On July 8, the Bristol Grand Prix will return for its fourth year.
This year, it won’t just be professionals who can enjoy the course – the entire race track will host the HSBC Let’s Ride event in the afternoon, giving everyone a chance to ride the traffic free streets. It’s an all day cycling festival, and we want south-west businesses to get involved.
The whole day cycling event begins at 8:00am with the Bath Ales Men’s 3 / 4 race, is followed by the Hayes Parsons Insurance Brokers Women’s Grand Prix at 09:00am and concludes with the headline HSBC UK | Lobster Pictures Bristol Grand Prix at 10:30am. Throughout the morning spectators will be able to enjoy watching some of the UK and Europe’s best domestic riders tackle the challenging course.
The headline event is now part of the HSBC UK | Grand Prix series, which ensures that high-profile teams like JLT Condor, One Pro Cycling (owned by former Ashes winner Matt Prior) and Team Wiggins will battle it out for the win in a 100-mile race run at speeds of almost 30mph. The race will be broadcast across the world, with highlights screened across Europe.
If the event is a success, the organisers hope that professional racing will become an annual fixture in Bristol. “Becoming part of the HSBC UK | Grand Prix Series is a reflection of the support, commitment and love for cycling that makes Bristol so special.” Says Phil Adkins, Bristol Grand Prix Race Director. “The incredible scenes we saw when the Tour of Britain came to Bristol in 2016 demonstrate just how passionate Bristolians are about cycling.” The 6km course takes in some of Bristol’s most iconic landmarks, including Park Street, the Cathedral and even a Banksy. An expanded, 6km course will see riders tackle Millenium Square, Broadmead and Colston Street. An exciting new feature is the cobbled section around Queens Square which the 140-strong field will approach at full gas.
Spectators will be able to enjoy the race completely free from anywhere around the course. And when the racing is finished, they’ll be able to ride it too. In the afternoon, the race-track will be opened to everyone on two wheels as part of the HSBC UK | Let’s Ride event. Race fans and riders will be able to enjoy over two-hours of traffic-free cycling. The entire course will be secured with barriers and protected from traffic, creating a city-wide cycling festival. Run on a shorter course last year, the enthusiasm of Bristol’s cyclists caught the attention of the British Cycling, the national body in charge of the sport.
“Last year we were blown away by the response of the thousands of local people who got on their bikes and joined us” Julie Harrington, Chief Executive of British Cycling said. Organisers of the event are encouraging people to sign up to the Let’s Ride event at: https://www.letsride.co.uk/events/bristol While organisers want everyone to get on the course and ride, it’s not essential. Visitors to the race will be able to enjoy a race village on College Green where they will be able to meet brands and businesses that have cycling at their core. There’s also an incredible free event on Park Street celebrating the new Gromit Unleashed 2 trail in a uniquely Bristol way. It’s being organised by the Bristol City Centre BID and offers yet more reasons to head to the city on 8 July. Bristol City Council has announced a series of road closures to enable the event. There will be some disruption to traffic, with diversions in place.
Information on road closures can be found at: https://bristolgrandprix.com/travel You can find out more about the 2018 Bristol Grand Prix at: www.bristolgrandprix.com.
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