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More than 200 riders for Lincoln Cycle Grand Prix

Entries for the 2010 Lincoln Grand Prix closed this week with an impressive 200 riders, from home and away, ready to race on Sunday 9th May.  Russell Downing, race winner in 2005, 2008 and 2009, will be riding as number one for the third time, with his sights set on achieving a record fourth win in the popular event.  Russell, along with his fellow riding team, the ambitious Team Sky, has glory in the Tour de France as an objective for the future.

Joining Russell at the starting line will be Olympic gold medallist Geraint Thomas, who was sidelined last year due to illness, Ben Swift, who is now enjoying his second year as a professional rider, and past junior world champion Peter Kennaugh from the Isle of Man.

The race will also see 43 riders with points on the British Cycling’s Premier Calendar Competition taking part.  These 43 will include the likes of Endura Racing’s Ian Wilkinson, who came second in the 2009 Grand Prix, along with Jack Bauer and Beijing medallist Chris Newton, who came third in the 2009 race and narrowly missed out on medal positions at the World Track Championships in Copenhagen.

Opposition from overseas is aplenty this year.  David O’Loughlin, 2005 Grand Prix winner, and the winner of the Easter Four Day tour of the North in Northern Ireland, Philip Lavery, will be joining an Irish national team taking part in the race.  Team Sprocket will also be participating this year with points already scored by Niklas Gustavasson and Guernsey’s Tobyn Horton.

Regular friends of the Grand Prix, Ruiter Dakapellen from the Netherlands, return to Lincoln this year as a team of six riders.  Five of the riders are in the under-23 category award, supported by the races main sponsor, County Conferences and Events.  The international flavour does not stop there as many of the teams have foreign riders in their line-ups with names from France, New Zealand, Australia, Germany and Jamaica’s Marloe Rodman, current Jamaican Nation Road Champion riding with the Science in Sport team, all in the mix. 

The line-up is also playing host to winners of Grand Prix past, including Kristian House of 2006, Dean Downing of 2007, John Tanner of 1997 and 2001, and also 1983’s first place Malcolm Elliott who is always up there on the cobbles.
There are so many likely contenders in the line up who could take home the winner's prize, it's hard to pick one out.  However, Bweijing medallist Ed Clancy, a Motorpoint Marshalls Pasta rider, is well worthy of a mention. Ed recently won the difficult new Omnium World Championship in Copenhagen and could be a man on form.

The race again features the Brian Cossavella Michaelgate Trophy sponsored by Universal Cycle Centre.  This trophy, in memory of a well known race organiser and regular official at the Grand Prix, is won on points for the first three riders crossing the finish line each lap, and has been carried off by Russell Downing along with the victor's spoils in both 2008 and 2009.

Another competition within the race is for the highest placed rider from major sponsor east midlands development agency's area of Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland.
The Grand Prix is one of Lincoln's main sporting events. This year, the race has the support of the University of Lincoln along with lots of local sponsors and businesses, and without their support, this great race would not be possible.  Television channel Eurosport will be covering the race accompanied by exciting new helicopter shots over the city and the surrounding countryside.

The 55th Lincoln Grand Prix starts at 10am, covering 11 laps of the eight-mile circuit based in Lincoln's popular tourist areas, finishing under the shadow of the cathedral and castle after the 11th climb of the notorious one in six cobbled Michaelgate.

Article Published: 19/04/2010

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