Tour of the Reservoir 2009
Some great photos taken by club members at various points during and after the race:
This year’s Tour of the Reservoir was a fantastic race held in near perfect conditions on a bright, sunny, dry, calm morning and resulted in a great win for Andy Tennant, ex Junior World Pursuit Champion, riding his first Premier Calendar race! His pursuit skills really paid off in this fine solo win and last year’s winner and pre-race favourite Russ Downing had to settle for second, with a fine ride by Rob Partridge for third.
For an excellent race report and results follow the link to the BC website:
Also why not check out the new regional and local magazine which has dedicated a page to our club, and which features an interesting article and a large gallery of photos on this year’s race. Visit on:
And you can see 50 minutes of TV coverage on UK Eurosport Sunday 5th! Time is around 4pm but check first.
ALL RIDERS AND SPECTATORS PLEASE NOTE:
The Race HQ is Blanchland Village Hall, not Sports Hall as previously stated.
Please park at the large car park to the north of the village on the Pennypye road.
Rider sign-on starts at 8:30am.
A shot from the 2007 race:
The 2009 running of the now famous Northumbrian Water Tour of the Reservoir Premier Calendar road race takes place on Sunday March 29th. The route and distance are much the same as previous years - details to follow - but the HQ has changed and moves from Edmundbyers to Blanchland Sports Hall. This will significantly reduce congestion in Edmundbyers village caused by race traffic. The presentations will also be at Blanchland.
The riders leave Blanchland at 10:15 and travel through a neutral zone to Pow Hill, where the race proper starts at around 10:30. The finish will be on the Derwent Reservoir dam wall as usual. And riders, get an early night the night before as the clocks go forwards at 1am!
Due to the insistence of the police forces of both Northumberland and Durham the entire race route will be on closed roads, the section of the A68 being traffic-light controlled, so:
NO non-race traffic - including bikes! - will be allowed to travel on the race circuit between 10am sharp and the end of the race. However, the road from the bridge by the Dam Lodge to the A68 at Manor House will re-open after the race passes by on lap 7. Spectators will need to be in their chosen spot before 10am.
Note to Riders: Following protracted negotiations with Northumberland police, Durham police and the Safety Advisory Group a limit of 100 riders has been imposed on us for this race. Since entries far exceed this limit, some riders may be asked of they wish to be placed on the reserve list. Unfortunately we can exert no influence over this decision.
For the second year running the Velvet Kids BIke Race will take place across the dam wall and kids of all ages are invited to enter. This fun event is sponsored by SCA Hygiene Products, owners of the Velvet brand, and promises to be a huge success. This year the HQ for the Kids Race remains at Edmundbyers. See the dedicated page.
As usual many of the most prominent riders on the UK race scene will take part in this popular Premier Calendar event; riders such as Russel Downing [2008 winner and 2008 Premier Calendar series winner], Dean Downing [2007 winner], Tony Gibb, Ben Greenwood [winner 2006], Simon Richardson [3rd in 2008], Evan Olliphant [6th in 2008], Kevin Dawson [BBAR for several years], Malcolm Elliott, ex Tour de France points winner, Liam Holohan [8th in 2008] and many more.
The foremost UK teams are also represented, for example Plowman Craven, Rapha Condor, Team Corley Cycles, Team Sportscover, Herbalife/Wheelbase.co.uk, Halfords Bikehut, KUK Kinesis, cyclingbargains-infinis-metaltek to name but a few.
The start sheet has now been finalised. We apologise for the last-minute changes but, as explained above, despite tough bargaining we are forced to limit entry to enable the race to go ahead. Would any rider on the start sheet who is not able to ride, please let the organiser [Mike Hodgson] know as soon as possible to give someone else the chance to ride. Thanks!
The start sheet to date [March 25] : start-sheet-2009-final
Useful links.
Please note 2 last minute changes to the race:
The neutral zone will extend from Blanchland to POW HILL where the race proper will start, not Carrick’s corner as previously stated.
The last lap of the circuit will NOT be the same as last year. This year the last lap [7] will follow the same route as the first 6 laps and the approach to the finish will be across the top of the dam wall to the finish near the tower.
The route map below shows the actual circuit.
The circuit; double-click for a larger view:
And how to find the circuit: Google Maps
Some accommodation and general information on Edmundbyers
The Lord Crewe Arms Hotel Blanchland
The Burnside, Edmundbyers, Co Durham DH8 9NY
Tel: 01207 255257
Brenda Brown has lived here for 25 years, and in a converted stable block next to her home she offers top-quality self-catering accommodation in Burnside Cottages. Four state-of-the-art units are built, furnished and fitted to the highest standards, with all mod cons provided in Kingfisher and Robin (1 bedroom in each) and Woodpecker and Owl (2 bedrooms).
The lovely country setting makes this a perfect base for walkers, birdwatchers and lovers of the open air, and the cottages are only a short drive form the A68, with easy access north to Hadrian’s Wall, the Northumberland National Park and Scotland, and Bishop Auckland, Darlington and points south in the other direction. Bookings are usually by the week, but Brenda will do split weeks and B&B if the cottages are otherwise free. No smoking.
Manor House Service Station and Motel
The Manor House Inn (A68) - relax, eat and drink between laps