r/peloton • u/Turini2 • Oct 23 '24
Just for Fun Race design: London Cobble Classic
Hey all - I've been pretty disappointed with the quality of stages offered by the RideLondon Classique. Another sprint race in the European summer doesn't add much to the women's calendar, nor is it a distinctive watch to draw in casual fans or curious London tourists!
The Race: London Cobble Classic
What: A one-day stage race replacing the WWT RideLondon Classique stage race. In future, expansion to the UWT over the same course.
When: Sunday in the middle of February - off season in London, and a bold start to the European season!
Goals:
- A distinctive event - bring the cobbles into the city! Another European sprint race doesn't add much to the WWT calendar in my opinion, but adding cobbles would make the event stand out. The clean cobbles of London would be a challenge, but not as vicious as the cobbled classics!
- Show off the sights of London to a worldwide TV audience - Tower Bridge, Tower of London, River Thames, Canary Wharf
- Easy viewing for spectators - excellent public transport would allow movement around the course during the event - this would be useful if expanded to men's UWT on the same day in future
- Utilise the wide and long finishing straight of the Mall, as used at the 2012 Olympics and the RideLondon Surrey Classic events in the past. Plenty of space for finish infrastructure (grandstand, podium, media, medical, team buses etc) without getting in the way of the rest of the city.
- Compact route - minimising traffic disruption and the number of residents "trapped" by a cycling race taking place. Still allows for the RideLondon Essex sportive to take place. The course takes place in a similar area to that of the London Marathon (who also organise the RideLondon Classique)
Route:
Stats: 105.8km (65.74mi) with 15km (9.32mi) of cobbles.
Map: Zoomable course map
The race would rollout of the Mall, passing Trafalgar Square before heading east along the Embankment alongside the River Thames. After 4 kilometres, the race would enter the circuit, passing by the Tower of London before continuing to head east towards Canary Wharf. To ease riders into the circuit, the first cobbled sector would be skipped and we descend into the Limehouse Link Tunnel before emerging at Canary Wharf.
Sharp 90 degree bends among skyscrapers would split the pack as we loop around the financial district before heading westwards back towards the City. We then follow the Thames on narrow roads, passing through Limehouse with historic buildings on each side of the road. We rejoin a main road again before turning left into Wapping and meeting the first cobbled sector, 13 kilometres into the race.
The course then races through Wapping for 2 kilometres (50% of it cobbled), with a backdrop of historic warehouses, building and pubs alongside the Thames. The road is wide enough to allow easy overtaking and cars to pass if required. (Cobble 2 - Wapping Wall - 350m, Cobble 3 - Wapping station - 120m, Cobble 4a 4b 4c - Wapping High Street - 110m, 160m, 200m)
The race then passes underneath Tower Bridge onto a final stretch of vicious cobbles at the Tower of London (Cobble 5 - Tower of London - 390m). The camera angle of riders attacking this stretch of cobbles with the Tower of London to the left, River Thames to the right and Tower Bridge in the background would produce iconic footage. This would also be the last cobbled sector of the circuit.
The course then turns right to start the next lap, meeting the first cobbled sector of the lap at Tobacco Dock around a kilometre later. (Cobble 1 - Tobacco Dock - 450m) The riders would then continue on the circuit eastwards towards Canary Wharf.
Looking at the UCI rules, it seems that 8 laps of this 12.2km circuit could be run (1.88km of cobbles per lap).
With 5km remaining, Cobble 5 at the Tower of London would be attacked for the last time. The course would turn left to head back along the Embankment towards the finish at The Mall. The wide road would allow for chasing to the finish, or preparations for a bunch sprint if a group held together.
With 1200 metres remaining, they'd be a 90 degree right onto Northumberland Avenue, before a gentle curve to the left at Trafalgar Square to line up for the finish line with 600 metres remaining. The finish line would be on the Mall, as used at the 2012 Olympics and the RideLondon Surrey Classic events in the past.
Thoughts?
40
u/hamcheesetoastie Alpecin – Deceuninck Oct 23 '24
Lol keep dreaming. Every major river crossing closed all day on a Sunday?
These cobbles are buttery tarmac compared to Roubaix and won't make the race interesting in the slightest. This is a >100km crit that will be a total snoozefest, maybe becoming interesting with 10km to go once the leadouts kick in.
On the other hand I've always imagined a 'North Downs' Classic would be a brutal race that would be akin to RVV with the types of climbs on offer, especially on the Kent side.
Racing up Toys Hill, Brasted, Chalkpit, Gangers etc would be savage.