Welcome to the forum
Tour of Cambridgeshire (Gran Fondo)
Registration opens at 6am on Friday 14th August. Enter here
I enjoyed this event immensely this year and they're really trying to appeal to a wide range of riders in terms of experience, fitness and the level of challenge that we want. You can make it your first sportive, or take a leisurely tour with refreshment stops, or race it, or do something in between. Up to you. See this thread for write-ups from this years riders
They seem to have listened to 2015 feedback and are promising better signage, better access to feed stations and they're going to SMS every rider at the Finish with finish time, position ... and (if applicable) invitations to collect UCI Championships Qualifiers medals, plus podium calls
I'm in. C'mon CCA!
I enjoyed this event immensely this year and they're really trying to appeal to a wide range of riders in terms of experience, fitness and the level of challenge that we want. You can make it your first sportive, or take a leisurely tour with refreshment stops, or race it, or do something in between. Up to you. See this thread for write-ups from this years riders
They seem to have listened to 2015 feedback and are promising better signage, better access to feed stations and they're going to SMS every rider at the Finish with finish time, position ... and (if applicable) invitations to collect UCI Championships Qualifiers medals, plus podium calls
I'm in. C'mon CCA!
Comments
Suggest you have a better chance of getting into the front pens if you put down race - though the very front pen was reserved for those with full (not provisional) BC racing licences this year.
There's an email being sent out in mid September that will tell you how to amend your details and change community. So it doesn't matter which one you put down initially.
o 2000 competitors are expected in the UWCT Final next week (30% more than last year)
o Just over 1/4 of entrants are British - a testament to the success of the inaugural Tour of Cambridgeshire and to how healthy our sport is in UK
I'm not, but have signed up for 2016 race/gran fondo.
Last year it was free and IMO they did a good job of getting us parked quickly. This year, if thousands of competitors try to park in neighbouring streets to avoid the charge, it could create havoc for local residents! If you feel as peeved as I do, you might want to ping the organiser a quick email. Perhaps they'll reconsider.
enquiries@tourofcambridgeshire.com
Taking money off car drivers as they enter the ground not only slows the parking process down, but means their huge car park might have lots of empty spaces while the surrounding streets snarl up - a PR nightmare waiting to happen
The reason for this charge is to incentivise entrants to arrive early to help prevent the traffic
problems we caused on the A1 in 2015. Unfortunately, in 2015 we experienced a peak arrival volume
of traffic in the period 09.00hrs to 10.30hrs despite prior requests regarding early arrival. The
resultant traffic jams raised questions about the viability of the event at Cambridgeshire County
Council. On the understanding that we addressed the traffic flow with the traffic management
contractor we have been given the go ahead for future events. We have to get the traffic flow right
as we are expecting in the volume of cars to grow year on year from the 4000 in 2015.
We have looked at the viability of various options to address the traffic flow issue and rewarding
early arrival is unfortunately the simplest and practical option.
So I think there is not much chance of this policy being changed.
For example, they could direct cars off the A1(M) one junction earlier or later - if the A1(M) really is their concern. Or stagger the start times, to widen the spread of arrival times on the site - this year, they're using a timing mat rather than everybody starting on the gun, so there isn't any real need to get everyone penned up at 11am.
Perhaps I'm cynical, but it feels to me like an underhand way of making more money out of us ... and out of the exhibitors too (- the organiser can charge them more as well, if they promise a higher footfall). I don't like paying for parking, full stop. And I really don't like it when somebody sells me something and then tells me later on that it's going to cost me more than we originally agreed
The exhibition was very poor last year and if the weather is poor the hall will be totally overcrowded.
I will not be entering again.
I'm planning on getting there fairly early, maybe for 8am, as I'll probably be awake at the crack of dawn anyway with the excitement!
I'm giving a lift to SimonM, two more spaces available in the bike rack if anyone else wants to join us...
it is dangerous, but very liberating how many journeys in central london are now being made by bike, and how easy it is to get around.