Welcome to the
Abstraction Lincoln Grand Prix
Press Info – May 7th 2009
Top class cycle racing
returns to Lincoln next Sunday with the Abstraction Lincoln Grand Prix
taking to the streets of Lincoln and surrounding countryside. The race now
in its 54th year brings continental teams to Lincoln to race
against the home based elite road racing stars and with it great publicity
for the City with the race now voted by both riders and public as the
country’s favourite event.
The 2008 race produced
a thrilling finish with Rotherham’s Russell Downing just edging past
previous year’s winner and brother Dean on the final 1 in 6 climb of
Michaelgate. The race was held in superb conditions and turned out to be the
fastest on record with an average speed of 26.5 mph for the 86 miles over 11
laps of the 8 mile circuit which includes the ascent of Michaelgate, the
twists and turns through Burton Village and the gradual climb of Long Leys Road on every lap.
The 200 rider line up
this year includes three foreign teams with our regular visitors from The
Netherlands and a new team to the race this year from Sweden with its leader
Magnus Backstedt, well known for his win of the infamous Paris-Roubaix in
2004 and a Tour de France stage back in 1998, at least the cobbles of
Michaelgate may remind him a bit of Paris-Roubaix. A strong national team
from Ireland is with us this year led by David McCann who was 7th
last year and really wants to win the event. We also welcome riders from New
Zealand, Germany, Ireland, Canada, Namibia, Australia, USA and the
Channel Islands together with the
very best of British road teams.
The Downing brothers
from Rotherham are back again and what a force they have been over the past
few years, Russell having won the Grand Prix last year went on to dominate
the season long Premier Calendar series. Previous winners back this year are
Dean Downing, Olympic medallist Chris Newton, Malcolm Elliott, always a
Lincoln favourite, Kevin Dawson, John Tanner and Kristian House. To add to
the flavour there is Beijing gold medallist Ed Clancy, plus his Beijing team
mate Geraint Thomas, Rob Hayles, Tobyn Horton, Andy Tennant, Ian Wilkinson,
Jonathan Tiernan-Locke and Yanto Barker to name just a few on form riders.
Whoever wins this year will certainly include Lincoln as one of their
biggest achievements.
Abstraction Ltd is the
new title sponsor of the race and have agreed to support the race for the
next three years. They are a major provider of corporate services to
companies and have strong Lincoln connections, also supporting football in
the City.
The East Midlands
Development Agency (emda) are once again a major sponsor of the Grand Prix
and have renewed this for 2009 to ensure that the race maintains its status
as the country’s favourite one day race on the British Cycling Premier
Calendar. emda will also sponsor an award to the best placed rider
based within their region.
emda joins Abstraction
as the two major sponsors of the 2009 race which also receives valued
support from Lincoln City Council, Lincolnshire County Council, West Lindsey
District Council, Jackson Building Centres, CShop, Chattertons Solicitors,
Lincolnshire Co-operative, Lincolnshire Sports Partnership, NatWest Bank,
Marshall Land Rover, Robins and Day Peugeot, Universal Cycle Centre,
Impsport, The Lindum Group, Halfords and British Cycling.
Universal Cycle Centre
will also continue their sponsorship of the Brian Cossavella Michaelgate
Trophy in honour of a great friend of the event and a much missed colleague
in the world of cycling.
The 2009 race boasts
an increased prize list with the winner of the race to be awarded £800 and a
total amount on offer of £4,580 which includes a separate prize list for
riders aged Under 23.
With the continued
support of Lincoln City Council, the county and districts and our other
commercial sponsors the race continues to attract the best of the home based
teams and riders and a big interest from abroad.
Television is back
here for the sixth time with the event being recorded for Eurosport. The
sunny weather enjoyed by the 2008 race showed Lincoln at its best and the
huge crowds that had gathered here to watch the race unfold in to a dramatic
3 man finish on the final climb of Michaelgate. The race starts from the
Yarborough Leisure Centre at 10 am and is expected to finish in Castle
Square on its 11th lap of the circuit at 1.30 pm.
So Lincoln is the
place to be this weekend for a top class international sporting event, it’s
free to watch and a great achievement for the City. Many roads around the
circuit will be closed for both the safety of the riders and public, so
leave the car in a downtown car park and walk up to the historic centre of
Lincoln and Lincoln’s own Grand Prix.
The
Lincolnshire Sports Partnership is again associated with this high profile
event in the City and will again be looking after the visiting dignitaries
with staff members on hand to supply information on their work to increase
the sporting opportunities available in the County.
Ian Emmerson OBE
Race
Organiser
(Press
Releases).
