May 5, 2010 8.30 pm This story is over 166 months old

Revving up for Lincoln Grand Prix

Full speed ahead: The final pieces of the Lincoln Grand Prix are getting put into place, ready for the race to start on May 9th.

Lincoln’s Castle Square will be the finish line for the Lincoln Grand Prix on Sunday, May 9th, whith professional teams from Sweden and Holland in the line up, along with opposition from the Irish national team.

Starting at 10am from the Yarborough Leisure Centre, the race will also see three riders from Team Sky, with the return of three-time winner Russell Downing — going for a record fourth win. The Lincoln Grand Prix will finish after 11 laps of the city, at around 1.30pm, after racing through Lincoln and the surrounding countryside.

The best places to watch the Grand Prix are the Castle Square for the finish, Burton Village if you want to see the riders at speed, Saxilby Road for the “Tour de France” look, or Michaelgate for an up close and personal view of the riders.

The race will be complemented by British Cycling’s WATT bikes for people to measure their fitness levels in the Castle Square, and there will also be fruit and drinks stalls, bike accessories and displays from the Lincolnshire Sports Partnership. The University of Lincoln and Bishops Grosseteste College have brought support from students, who will be carrying out stewarding and crowd control on the day.

The weather forecast for the weekend is favourable, with thousands of people expected to come and watch the race. Eurosport will be covering the proceedings, and a specially equipped helicopter will film the action.

Sources: City of Lincoln Council, Lincoln Grand Prix | Photo: Larry Hickmott, British Cycling