UK Time Trial EventsI know you all thought that myWindsock was just for time trialists – well, you’re wrong. As you might be aware, there’s the small matter of a couple of races which will decide the British National Championships this coming weekend and we thought it would be interesting to have a look at the criterium course – a 1km lap where small differences in positioning and power distribution can make outsized changes to the race result.
Mark your calendars for an exhilarating spectacle on Friday, June 23rd, as the enchanting coastal town of Redcar sets the stage for captivating circuit races. The racecourse itself spans a scenic 1km, boasting a well-deserved reputation for its intricate turns and demanding technical elements. Riders will kick off from the lively seafront, navigating their way through the bustling high street then back onto the shore front road. Prepare for an adrenaline-fuelled showdown as both the men’s and women’s races unfold, battling fiercely for 55 minutes, along with an additional five laps.
The 1km circuit boasts a total of six corners, all left handers and all relatively fast – with no hairpins or turnarounds meaning this is likely to resemble an American style criterium rather than the slightly slower traditional town centre crits in the UK. Barrier placement will play a role in how these corners are ridden but for the experienced men and women on the start line – they’ll likely still be fast.
The weather
Two factors go into a seafront crit in the north of England – one being the wind, the other is the rain. At the time of writing, we aren’t expecting rain for either race which is good news for the riders involved – the roads are relatively wide town centre roads with two lanes – these have a lot of white lines on them so the potential for slipping in the wet is very high.
Secondly, a strong wind off the seafront could cause the race to blow apart early – thankfully for some of the riders, the wind is coming from the other direction meaning they’ll be sheltered from it.
The interesting thing about this course is the distance from the final corner to the finish line – it’s quite big. This means riders won’t want to enter the final corner too far up the bunch or they’ll find themselves getting rolled on the line. They will have a sheltered slight cross tail (but majority cross) wind. If I was a betting man, I’d expect the winner to come from between 8 and 10 wheels back coming up the sea-facing side of the road.
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