LIVERPOOL ROUBAIX 2016

Rider Information Pack

Thank you for entering the 2015 Roubaix.

1. ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

Start date: Sunday 18 September 2016. Registration from 1000. Start at 1045. Event Type: Cycle Sportive (non-competitive). Venue: Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park, Longview Drive, Huyton, Liverpool, Merseyside L36 6EG. Tel. 0151 443 2200 Event Website: http://cycleclassics.co.uk/liverpool-roubaix/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liverpoolroubaix

Emergency Mobile Numbers: 07708 648106.

Getting There Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park (L36 6EG), which houses the new (2012) Knowsley Velodrome, is situated close to junction 6 of the M62 (the junction with the M57), and junction 2 of the M57 (see map below). The easiest approach by car is via the M57, leaving at junction 2 (A57 exit) and proceeding westwards along the A57 for 1km, before taking a left onto Longview Lane past the playing fields. First left and then first right immediately afterwards will take you onto Longview Drive.

By train, the start and finish HQ is located less than a mile from Huyton Railway Station. There are early trains from Liverpool and on Sunday morning, which arrive in time to register from 1000 to and start at 1045. If you live further afield, driving is probably the best option, via the M6 and M62.

Parking & Event HQ: There is parking at Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park, Longview Drive, Huyton, Liverpool, Merseyside L36 6EG, which serves as the event start and finish and HQ. There is additional on-street parking close to the venue.

Hotels: There is no shortage of accommodation in the area. There are several Premier Inns in Liverpool with easy access to the HQ. There is a range of attractive, higher-budget hotels in the Liverpool and Knowsley area. There is also a Youth Hostel in Liverpool.

Good luck and see you at the event.

Francis Longworth (Event Organiser)

Email: [email protected]

2. ROUTE INFORMATION

The ‘Liverpool Roubaix’ cyclosportive is 100km (62 miles) long, and starts and finishes at Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park near Liverpool.

Although only 100km long and relatively flat, it is a surprisingly tough course, principally because it features ten unpaved/gravel sectors, farm tracks and bridleways (ranging from 500m to 1200m in length, and totalling 10km). Anything under four hours is very good going. The event is intended to mimic the professional one-day Classic ‘Paris-Roubaix’ (as far as is possible in this area), and as such is designed to be ridden on road bikes. A cyclo-cross bike would be a suitable alternative, but bear in mind that there are 90km of normal tarmac roads in addition to the 10km of gravel roads. The route is located on the relatively flat Mersey plain. The amount of climbing involved is fairly small - less than 500m in total. The maximum elevation is 108m, and much of the route lies below 20m. The ride finishes, as does Paris-Roubaix, on a large outdoor velodrome, at Knowsley velodrome.

While there are only a few remaining cobbles in the area, there are plenty of rough gravel roads and stony bridleways. The roughness of these roads amplifies and intensifies the sensations of speed and excitement relative to smooth tarmac, and is quite similar in many respects to riding on cobbles - but without being quite so violent and jarring. There is, however, an excellent 700m section of genuine cobbles near the village of Kenyon – see main photo above – which is as difficult as the cobbled roads in and , and which provides a tough challenge even to the most experienced of riders.

After starting outside Liverpool velodrome, the course heads east across the flat, Roubaix-like plains of Merseyside. The first four sectors are stony gravel roads which are quite pitted and bumpy in places. The action really begins immediately after the feed station, where riders encounter the cobbles, whose difficulty should not be underestimated. After the cobbled sector, the route heads north of St Helens. Here the event builds to a climax with a rapid succession of a further four testing unpaved roads, before heading south back to the velodrome through Knowsley Hall and Safari Park - the site of the opening time-trial stage of The in 2014 (see photos below). After sweeping through the velodrome gates and onto the track, riders will hear the bell indicating one lap to go, and from there it's a high-speed sprint to the finish line.

Riders complete a lap-and-a-half of the new Knowsley Velodrome at the finish of the Liverpool Roubaix cyclosportive.

Most of the roads used on the route are relatively traffic-free, with the majority of the unpaved sectors being closed to all traffic. The number of kilometres spent on A-roads is kept to a minimum, although there are inevitably a couple of kilometres of suburban roads on leaving Knowsley and passing through Newton-Le-Willows after the cobbled sector.

A broom wagon will be provided but riders are expected to be self-sufficient, however, and it is recommended, given the rough nature of some of the roads, that at least two extra inner tubes and a small pump (or gas bottles) should be carried. The well-stocked feed station is located at 52 km in Croft, roughly at the half-way point of the course, where a track pump will also be available to fully inflate replaced inner tubes, if necessary.

