News: Road Champs in Lincoln

British Road Race, Time Trial and Circuit Race Championships to be held in Lincoln in October

News: Road Champs in Lincoln

The 2021 British Road Championships will take place in Lincoln, and for the first time in the event’s history, the national champions’ jerseys will be presented for the road race, time trial and circuit in the same week.

Peter Kennaugh winning the British title in 2015 on the cobbles of Lincoln.

Taking place from 14-17 October, the event will begin with the time trials on Thursday, followed by the circuit races on Friday and the road races on Sunday. There will, in addition, be a Sportive on Saturday and the Newells Michaelgate Hill Dash on the Saturday evening.

The Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix was initially planned to be the opening round of this year’s National Road Series, however due to Covid-19 restrictions the event was postponed with a view to rescheduling later in the year. Following British Cycling’s decision to move the British Road Championships from its traditional calendar date in June, the organisation have worked with Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix organisers Dan Ellmore & Peter Odam to bring the National Championships back to the city for the first time since 2015.

Following its inception in 1956, the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix and its iconic Michaelgate climb have brought a host of the world’s best teams and riders to the city, with past winners of the race including Malcolm Elliott, Russell Downing (4 times), Paul Curran (4 times), Peter Kennaugh and Lizzie Deignan.

Event organiser, Dan Ellmore, said: “We are incredibly pleased to bring the National Road Race Championships back to Lincoln on the historic Michaelgate cobbles. The event brought over £1m in income to Lincoln when held in 2015 without the inclusion of the circuit championships so we hope to not only bring some fantastic racing to Lincoln in
October but also a much welcome boost to the local economy”

Lizzie Deignan, rider for Trek-Segafredo and former world and Commonwealth champion, said: “Winning my third national road title in Lincoln in 2015 was a really special moment and I’ll never forget the noise and the atmosphere of that day. It’s a race that all riders want to win and after the past year I’m sure that will be truer than ever this October. The growth in the number and quality of female British riders since the last time the race was in Lincoln in 2015 has been absolutely incredible to see and I know that competition for the national champions’ jerseys will be fiercer than ever this time around.”

This year’s championships are being delivered with the support of City of Lincoln Council. Event organiser, Dan Ellmore, said: “We are incredibly pleased to bring the National Road Race Championships back to Lincoln on the historic Michaelgate cobbles. The event brought over £1m in economic benefit to Lincoln when held in 2015 without the inclusion of the circuit championships so we hope to not only bring some fantastic racing to Lincoln in October but also a much welcome boost to the local economy”