A warm welcome to all competitors, their friends, families and clubs to this year’s National Youth Circuit Series Races to be held at the Hillingdon Cycle Circuit and hosted by Hillingdon Slipstreamers Cycling Club. Welcome also to our BC commissaires, your time and experience is greatly valued and we hope you have a trouble free day.
Here at Slipstreamers we strive to put on a memorable event for everyone participating and spectating. Many volunteering hours have gone into the preparation and organisation and we hope that all of you have a wonderful day.
This will be the first year we have support races for the under 12’s,10’s and 8’s and there will be some lovely prizes and trophies for those of you entering these races in the morning. The afternoon will see the main boys and girls under 14 and under 16 National series races and after some long hard racing there will be trophies and prize money on offer.
We have organised some trade stands, the Met Police bike marking team, BBQ’s, music and an ice cream van amongst the delights of the day. So you can sit back after your race, have a bite to eat and watch the next race.
It would be wonderful if everyone could respect the effort that goes into judging and administration of the event and hope that parents and riders could remember to understand we all do this for you to enjoy and I would hope we all go home with smiles on our faces. It will be a very long day for all of our volunteers, some of whom will be here for 12 hours or more. So I would like to recognise that huge effort and say thank you to everyone who helps in any way they can. Riders and parents – just simple things like putting rubbish in bins and a thank you will make all of the volunteers very happy. Read the rest of this programme as it does contain some important information for you all about the day.
Let’s hope the weather is kind, the racing is good and the first aid team get very bored. Enjoy the day!
Alison Grant, BEM
Club Chairman & Trustee
Hillingdon Cycle Circuit is located just off Springfield Road, near Minet Park in Hayes, West London – the post code is UB4 0LP. The circuit is located on the east side of the A312 Hayes Bypass at the A4020 “Ossie Garvin” roundabout, about one and a half miles north of junction 3 of the M4. Click here for full location info and a precise Google Map to find us.
Once you’ve found us – look out for the big GOALS sign on the right – please park responsibly in the main Goals car park or overflow car park in the Minet Country Park next door, kindly doing so only within the marked bays. Parking is free throughout the day.
NOTE: Height restriction barriers might be in place for early arrivals so please pay attention as you drive in. Larger vehicles and motor homes should park along Springfield Road.
PLEASE DO NOT park within the entrance gate to the circuit, or along the verges near the gate entrance as this blocks access for emergency vehicles and Goals visitors.
Everything you need to know regarding your day is outlined in great detail in the event programme we have produced for you – please click here to view and download.
The first gear checks kick off at 8.15am, sign on for the support races opens at 8.30am and the first support race of the day starts at 9.30am. The U14 Girls race kicks off the National Series races at 11.15am, with the last race of the day at 4.15pm by the U16 Boys.
It’s going to be a busy day and the schedule is tight, so do make sure you are clear on timings for gear checks, sign on, and race starts – plan ahead, get organised the night before, and enjoy the day with lots of time to spare and no unnecessary stress and rushing about!
Useful Information…
Latest Updates...
In case you missed it on our Twitter feed or elsewhere…
- @ 16 July 2016: LOCAL TRAFFIC & PARKING NOTICE – Please be aware that there is a local religious festival on the same road on the approach to the Cycle Circuit. Traffic highly likely to be heavy from around lunchtime, so please allow plenty of extra time to get to your gear checks, sign on and race on time.
- @ 16 July 2016: Volunteers ONLY – please park on the approach road rather than the car park to free up spaces for visitors.
- @ 12 July 2016: The full event programme is now available to download on this page – do print and read this please!
- @ 11 July 2016: Slipstreamers parents/ guardians – we need you. If you are able to volunteer for even just an hour or few, click this link here to tell us – this will be greatly appreciated.
Keeping You Entertained...
Aside from the obvious excitement and thrill of watching live cycle races happening on the circuit,there will be plenty else going on to ensure nobody is bored. We strive to put on a fantastic event, and feedback so far over the years has been overwhelmingly positive – click here to enjoy our 2015 event report with blogs and experiences of the day by volunteers and racers; and do visit our Flickr site for photos from last year’s event. For this coming Sunday we will have music playing all day to sing along (sometimes) to; free bike marking has been arranged with the Police on site; trade stands from local businesses promoting their wares; and a a bike fit and performance van will also be on site so if you have any discomfort on your bike, do pop over. Of course, there is also the surrounding Minet Park to enjoy if you’d like to go for a walk and explore, so why not buy your lunch from the canteen or BBQ and have an impromptu picnic!
The weather forecast is looking bright and sunny for the weekend (don’t forget the sunblock!), and Sunday 17th July 2016 is certainly a day to look forward to!
Food Glorious Food!
There will be a canteen operating inside the Clubhouse all day, serving tea, coffee and juices; healthy snacks, fresh fruit and treats; as well as fresh home-made sandwiches and samosas for lunch – vegetarian options will be available. For those who prefer something hot of the grill, there will also be a BBQ on the go outside the clubhouse serving fresh food. As an extra treat in anticipation of the lovely weather, we have also organised an ice-cream for the day!
Facilities
The circuit facilities will open at 8:00 am on Sunday 17th July with access to changing rooms and toilets inside the main Circuit Clubhouse. We also have permission to direct you to the Goals shower and toilet facilities, so do feel free to use these if convenient for you. For your warm up, there is hard standing both near the Clubhouse and at the start/ finish line for using turbo trainers and rollers – please do not block the walkways or access to the clubhouse or track when using these. Bins are located all over the circuit, so kindly use these or take your rubbish home with you – please help us keep the area litter free and safe from debris for everyone using it.
BC Rules & Regulations...
All races are run under the rules and regulations of British Cycling as per this link here. Key points to ensure you abide by as noted in your event programme are:
- Gear / Wheel Rim Depth Restrictions (page 9)
- Laps Out (page 11)
- Lapped Riders (page 11)
- And of course NO LICENCE, NO RIDE!
BC Commissaires and Club Officials will be on duty all day, so if you have any queries or concerns do please talk to someone.
Sign On
Registration will be inside the Clubhouse after you have had your gears checked – there will be signs directing you to the friendly team who will help you sign on, take your race licence and hand you your race number. Note that the last sign-on for the National U14 & U16 races is 45 minutes prior to the start time, and 30 minutes for the U8, U10 & U12 support races.
If you have not pre-registered for the support races, you are welcome to register on the day. You don’t need to be a BC member to race in the support races, however, you will need a day licence – these are available to purchase at sign-on for support races only. Event racing licence rules will be strictly adhered to for the National Series races i.e. NO LICENCE – NO RIDE.
Free Bike Marking...
The Metropolitan Police will be on site all day to provide free bike marking for those of you who would like to have your bicycles marked and details stored on the Police database. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of this fantastic service by the Police, so do bring your bikes along – parents feel free to bring yours if you wish! – and add them to the system for peace of mind.
Keep Your Valuables Safe...
Whilst we will have Police presence on site for the majority of the day, it is up to you to ensure you keep your valuables safe. The circuit is a through-way for the Minet Country Park and there is a lot of foot traffic back and forth. Keep your bikes(s) and all other equipment safe and secure at all times, don’t leave bags lying about open and unattended, and ensure you have not left items on your car seats or dashboard that will invite attention. Thieves do operate in the area so please be vigilant!