A GPX file of Liverpool Roubaix 2016 is available here, and on the event website - and also as a download on ’s mapping facility http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/dashboard#Mapping under ‘Liverpool Roubaix 2016’. The route can also be viewed on Google Maps and on OS Maps in detail on the British Cycling website above. Although the route is very well signposted, we urge all riders to both familiarize themselves with the course, and download the GPX file if they have a Garmin-like device, in order to reduce the probability of going off-course. In addition you are strongly advised to print out the three colour 1:50 000 OS maps (which will be emailed to you and will also be available on the event website) and take them with you on the ride (perhaps in a Ziploc sandwich bag to keep them dry). The course will be inspected on the afternoon before the event, and if any changes are required to the route, you will be notified in the safety briefing immediately before the start. Arrows placed along the route will indicate any last-minute modifications; you should follow the arrows rather than the GPX file if the two are in conflict.

UNPAVED/GRAVEL SECTORS

START Knowsley

10 (10 km) Cut Lane 500m Gravel * * *

9 (11 km) Coach Road 900m Broken Tarmac * * *

8 (12 km) Mossborough Hall 700m Stony Gravel * * * *

7 (18 km) Berrington's Lane 1200m Coarse Gravel * * * *

6 (26 km) Carr Mill 500m Gravel * * *

FEED Croft (52 km)

5 (54 km) Main Lane 700m Cobbles * * * * *

4 (77 km) Berrington's Lane West 1200m Coarse Gravel * * * *

3 (86 km) Mossborough Hall West 700m Stony Gravel * * * *

2 (88 km) Coach Road South 900m Broken Tarmac * * *

1 (89km) Cut Lane West 500m Gravel * * *

FINISH Knowsley Velodrome

ROUTE MAP AND

PROFILE

Max Elevation 108m. Total climb = 490m.

START

Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park - the HQ for Liverpool Roubaix.

Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park houses the new 400m velodrome. Classy.

Sculpture referencing Liverpool's fishing and maritime heritage at Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park. Excellent swimming pool inside, if you fancy a post-ride dip.

FEED STATION - The General Elliot, Croft

The General Elliot Feed Station in Croft, at the half-way point, just before the difficult cobbled Sector 7 (Main Lane). Stock-up!

The General Elliot as it was a hundred years ago. The route of Liverpool Roubaix runs right in front of it, but the cobbles have long been removed. Note cyclist at bottom-right training for the 1922 Paris-Roubaix.

SECTOR 5: Main Lane Cobbles - 700m * * * * *

The excellent cobbled road to High Peak which features in the Liverpool Roubaix cyclosportive. As tough as the notorious Carrefour de l'Arbre sector of Paris-Roubaix?

Riders at the start of the 2015 Liverpool Roubaix.

The Main Lane cobbles are just as challenging as some of the cobbled sectors in Paris-Roubaix.

Slightly downhill gradient of the cobbles ( - 2%) makes for a fast and thrilling ride.

27mm+ tyres are the best choice for gravel and cobbled of Liverpool Roubaix. Vittoria Pave are an excellent choice.

The open, Roubaix-like landscape of the Merseyside plain east of Liverpool.

SECTOR 4: Berrington's Lane - 1200m * * * *

Coarse gravel road leading to Berrington's Lane (Sector 4). This sector is only four stars, but is not to be taken lightly. One of the toughest of the ten unpaved sectors.

SECTOR 3: Mossborough Hall Lane - 700m * * * *

The coarse gravel at the start of the Mossborough Hall sector. A hint of underlying cobbles to the left?

Sector 3: The fantastic Mossborough Hall sector. Slightly downhill at about 2%, and best taken very fast in a high gear. A highlight of the route.

SECTOR 2: Coach Road - 900m * * *

The long, tree-lined broken tarmac of Sector 2 - The Coach Road through the Knowsley Estate.

SECTOR 1: Cut Lane - 500m * * *

The final gravel sector - the short but bumpy Cut Lane, which threads its way around a group of farm buildings. After this sector, it's just 10km back to the velodrome.

KNOWSLEY ESTATE

The Entrance to Knowsley Hall and Safari Park, 3km from the finish of Liverpool Roubaix.

Mark Cavendish at Knowsley Hall - .

Bradley Wiggins time-trials through Knowsley Safari Park en-route to winning the 2014 Tour of Britain.

Nairo Quintana (runner-up in this year's ) rides past Knowsley Hall in the 2014 Tour of Britain.

FINISH - Knowsley Velodrome

Knowsley Velodrome. Riders complete a lap-and-a-half at the finish of the Liverpool Roubaix sportive.

