WomensCycling.net
WomensCycling.net
3M UK Plc, Lee & Son Roofing, SportsMatch Bedford 2 Day 2002
Stage Format :
Sunday 26th May 2002 - Stage 3 - 66 miles Road Stage 10:00hrs
Signing-on open 08:40hrs-09:30hrs
Team
driver & Race Convoy briefing 09:30hrs – inside Officials Room
Rider briefing 09:50hrs inside race HQ
Description :
This stage is based upon the "Kimbolton" circuit on the Beds / Cambs border. At 16.5 miles / 26km, a lap is long and varied. Deneutralised before Stow Longa, riders will find the first few miles into Spaldwick fast and mainly downhill. Immediately after Spaldwick, the road rises twice in quick succession, before turning onto a high, straight, exposed road which may remind some of the international visitors of home roads - (especially from what we see on TV of the Belgian classics). There are no cobbles on this road!! The road then twists and rolls through a couple of villages before joining the B660 to return through Catworth to Kimbolton on a wide, exposed, long downhill initially, which climbs to Catworth and then drops to Kimbolton, before the climb up to the start/finish line.
Road surfaces throughout are variable. At
the time of writing (Apr 21 2002), most of the major potholes have been
highlighted for work by the Highways Department. The organisers will be liasing
with Highways in the hope that this work will be done prior to the race. Much
work has now been done - all but one potholes have been fixed, a couple of long
stretches of roads have been resurfaced. This is a tremendous improvement, but
riders are warned to be careful of loose gravel on corners in these sections.
(23-05-02).
Assemble
outside Kimbolton Village Hall, proceed westwards out of the village, to
TURN
(M) right onto B660 towards Catworth. Within 500m,
TURN
right (M) towards Stow Longa, to join circuit, proceed up the hill. The race
will be de-neutralised as it passes through the lap / finish area (1mile (1.6km)
outside Bicton Industrial Area. Continue through Stow Longa, to Spaldwick
(3.8miles (6km)), to “T” junction, where
TURN left (M) through village, exit village and follow road to the right, to cross the A14 (care – slip roads from A14 join this road). Continue along this road to ENTER Barham village (5miles (8km), continue through village, where before end of village,
TURN
left (M) (5.3miles (8.5km)) (care) into narrow road towards Leighton Bromswold
proceed to “T” junction, where
TURN
right (M) (6.9miles (11km)), continue to Salome Wood, “T” junction (8miles
(12.8km)), where
TURN
left (M) to follow road for 1.5miles (2.4km) before
TURN
left (M) (8.4miles (13.5km))
towards “Old Weston, Brington, Kimbolton” and through Old Weston (care –
parked cars) continue up hill, to junction with B660, where
TURN
left (M) (10.6miles (17km)) towards “Catworth, Kimbolton, B660” and through
Catworth (13miles (20.7km)). Continue on B660, past Blackwell Farm Industrial
Estate to return to Kimbolton, where, just after village entrance,
TURN
left (M) (15.5miles (24.8km) towards Lap / Finish outside Bicton Industrial
Estate.
The
Prime Hill point is at the top of the hill which leads to Barham, There will be
primes on laps 1,2 & 3.
The
Sprints point is on the B660, approx 1km after Catworth village, adjacent to the
field entrance on the left hand side and 200m before the houses on the right.
There will be sprints on laps 1,2 & 3
The
Feed Zone will be just past the lap/finish area, beyond Bicton Industrial
Estate. No other feeding is allowed.
(M) indicates a cycle race Marshal wearing a fluorescent jacket
Click here to see Stage Map and circuit
details : 
Click here to see Lap profile :
