Historic Michaelgate cobbled climb the focus point for the British Road Race Championships in Lincoln
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News – Twenty Weeks to Go to British Champs
NOTE: Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
Lincoln’s famous cobbled climb – the 1 in 6 Michaelgate dates back many centuries and would have been used in Viking and Norman times to link the lower settlements alongside the River Witham and the old port of Lincoln, up 200 feet to the upper fortified area where the superb Lincoln Castle stands as a look out over the City which was known as Lindum Colonia during the Roman Empire.
The name Michaelgate was probably known as Mikelgate in Norse times and led up to the church of Saint Michael. The crooked house at the top of the climb was a pub in medieval times known as The Harlequin and the building dates back to the late 1400’s although there are records of a building on the site as early as 1072. A canon ball discovered under stonework in the building may have been fired by Cromwell’s forces against the Royalists.
The Castle itself owes its existance to William the Conquerer who fortified the previous Roman Fortress shortly after 1066. The Castle is home to one of the only four surviving copies of Magna Carta and a special museum is being opened this year to celebrate the 800th anniversary of its signing on June 15th, 1215. Two other copies are in The British Library and one in Salisbury Cathedral.
Lincoln (Lindum Colonia) was a major Roman settlement and fortress and lies at the intersection of two major Roman roads, the Fosseway, now the A46, linking Lincoln to Exeter (Isca Dumnoniorum) via Leicester (Ratae Corieltauvorum) and Bath (Aquae Sulis), a total distance of 230 miles and not deviating from a straight line by more than 6 miles and the Ermine Street, now the A15, linking to the River Humber crossing and York (Eboracum) to the north and London (Londinium) to the south, a distance of 193 miles.
There is lots more to talk about regarding historic Lincoln through which the championship road races will pass especially the magnificent cathedral
SPONSORS
The organisers are pleased to announce further sponsors to join Plumbase, Active Nation and Bishop Grosseteste University. These are accountants Duncan and Toplis, Estate Agents Pygott & Crone, Construction Company Willmott Dixon, Publishers The Lincolnshire Media Group and The Ellmore Consultancy.
Accountants Duncan and Toplis support us for the first time and are a very welcome addition to the event.  “Adrian Reynolds, Managing Director of Duncan & Toplis says: “Our involvement as sponsors of the British Road Championships gives us great pride. The event will showcase the City and County in a very positive light and enable us to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to working in partnership with the local communities in and around Lincoln.â€
Duncan & Toplis is a leading, award winning regional accountancy firm with 10 offices across the East Midlands. The firm supports some 12,000 clients across the region, some of whom have been with the firm for several generations. The strap line ‘trust, strength, direction and value’ embodies the principles that are important to the firm and helps differentiate it from the competition.
The firm’s clients are typically SMEs, family run or owner managed businesses and private individuals, with specialist expertise spanning sectors including, but not restricted to, agriculture, academies, caravan parks, food, transport and logistics, medical, property and construction and renewables.
Services on offer include audit, accountancy, tax, bookkeeping, VAT, payroll and HR, with additional specialist services such as corporate finance, turnaround and litigation support and forensic accounting, valuations and wealth management also available when needed. Through its membership of accountancy network Kreston International, Duncan & Toplis can also help when advice needs to be provided outside of the UK. For further details please see our website www.duntop.co.ukâ€
Pygott & Crone who continue their support are independent Estate Agents specialising in all aspects of property and land, including Sales, Lettings, Auctions, Financial Services, Commercial, Agriculture, Surveying & Conveyancing. They are a multi award-winning estate agency, the Best Estate Agent in the UK, winners of the prestigious award of Estate Agency of the Year, at the 2014 The Times & The Sunday Times Property Awards. They also won the gold awards for Best Midlands Estate Agency and Best Medium Estate Agency.
Senior Partner Tim Downing is a very enthusiastic cyclist and a sponsor of Velo Club Lincoln said “Pygott and Crone are great supporters of sport in the county and having the opportunity to support the national champs made perfect sense as it will be a great way to promote our magnificent city and county to a national and international audience”
Willmott Dixon are another new supporter and since 1852 the construction contractor has been working across the housing, property development and public sector. As one of the largest privately owned companies specialising in construction, development and support services, Willmott Dixon has been built on strong family values of loyalty, respect, honesty and openness and works to be a sustainable, community engaged company that enriches the local community through its projects and opportunities http://www.willmottdixongroup.co.uk/
David Ford on behalf of the company says “As a firm Willmott Dixon is active in Lincolnshire working on a number of important projects such as the Lincoln University Technical College, a number of primary schools and the much anticipated transport hub in the city. Lincolnshire is a county of opportunities not only in investment but also its culture. It’s fantastic Lincoln is hosting the championships this year and supporting this high profile event is an ideal way for Willmott Dixon to support Lincoln.”
Lincolnshire Media Group will support the championships by producing and printing the official event programme which is planned as a 48 page full colour and containing full information not only of the championships but also the supporting events being held during the 4 day period.
Lincolnshire Media publishes the Lincolnshire Echo, as well as editions of the Target Series of newspapers in Boston, Sleaford and across East Lindsey, and in January the company launched a new title, the Grantham Target.
Publisher Steven Fletcher said he was delighted to be part of the cycling championships.
“The success of British cycling at recent Olympics Games, and international road racing events, shows there is a huge appetite for the sport. Nobody can forget the amazing turnout for the beginning of the 2014 Tour de France in Yorkshire, and we want to replicate some of that atmosphere here in Lincolnshire.â€
Ellmore Consultancy are again providing the championships’ web site, digital marketing and social media services, including all pre-event updates and live event tweeting through the Championships.
MD Dan Ellmore said “We are very pleased to be involved with the National Championships 2015, it is one of a number of prestigious cycling events we work with around the world but being in our home county makes it extra special for usâ€
Support will also be given both financially and logistically by Lincolnshire County Council, The City of Lincoln Council, East Lindsey District Council and West Lindsey District Council.
All four authorities are fully supportive of the events taking place in their areas with the time trials opening the championships on June 25th in East Lindsey’s Lincolnshire Wolds and the Cadwell Park motor racing circuit.
The road races on June 28th are based on the well known Lincoln Grand Prix circuit with opening loops taking the riders out of the City through the West Lindsey areas before returning to Lincoln to complete finishing laps of the 8 mile Grand Prix circuit.
Spectator tickets for the time trial championships at Cadwell Park on Thursday June 25th are now on sale, follow the link on the event web site.
Full information on the championships and the supporting events can also be found on the event web site –
www.nationalroadchamps.co.uk and by following us on twitter @roadchamps
Contact info@lincolngrandprix.org.uk for further information
Diary Dates are:
Thursday June 25th 2015 – The British Cycling National Time Trial Championships (Men and Women) based at Cadwell Park
Sunday June 28th 2015 – The British Cycling National Road Race Championships (Men and Women) based in Lincoln
Supported by : –
Thursday June 25th 2015 – The Cadwell Kermesses – Cadwell Park
Friday June 26th 2015 – The Uphill Dash – Lincoln
Saturday June 27th – The Lincoln Grand Prix Championships Sportive – Lincoln
Saturday June 27th – The Castle Criteriums – Lincoln
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
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