A rider taking the bell at the finish of Liverpool Roubaix 2015.

An Individual Pursuit rider on Knowsley Velodrome.

Knowsley Velodrome. Riders complete a lap-and-a-half at the finish of the Liverpool Roubaix sportive. A bell will be sounded to indicate one lap to go.

Knowsley Velodrome - opened in 2013. If you are unsure about tackling the banking, simply ride around the bottom.

We will only cancel/reschedule the event if the weather is very poor indeed, such that the course becomes dangerous. At present, the forecast is good.

3. WHAT TO BRING AND CHOICE OF EQUIPMENT  ID in case of an incident.  Food and energy drink (although there will be food available at the HQ, and at the feed at 52km).  Money/credit card.  Mobile phone (emergency contact number is printed on your ride number sticker).  Basic tool, ideally with a chain-splitter.  Pump, tyre levers, puncture repair kit and **at least two spare inner tubes**.  Helmet (mandatory).  GPX device or mobile phone with maps.

Given that the road contains unpaved stony/gravel sectors, there is an increased risk of punctures. We therefore suggest thicker, reinforced, wider tyres (25-28mm ideally), paired with wheels that are not too rigid. Old-fashioned boxed rims (e.g. Mavic Open Pro) are ideal. These measures will also provide a less jarring ride over the rougher roads. You might wish to double-wrap your handlebars with tape, but this is not really necessary. A full-carbon frame is a perfectly good choice but other materials such as steel would be equally good. If you are worried about damaging an expensive bike on the rougher unpaved roads, however, you may prefer to bring a training/winter bike. Please make sure that your bike is in good condition, cleaned, and that you have carried out the standard safety checks before your ride. Pay particular attention to the condition of your tyres. It is not a good idea to ride this event with old or even slightly worn or nicked tyres. The most important factor in avoiding punctures, however, is not holding the bars too rigidly over the unpaved sectors. In addition, absorbing shocks by bending your knees and lifting yourself slightly above your saddle (‘hovering’) will greatly reduce the probability of frustrating punctures. There is addition advice on bike, tyre and equipment choice at http://cycleclassics.co.uk/bike-equipment-choice/

4. MEDICAL SUPPORT There will a medical vehicle circulating around the course for the duration of the event. In case of an incident on the route, for minor issues call the main event mobile number 07708 648106 (printed on every rider’s number sticker) and help will be arranged. For more serious incidents, call 999 immediately. It is essential that all riders carry a (charged) mobile phone during the ride for this eventuality, with the above two mobile numbers pre-entered. Please note that mobile reception can be patchy, depending on the network, particularly in more remote areas. Staff at the HQ are all trained in first aid.

5. MECHANICAL SUPPORT Riders must largely be self-sufficient in the case of minor mechanical incidents such as punctures, and should carry at least two spare inner tubes, a puncture repair kit, tyre levers and a working pump, together with a simple multi-tool, ideally including a chain-splitter. For more serious mechanical failures, there will be a broom wagon/mobile mechanic that will be able to provide some assistance. If a serious mechanical incident occurs on an unpaved sector that is closed to traffic, riders are advised to proceed to the end of that sector, call (or preferably text – to prevent the line becoming engaged) the main event emergency number 07708 648106, and await the broom wagon. Please note that the broom wagon advances behind the last rider, and it may take up to an hour for it to arrive, depending on the location on the course. A mechanic may be able to attend more rapidly, but immediate response is not guaranteed. We will, however, assist you to the best of our ability.

6. HQ FACILITIES There is some parking at the HQ (as outlined on page 1) and additional on-street parking adjacent to the venue. There are toilets and changing and shower facilities at the venue at the end of the event. Note that the main event building does not open until 0900 on Sunday morning. Coffee and light snacks will be available to purchase in the main building. Toilets will be available before the start. There is an excellent swimming pool at the venue, which might tempt riders at the end of the event!

7. PRE-RIDE

Registration: Open from 1000.

On signing on you will receive your number which you should affix to your bike. There is no need to do anything other than sign your name on the sign-on sheet at the registration desk and then make your way to the start area by the car park.

Rider Briefing: A safety briefing will be given to riders immediately before the start, reminding them of the main safety issues discussed in this pack. This should last less than two minutes.

8. START Riders should begin assembling at the start at around 1040am. Riders will be set off in groups of 20 at two-minute intervals, as per British Cycling guidelines, and everybody should be off by around 1045am. We do of course recognise that some riders will want to ride with friends and clubmates, and there is flexibility within the system to accommodate this.

