Season Climaxes with the National Road Championships
Saint Piran’s season draws to a close this week, with riders heading to Lincolnshire to compete in three National Championship events spread over the same number of days.
National Time Trial Championships - Thursday 14th October
Proceedings get under way on Thursday with the National Time Trial Championships. 40 riders will go head-to-head over three laps of a course through the Lincolnshire Wolds for a total distance of 44.7km. The area is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, but with around 500 feet of climbing on each lap, the riders won’t have much time to admire the scenery.
Some big names will be on the start line, with UCI World Tour riders from Ineos Grenadiers (including Ethan Hayter, second on GC in the Tour of Britain), Israel Start-Up Nation (with reigning men’s time-trial champion Alex Dowsett) and Arkea Samsic (with Connor Swift, top-placed UK rider in last week’s Paris-Roubaix).
Saint Piran’s representation in the event will be through Steve Lampier, Ross Holland and Michael Gill from the Saint Piran Development Team.
National Circuit Race Championships - Friday 15th October
Next up, on Friday, is the National Circuit Race Championships, the first time the event has been held as part of the National Road Championships. The race, which lasts for one hour plus five laps, takes place on a short, tight and twisty 900m circuit around Lincoln Castle, promising some exciting action. And the 7pm start on a Friday evening should guarantee a good crowd. Again, expect a strong field, including reigning National Circuit champion, Joey Walker among the 60 starters.
Saint Piran’s lineup comprises: Tristan Davies, Matt Ellis, Iwan Evans, Steve Lampier, Ollie Maxwell, Tom Mazzone, Leon Mazzone and Brad Symonds.
National Road Race Championships - Sunday 17th October
Winding up the Championships, at 1pm on Sunda , is the National Road Race Championships. The race, on the iconic Lincoln Grand Prix circuit, consists of 13 laps of an 8-mile circuit, totalling just over 103 miles. That means 13 ascents of the notorious, cobbled Michaelgate climb, with Lincoln Castle on one side and Lincoln Cathedral on the other. With a maximum gradient of 20%, many a race has been blown wide open on this stretch of road. Once again, the 150-strong start list includes some top riders, but attention will inevitably focus on all-time Tour de France record stage winner, Mark Cavendish.
The race will see a bumper Saint Piran entry, consisting of: Tristan Davies, Matt Ellis, Iwan Evans, Ross Holland, Steve Lampier, Ollie Maxwell, Tom Mazzone, Leon Mazzone and Brad Symonds, plus Saint Piran Development’s Michael Gill.
Live coverage of the races will be available on Eurosport Player, GCN+ and British Cycling’s You Tube channel. There will also be full highlights on ITV4 at 7pm on Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th October.