The 2015 British Cycling National Road Race and Time Trial Championships have been awarded to the organisers of the Lincoln Grand Prix.
Set to be held on Thursday June 25 and Sunday June 28, the national championships coincide with the 60th edition of the Lincoln Grand Prix, which will also be held next year.
It will be the first time Lincoln has hosted a national championship since 1968, but British Cycling’s cycle sport and membership director Jonny Clay believes the city has the proven pedigree to host the prestigious races.
He said: “In recent years the national road championships have become an iconic event on the cycling calendar bringing together a cast made up of globally recognised sportsmen and women.
“Each place that hosts the event stands on the shoulders of those that have hosted before and takes on the responsibility for further building the reputation of our championship.
“With the status of the Lincoln Grand Prix already clearly established on the domestic cycling calendar, Lincolnshire has all the ingredients for a superb championship and we look forward to visiting in 2015.”
Glasgow hosted the Championships last year, with Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) and Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans) claiming top honours in the respective road races and Alex Dowsett (Movistar) and Joanna Rowsell (Wiggle-Honda) triumphant in the time trials.
This year’s event will be hosted in Abergavenny, before Lincolnshire takes centre stage in 2015.
Based on the Lincoln Grand Prix circuit – which Team Sky’s Pete Kennaugh won last year, representing the Isle of Man – the road race will have an added starting loop, taking riders out of the city before they hit the main street circuit.
The men’s race will include eight laps of the Grand Prix circuit and cover a total of 200km, while the women’s race is set to be 109km with four laps of the circuit.
Event organiser Ian Emmerson added: “We are obviously delighted to hear that British Cycling has accepted our bid to organise the 2015 British Cycling National Road Race and Time Trial Championships.”
During the Championships, the fifth Lincoln Grand Prix Sportive will also be hosted on Saturday June 27, with an added all-comers uphill dash in the evening, while criterium events will be based in the city on the Friday.
More information will be available nearer the time.