The safety briefing will take place in the two minutes between the departures of successive waves of twenty riders.

9. DURING THE RIDE

Signage The signs are A3 and A4-sized and have fluorescent yellow backgrounds with black arrows or ‘CAUTION’ warnings, etc. Unpaved sector numbers have white signs (see below). All signs bear the LAPIERRE logo. Ignore signs of different colours or those without the LAPIERRE logo.

Hazards There are five principal types of hazard on this route: a) Crossing A roads, and turning right across traffic onto or off A roads. b) Entering unpaved/off-road sectors, if this involves crossing traffic (esp. A roads). c) Leaving unpaved/off-road sectors and re-joining normal roads. d) The unpaved sectors themselves. e) Narrow roads with blind bends.

The main areas where caution is required are below, in riding order. Of these only one (‘L’ – asterisked ** and in bold below) requires extreme caution. Although the route uses a few A roads, these are not ‘big’ A roads, and they do not, in our assessment, present any significant danger to the careful rider.

A. On leaving Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park, immediately after the start, take care riding through car park and slow down if necessary. Be aware of parking cars and any pedestrians. B. On each unpaved sector you may experience walkers and/or horses. Be careful and slow down if necessary. C. Right turn from A573 towards croft at Winwick. Caution sign placed. D. Sector 5 has cobbles and bumpy/potholed gravel. E. Right turn onto A579 immediately following sector 7 (Main Lane). There may be some traffic here sue to traffic lights 1 mile north at junction with A572. F. A572 through Newton Le Willows. G. Right turn off A572 onto B5209 towards Haydock. Caution sign placed. H. Right turn off A571 onto B5205 at Billinge. Caution sign placed. I. Roundabout crossing A570 at Rainford. J. A5208 junction with A580 north of Knowsley. Traffic lights. Big junction. Be careful.

K. Returning to Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park - take care riding through car park and slow down. The approach to the velodrome is a little narrow. Look out for any spectators near the track. L. **Coming on to the velodrome – look out for riders who are already on the track, completing their final lap. When you are on your final lap, beware of riders entering the velodrome from your right on the back straight.** EXTREME CAUTION!

If this is your first time riding on unpaved/gravel roads, take it steady and feel your way in gradually. Try not to hold onto the bars too tightly. Let the bike bounce.

An excellent way to tackle Liverpool Roubaix is to ride with a small group of people who are of a similar ability to you; a group of four to five is perfect. Riding with people you know provides an enjoyable social experience, and many riders and clubs enter as groups. One strategy is to take the unpaved sectors and steep hills at your own pace and regroup at the end of each sector or at the top of each climb. This enables the group to maintain a brisk pace on the normal and flatter paved roads, and then for everyone to really challenge themselves on the harder off-road sectors and big hills, but without feeling that they are going to get dropped by the other riders, or that they are holding anyone back.

10. POST-RIDE After crossing the finish line and passing the ‘FINISH’ banner, you should ensure that you do not impede the riders who are finishing behind you. At this point, you should call out your number to the finish marshal, who will record your time and the fact that you have returned safely. If you do not finish the course and do not wish to return to the finish area, please let the organiser know by text message on 07708 648106 so that we do not have to send out a search party to look for you!

11. PHOTOGRAPHY The official event photographer is Henry Iddon (henryiddon.com). Details of how to purchase photos will be posted on the event website, and by email to all riders after the event.

12. DOS AND DON’TS Do:  Follow the Highway Code and be safe. This ride is non-competitive – therefore NOT officially a race. Please ensure you act accordingly when participating. Feel free to ride hard when it is safe to do so, but if vehicles, horses or runners/walkers are present please be extra careful and considerate to them. Some parts of Liverpool Roubaix use bridle paths which may sometimes be used by pedestrians and horses. It is essential that riders behave themselves in such circumstances. Our ability to run this event safely depends on riders being sensible and courteous to those with whom we share the roads and bridleways.  Wear a helmet.  Carry a phone.  Make sure you are aware in advance of the areas of the course which have been highlighted above as requiring special caution and SLOW DOWN. Come to a complete stop if necessary.  Be very cautious when approaching horses, and give both horses and walkers a wide berth and slow down if necessary.

Don’t:  Cross the dashed white lines in the middle of the road. This, regrettably, happens all too often – in sportives as well as races. There is plenty of opportunity to ride hard and fast without subjecting oneself and others to unnecessary risks.  Ride in large groups more than two-abreast.  Impede traffic flow.  Behave in a manner that may offend others.  Drop litter.

Liverpool Roubaix is supported by British Cycling. Like our facebook page to view more photos and to receive the latest information and updates on the event.