Manchester Wheelers Cyclocross Race – Sunday 6th October – Heaton Park, Manchester – Preview
Note from Mick Style, Manchester Wheelers:
Next up in the NW League is the Manchester Wheelers Cross Race up at a new venue of Heaton Park, Manchester on Sunday 6th October 2013.
This is a brand new venue for us so I’ve pulled together the following information.
Car Parking
Please park at the Car Park on Sheepfoot Lane where there is a small charge of £1.50 for all vehicles and this applies to all racers, spectators, helpers etc.
Sheepfoot Lane Car Park is at the South end of the Park as the following useful map shows:
http://www.heatonpark.org.uk/
As usual take care of all your bikes and kit, especially on the back/top of cars etc. This is a really busy park and my unambiguous advice is NEVER leave your bike(s) unattended or insecure at the car park, at sign-on, visiting the café, going to the loo etc. and make sure someone is keeping an eye on it in the pits too.
Signing-on
Signing-on is at the Grand Lodge Entrance to the Park (the actual Grand Lodge building is at the junction of Sheepfoot Lane and Bury Old Road) at the South West corner of the park, clearly indicated on the map above, and will open at 10.00.
Toilets
There is a portaloo at the Grand Lodge sign-on area and toilets also at the Lakeside Café and up at the Farm Centre. Remember get someone to watch your bike if you’re using any facilities! Please don’t walk into the café with muddy feet, don’t pee in public, nor use any of the Park facilities for general washing yourself or your bike down.
Courtesy to other park users
This is the first time we’ve used Heaton Park so can I ask you to always ride slowly and with care and courtesy to other park users when not on the course. If you’re warming up, please do so off the course and away from other Park users.
Refreshments
There’s a good little café by the boating lake, that’s the Lakeside Café! If you’re planning a family day-out, there’s lots of other activities further North in the Park by the Farm Centre.
The course
The course will be deliberately very different to Bogart which we’ve retained as a venue thanks to Wills Wheels. The course will be based in the quieter South West of the Park, crudely between the Station Gate Entrance, Lakeside café, Town Colonnade and Grand Lodge Entrance, see the map again!
Under wheel will be mostly grass, a short wooded section (with a few nasty roots, sorry, couldn’t quite write that feature out), two sets of shallow steps and one set of jump boards (in handsome livery!). There will be some elevation around the Papal monument area with hopefully some off-camber there too. It will be a fast course and we’ve tried to keep 95% of the course at least 3m wide to promote close racing.
Start/Finish area
There will be a set of double pits by the start finish area which will be around the bottom right hand corner of the ‘temporary fun fair’ site. See that map again. There will be no fun fair!
Races
League Riders – please don’t forget your numbers! The order of play is as follows and the usual rules apply – please do not warm up on any part of the course being used for the Youth Race (full course) and for the Under 12’s and 10’s who will race on a smaller loop.
Youth
Under 12’s
Under 10’s
Vets/Women
Seniors/Juniors 2pm 50mins £14.00*
*£3 surcharge for non BC members applies, £2 discount for League members in Vets/Women/Seniors/Juniors
I hope that you all enjoy the day and I look forward to seeing you up at Heaton Park! Happy racing!
Mick Style