Roland Rat said:
Surrey League courses make it easier for the sole commissaire in his 15 year old Rover to keep an eye on proceedings. It would be impossible if the bunch was splattered all over Leith Hill.
The Premiers need to be longer, too. It's ridiculous the highest level racing in the UK consists of 8 races lasting around 3-4 hours, and a bunch of crits. Our "Elite" level isn't elite at all, and it shows when we go to the continent. The Premier Calendar died with the Tour of the Peak. Now that was a road race.
My idea for improving the state of British road racing was a series of things I guess you could call 'Premier Weekends' or some such.
Problem: lack of fans
Solution: circuit racing
Problem: lack of hills
Solution: do them lots of times
Now, there are some places in Britain with some mean hills inside the cities - Swansea we've seen thanks to Constitution Hill. But how about this one, from Sheffield?
Sheffield used to be in the Tour of Britain a few years ago I think, but they just rode into the city centre. But the city is known for being built on seven hills (its only link to Rome perhaps), none of which were used.
What I'd think of doing is a Criterium International-style format.
Have a short circuit on the Saturday, probably a flattish criterium or circuit race of about 5-6km in the city (rather like the crit series they have?) followed by a TT... you could probably use the same circuit and do two laps for a 10-12km TT - perfect for spectators as they can see the riders several times and if you're near the start/finish you can see and meet the riders.
Then, on the Sunday, have a longer circuit, say 15-20km, which loops in and out of town exposing the riders to poorer roads and wind in flatter areas, and to climbs and descents in hillier ones (and of course you don't necessarily need to leave the city for them, as shown in Swansea in the ToB), and do 10 laps of this circuit - I think I've seen on Eurosport a race that does something like this. Lincoln?
Have the whole thing covered with a genuine GC kept with jerseys and everything. That way, no the climbs wouldn't be able to create genuine GC riders or anything, but riders would be used to races that climb a lot, and stage race riding - after all there are no real stage races outside of the ToB that I know of, though I may not be the best person to ask - I don't really follow the British domestic calendar, mainly because it's full of crits and occasional flattish races.
Edit - after a few minutes searching for 'cobbled hills Britain', we get things like this:
Clovelly, Devon (so somewhere where the ToB DOES go):
Shaftesbury, Dorset:
Those look brutal.
I can remember the days when there was no brit in the tour, I think we are improving no?
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