June 18, 2015 11.23 am
This story is over 84 months old
Lincoln saddles up for British Cycling road race
What you need to know: As Lincoln prepares to host the British Cycling National Road Race, we break down the highlights and road closures you need to know.
With a week to go until the British Cycling National Road Championships battle takes place in Lincoln, residents and visitors are preparing for one of the biggest sporting events the city has seen.
The championships kick off at the Cadwell Park Time Trials in the Lincolnshire Wolds on Thursday, June 25.
Lincoln then gears up to host its segment of the event, the National Road Race Championships, and welcome some of the UK’s most accomplished names on Sunday, June 28.
Annually, the city of Lincoln is transformed into a vibrant race track, with sportsmen, and women and fans lining the streets to compete for the Lincoln Grand Prix titles.
British riders in professional teams will compete through the city out to an area within West Lindsey District Council before connecting to the Grand Prix circuit in the Cathedral Quarter.
British Cycling has confirmed a world class field for the race – including Mark Cavendish, Geraint Thomas, Peter Kennaugh, Alex Dowsett, Lizzie Armitstead, Laura Trott and Dame Sarah Storey.
Paralympic hero Dame Sarah Storey has already warmed her tyres on the Lincoln route in preparation of the event.
Dame Sarah Storey. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The women’s race will start at 10am and cover one lap of a 28 mile country loop followed by four and a half laps of the eight mile Lincoln Grand Prix town curcuit for a total distance of 67 miles (107Kms), and five climbs of the cobbled Michaelgate.
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The men’s race will start at 11.30am and cover two laps of the country circuit and eight and a half laps of the Lincoln Grand Prix town curcuit for a total distance of 123.5 miles (197.6 Kms), and nine climbs of Michaelgate.
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The women’s race is expected to finish on Castle Hill at 1pm and the men’s race at 4.30pm.
The winners of these championships will wear their championship jerseys in all the major road race and time trial events, both at home and abroad, in the following 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Road closures
There will be several road closures over the course of the weekend. The City of Lincoln Council is advising that people find alternative routes and obey waiting restrictions set by convoy vehicles.
Friday, June 26 from 6.30pm to 10.30pm
Michaelgate, Castle Square
Saturday, June 27 from 6.30pm to 10.30pm
Castle Square, Bailgate, Westgate, Union Road, Drury Lane, Castle Square
Sunday, June 28 from 9.45am to 1pm
Castle Square, Bailgate, Newport, Yarborough Crescent, Burton Road, Burton Village, Fen Lane, A57, Long Leys Road, Yarborough Road, West Parade, Hungate, Michaelgate, Wordsworth Street, Drury Lane, Castle Square.
Lincoln and beyond
Villages along then route are preparing to give competitors a warm welcome.
Communities in the West Lindsey district are gearing up to welcome the event’s competitors and will be out flying flags along the route.
As racers speed through 16 West Lindsey villages they’ll get a warm welcome and a glimpse of events for all the family.
Councillor Roger Patterson, Vice Chairman of West Lindsey District Council, who are sponsoring the event, said: “Cycling is becoming more and more popular and the fact this championship is coming to Lincolnshire is amazing in itself. That it’s coming to Upton as well is tremendous. We’ll probably not see this kind of thing here again in our lifetime.”
Events taking place along the route include:
Sturton by Stow: The Methodist Church will be hosting a fun day with picnic space, craft and novelty activities between 10am and 1pm.
Stow: Drinks and cakes will be available for purchase through the morning on the green, opposite the historic Minster. The village’s annual friendly bike ride will be taking place in the afternoon.
Kexby: The village hall will be hosting a large screen where you can watch the rest of the race after riders have flown through. Pupils from Francis Alexander School in Lea will be displaying futuristic bike designs alongside refreshments.
Upton: The Rose and Crown pub will be open for carvery lunches and the Upton chippy will also be open for its coal-fired fish and chips from 11am to 1.30pm. You can also secure your bike here at the yard to watch the race, knowing your pride and joy is being looked after by the Viking Velo Club.
Ingham: A great spectator spot, both the Black Horse and the Inn on the Green are holding barbecues to meet the demand of the crowds.
The Lincolnite will be reporting live from the Lincoln road race, bringing you the latest results, pictures and videos. Follow @RoadChamps on Twitter for updates.
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A 20-year-old man has been locked up for three years after starting a fire in care accommodation with a discarded cigarette.
Callum Lilliot, 20, dropped a cigarette on his coat which he then threw onto his bed at his care accommodation in Awdry Drive, Wisbech, at about 10pm on Boxing Day 2021.
Officers initially were called to the property when Lilliot threatened to jump out of a second-floor window, but arrived to find smoke coming from an open window.
An officer began to kick the door down through fears that people were inside, before a carer opened it with a key and police tried to tackle the fire themselves.
The officers were beaten back by smoke and heat, causing two of them to be hospitalised with smoke inhalation. Four residents and carers were evacuated as Lilliot was arrested a short time later.
He claimed the fire had been an accident as temporary accommodation had to be arranged for other residents, but that was not to be the last time that Christmastime he got himself in trouble with the police.
In a further incident on December 29, just three days later, Lilliot rang 999 to say he wanted to hurt staff at Peterborough’s Edith Cavell Centre by burning it down.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of arson with intent to endanger life, arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered, and threatening to damage or destroy property, during a hearing at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday, June 29.
Lilliot was sentenced to three years detention in a young offenders institution.
Detective Sergeant Lee Womak, who investigated, said: “Lilliot showed little regard for the safety of others when he decided to deliberately drop his cigarette on his coat and start a fire.
“I don’t need to explain why starting fires is so dangerous and I hope Lilliot will reflect on his actions and consider how tragic the consequences could have been.”
A judge has issued an apology to a Boston man who admitted drug dealing after his sentence hearing was postponed for a second time because of strike action by crown court barristers.
Stacey Housham, 42, has been warned to expect jail after he pleaded guilty to supplying cocaine and heroin to other users.
Housham was due to be sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on June 9, but the hearing could not go-ahead because of protest action by defence barristers.
His case was postponed until July 5, however Judge John Pini QC was again forced to adjourn the sentence hearing after being told Housham’s barrister was unavailable because of strike action.
Housham, who attended the hearing by video-link, will now be sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on July 27.
Judge Pini told Housham: “These are serious matters. I have read the papers and the pre-sentence report in detail.
“Quite plainly your barrister needs to be here before you can be sentenced.
“I am sorry about this. It is something completely out of my control.”
Housham pleaded guilty to four charges concerning Class A drugs when he appeared at Lincoln Crown Court in April.
He was due to be sentenced after the preparation of a report by the Probation Service.
A number of other cases at Lincoln Crown Court have been impacted by the nationwide strike action by the Criminal Bar Association. (CBA)
Eight out of 10 barristers voted for the walkouts amid concerns the Government will not improve a proposed increase in criminal Legal Aid.
Housham, who was of no fixed address at the time of his offences, and is formerly of Collingwood Crescent, Boston, admitted possessing both cocaine and heroin with intent to supply others on February 10, 2020.
He also pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin to others between December 6, 2019, and February 11, 2020.
At a previous hearing the court heard Housham is now clean of drugs and has turned his life around.
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