Good Friday promises to be a great one at Herne Hill

With Easter fast approaching, here’s a timely reminder that on Good Friday – the day after tomorrow, if you haven’t been paying attention to the calendar – a small corner of South London plays host to what promise to be a couple of highly crowd-pleasing cycle events.

First up, the historic Herne Hill velodrome hosts its traditional Good Friday International Track Meeting, and riders include multiple Italian national track champion Roberto Chiappa who will be looking to repeat his win in the International Sprint which he won on his last visit to Herne Hill in 2001, and Endura rider Rob Hayles, who will be competing in the Golden Wheel 20km Scratch Race.

Online ticket sales are now closed, but you can pay on the gate on the day. Full details of the programme are available from the event website. Gates open at 9.30am, with racing starting an hour later, and the event wraps up at 5.3pm.

That leaves an hour and a half to go grab something to eat – nearby Dulwich Village boasts several restaurants plus the Crown & Greyhound pub – before things get going again in the evening, just down the road from the Velodrome at the Half Moon pub close to Herne Hill station, Rollapaluza holds its National Series finale, with a £500 cash prize pot.

The event will draw together qualifying male and female riders from the regional qualifying heats that we’ve covered here on road.cc over the winter, plus one or two surprise names are promised as well.

The event, sponsored by Brixton Cycles, which aims to uncover the UK’s “King of Spin and Queen of Cadence,” will be compered by cycling commentator Ant McCrossan and lasts from 7pm to 11pm, and tickets, which cost £5, can be bought here. Djs will be on hand to get the atmosphere pumping, and organisers promise that the beer will flow

Two good reasons, then, for your Good Friday to be spent in Herne Hill.