THE WINTER SPRINTER IS NOW SOLD OUT AND THERE WILL BE NO ENTRIES ON THE LINE.
WHEN: Sunday 24th February 2013.
WHERE: The Woodford Centre, Chester Road, Woodford, Cheshire. SK7 1PS.
REGISTRATION: Opens at 8:15 riders leave from 9:20am. You will receive a number-board to attach to your cycle. Registration is a simple fast process. We even throw in some Haribo.
TORQ NUTRITION: We are very pleased to announce TORQ as our new supplier of quality nutrition products. At registration riders will receive a pack of bars, gels, drink bottle and refills.
FOOD: We have the best food of any events. In fact we probably have better food than a lot of restaurants!! This is due to the fact that we have the fantastic Jackie Kearney (master chef finalist) from The Hungry Gecko providing excellent food. At this event we will have pre ride porridge and post ride Biryani. HAPPY DAYS.
FACILITIES AND PARKING: Parking is on a first come basis. The car park at Woodford holds just 110 cars. There is a large field which can be used for parking although we strongly recommend that once the car park is full that riders park outside the venue on the main road. Every year we have at least one car getting stuck in the field!! If you live within ten miles of the HQ you really should be riding in!!! There are no changing facilities at Woodford but if you do really need to get changed the female/disabled toilet can be used.
On site we will have Helen from SportsloungeUK offering nutrition advice, Colin Batchelor of Total Cycle Coach talking training, Richard Salisbury of Pedal Precision offering bike fit support and of course the team from Summit Physio offering post ride massages.
THE CAR PARK WILL BE CLOSED FROM 9AM UNTIL ALL RIDERS HAVE LEFT THE VENUE. Once the car park is closed riders can assemble in the entry area ready for a start at 09:20.
ROUTES:
Some of the roads on the course have some shocking potholes that should probably be classed as craters!! No different than anywhere else in the UK, but please be aware. If you swerve around a pot hole just watch out for other riders around you.
Both these maps contain the ascent of Swiss Hill. We hear lots of talk about Swiss Hill. Man up and ride it, if you don’t make it up then it’s only a short walk. And if you fall off we’ve got a camera on there and it’s £250 from Harry Hill. Result.
If you are a softy, you can however miss it out.
If there is wet weather then we recommend that Swiss Hill be avoided.
SIGNAGE: Our signs are black solid arrows on a yellow back ground. These signs are on solid correx boards. There is an example of these at registration for you to view. There is a route split for the short route. It is clearly marked and riders of the short route will receive detailed instructions at registration. Our support bike goes out ahead of the ride to check all arrows are in place. Chances are that if you ring up saying you’ve got lost you’ll get laughed at. With arrows, GPS and route cards you really shouldn’t be going off course!
FEED STATIONS: We now have a fixed indoor feed station that riders
pass twice in a couple of miles. So if you are not quite hungry or it looks busy you can visit on the way back past. There are toilet facilities at the station. The feed on the short route is at the exact half way point. The feed on the long route is at about 36 miles and is perfectly positioned before the lumps that feature later in the ride. We would recommend taking a TORQ gel or bar in the run into Alderley Edge.
RULES: Please read the rules and guidelines: http://polocini.com/cyclosportives/event-rules/ The event is run and insured under British Cycling guidelines.
UNDER 16 RIDERS: If you have a rider with you who is under 16 then
please complete a Parental Consent form as found in our rules section: http://polocini.com/cyclosportives/event-rules/
EMERGENCIES: We require all entrants to carry a form of identification
and emergency contact details. Should you get into difficulties at the event please telephone either 07772870692 or 07595565527. We will send out a vehicle to collect you only in case of emergency or mechanical failure. Not punctures, tired legs or mishaps on Swiss Hill. Last year we did have a rider who had a heart attack and this is just about covered as an emergency. There is no need to panic whilst you are out riding and then push too hard. There is plenty of Biryani for everyone.
PHOTOS: We have the excellent Rick Robson of Cyclesportphotos on photography duty.
TOILETS (ON ROUTE): There are toilets at various cafes, petrol
stations etc. But there are also public toilets in Bollington (20p) and Prestbury.
TIMING: Please note that we will not have a timing system at the event. We really do not like timed events!! We do however use STRAVA to time segments such as Swiss Hill. More info on timing is here.
The main thing is to enjoy yourself. Without sounding like we are full of ourselves, we want a Polocini event to be about the community of cycling. It’s not a race, it’s a chance to enjoy a great route with like minded people and also to eat loads of food and spend an entire day talking cycling.
RIDE SAFE.
