smaller circuit used for all of the Women’s race and the end of the men’s race is on narrow, up and down roads with one long climb that isn’t steep but hard enough for one rider to hurt another going full gas. And if the wind blows, while there are hedges along the roads, it will no doubt still get in amongst the wheels.
There is also a lot of descending but if the gaps opened up on the ascents are big enough, that shouldn’t make a difference when riders commit to ride…
The finish is quite stunning. Reminds me of Celtic Manor without the big climb with the narrow lane through the grounds. The riders come on on roads the width of a car, a fast run in until the final four or five hundred metres which drag up to the finish, again on very narrow roads. If there’s a bunch kick, it will be interesting! I’ll let the pictures tell the story …
As it says on the sign… 250 to go … could be some cyclo-cross if a big group!
Corrine Hall, Jo Tindley, Nicola Juniper and one other do a lap of the course prior to their race tomorrow night.
The finish line opposite the judges booth… uphill.
Typical roads for the course, narrow, some broken up a bit and hedges to keep the wind out a bit.
Sky bus is in nice and early
A look down from the finish line at the roads the race will come in on. Lovely setting for a bike race. Would be better if the men’s was all on the small circuit. Going to get bored waiting for them on the early laps!
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Startlists: Junior Road Championships 2022
- Features, Reports, Results
- Scottish Team for Commonwealth Games
- Result: Castle Combe Summer Series 3
- Result: RBL Circuit Race Series 3
- Result: Holt Racing Pembrey Crits 7
- Result: Lancashire RC 10m TT
- Result: Medway Velo Club 25m TT
- Result: North Devon Wheelers Sporting TT
- Result: Tyneside Vagabonds Mountain TT
- Result: Spring In The Park 4
- Result: VC Venta Summer Road Race
- Result: Cadence Junior Road Race
- Result: Cornish Summer Series 2
- Result: NW Youth League Round 2
- Result: West Thames League 9
- Result: SACA Salt Ayre Series 7
- Result: Lotus Cars Cycle Race League 4
- Events: BikeStow Three-Day
- Tour Series: Manchester (Final)
- Result: Banbury Star Road Races
- Result: BUCS Road Races
- Result: Eastern Counties Cycling Festival
- Result: High Wycombe CC 25m TT
- Result: Poole Wheelers 25m TT
- Result: Coalville Wheelers Circuit Races
- Result: Omega Track Open
- Result: A3crg 30m TT
- Results: Fullarton Whs 10m TT
- Result: Omega Portsmouth Circuits 2
- Result: FTP Racing 25m TT
- Result: Inter-Service TT Championships 25m TT
- Result: Portsmouth Evening Circuits
- Result: No Nonsense Circuit Races 3
- Result: Hartlepool CC 10m TT
- Result: Sportzmad 25m TT
- Result: Ride Harder 10m TT
- Result: Warrington Road Club 47m TT
- Result: Brooks Cycles Track League
- Result: PB Performance Circuit Races Rd 5
- Result: ProVision & VeloRunner Road Race
Other News on VeloUK
- Scottish Team for Commonwealth Games
- Events: BikeStow Three-Day
- Startlists: Junior Road Championships 2022
- Feature: The Pedal Club Lunch May
- Barnsley Road Club Races This Sunday
- Sunday: Proper Northern Road Race Series 2
- This weekend: 48th Totnes Vire Two Day
- 2022 British Road Championships Venues
- TOUR SERIES: Round 3 (Sunderland) (Men)
- Startlist: Tour Series Round 1 Guisborough
- 2022 Tour Series Rider Squads Revealed
- News: Simon Yates to Vuelta a Asturias
- Events: Shrewsbury Sports Village
- News: 2022 Women’s CiCLE Classic Saved!
- Startlists: 2022 Rapha Lincoln GP
- Startlist: Oakenclough RR
- News: ŠKODA DSI Cycling Academy
- News: UCI Track Nations Cup Day 1
- News: The Pedal Club April Lunch
- Startlists: BUCS 10m TT Championship
- News: Entries open for Handicap League
- News: Tour Series 2022
- CiCLE Classic StartList 2022
- News:2022 CiCLE Classic Returns this weekend
- News: Crowd Funding for Women’s CiCLE Classic
- News: Special Santini Collection for Roubaix
- News: Teams for the Women’s Tour Revealed
- News: Sponsors Needed for Womens/Junior CiCLE Classic
- 2022 Tour of Britain Route Revealed
- Entries needed: Hell of the North Runway
- News: GB for Nations Cup
- News: Road Champs head to Scotland
- News: Tour Series to Race Stranraer
- News: Tour Series heading for Clacton on Sea
- News: Tour Series/Tour of Britain
- News: 16th CiCLE Classic
- Feature: Moda Bikes Vivo Review
- News: Women’s Tour Finishes in Oxfordshire
- Startlist: RCR FatCreations Road Race
- Mini Preview: Ontur round of the Copa Espana