Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Back to news
news
Events
Governing body
Racing
Route confirmed for July's national road championshipsHSBC UK National Road Championships map.png

Route confirmed for July's national road championships

Men's and women's races will follow same circuit in Northumberland, with start and finish in Stamfordham...
by Simon_MacMichael
Thu, Apr 19, 2018 15:29
4

British Cycling has confirmed the route of the 2018 HSBC UK National Road Race Championships which take place in Northumberland on Sunday 1 July and will form part of the Cyclone Festival of Cycling..

Both the men’s race, covering 185 kilometres, and the 106-kilometre women’s race, will start and finish in Stamfordham, around 20km west of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, with the Ryals climb providing the toughest test on the course.

The event is returning to the county for the first time since 2011, when Sir Bradley Wiggins and Lizzie Deignan were resepectively crowned men’s and women’s champions.

Organiser Peter Harrison said: "The road race route is extremely picturesque, but the riders won't have time to enjoy it.

“The narrow roads that typify the run in to the famous Ryals climb force the riders to race hard for position: the climb of the Ryals then gives stronger riders the chance to pressurise an already strung-out field.

“The eventual winners and national champions will have to be tactically sharp and prepared to go with the inevitable attacks up the Ryals,” he continued.

“Then, we anticipate a game of cat and mouse between smaller groups of riders down to the finish.”

The Cyclone Festival of Cycling will also feature the national time trial championships on Thursday 28 June, with the route yet to be announced, and includes a family ride and sportive open to the public on 29 and 30 June, respectively, with full details available here.

2018 national road race championships. Cyclone Festival of Cycling
British Cycling
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

Add new comment

4 comments

Avatar
paulrattew | 6 years ago
1 like

Currently, the vast majority of the women's peloton would struggle to 'race' the distance of the men's race. Not because of lack of inate ability, just because it's not what they train for. They train for the shorter races that are available to them. If longer races were on the calendar, then they would train to race those distances and would have no problem covering the same courses as the men's peloton. Personally, I would love to see the women race over longer courses, given women's races are often so much more agressive and animated than the equivalent men's races (although some would argue that the shorter distances allows for more of this). 

Avatar
I am a human | 6 years ago
2 likes

Why do major cycling events continue to have shorter courses for women?

Avatar
peloton replied to I am a human | 6 years ago
0 likes

I am a human wrote:

Why do major cycling events continue to have shorter courses for women?

 

Not sure that many people involved in women's pro cycling would advocate that women race the same distance as men.

Avatar
madcarew replied to peloton | 6 years ago
0 likes

peloton wrote:

I am a human wrote:

Why do major cycling events continue to have shorter courses for women?

 

Not sure that many people involved in women's pro cycling would advocate that women race the same distance as men.

That may be true, but still begs the question, Why?

And I think the "many people involved in women's pro cycling" probably doesn't include they cyclists. I know many of them are deeply frustrated that men's champs are held over 180 k+, where as women's is often two thirds of the distance, or less.

Latest Comments