When it comes to bicycle races, there is little doubt that the Tour de France sits at the top of the pecking order. There are other variations on the same theme, such as the Giro d’Italia in Italy and the Vuelta a España in Spain. There are also much smaller races that give people the chance to enjoy watching some racing or even taking part, depending on where they’re based. In the case of Guildford, the Town Centre Races have been taking place for years with the historic centre welcoming back the races this summer.
What Are the Town Centre Races?
If you’re looking for something that fits into the bracket of ‘does what it says on the tin’, then you’re going to be hard-pushed to find something better than the Guildford Centre Town Races. They are a set of races that take place in the centre of Guildford, seeing riders taking each other on for the right to be declared the winner. They are part of the National Circuit Series of British Cycling, meaning that some of the best male and female cyclists in the country descend on Guildford in order to take part, whilst other supporting events are also on offer.
Although the men’s and women’s races sit at the top of the pile when it comes to the reason why people turn up to watch, there are other reasons to head along too. There are races for both young cyclists and older ones, which means that you could well know someone who is taking part in one of the races. Many other people there certainly do, which is why you might well see people very clearly cheering on particular competitors. You don’t have to do that, however, and more than a few members of the crowd will simply be there for the fun of it and to support everyone.
History of the Guildford Town Centre Races
If you want to get a sense of just how old the Guildford Town Centre Races are, then you can look at the history of them, which date back to 1983. That was when the Charlottesville Cycling Club put forward a suggestion to have an evening of criteriums in the town centre of Guildford in order to match up with the Guildford Festival that was starting a fortnight later. It looked like it was going to go ahead, only for the Surrey County Highway Authority to put a stop to it. A year later, and the group tried again, this time succeeding in their efforts to get the races going in the town.
The first ever Guildford Town Centre races were held on the 11th of July, 1984, seeing basically the same route of closed roads that is used in the modern-day version of the race. Around 2,000 people turned up to watch the races, which included members of the Southern Veteran-Cycle Club riding on veteran machines like a velocipede from the 19th century. Thanks to Mike Willimott, Les Smith, Stuart Campbell and Terry Cornell, what would become one of Guildford’s most consistent events was born and it has taken place almost every year since that evening in 1984.
The Races
For anyone hoping to take part in the Guildford Town Centre Races, you need to ensure that you have put your application in with British Cycling in advance as no one will be allowed to join on the night itself. British Cycling will look at other races and results in order to make a decision about who should be accepted and who will be rejected. Here is a look at the various races that take place:
| Time | Race | Rider Category |
|---|---|---|
| 17.45 | The GearedUp Cycles Under-8s Girls / The GearedUp Cycles Under-8s Boys | D |
| 18.00 | The Chantries & Pewleys Under-10s Girls / The Chantries & Pewleys Under-10s Boys / The Chantries & Pewleys Under-12s Girls / The Chantries & Pewleys Under-12s Boys | C |
| 18.20 | The Chantries & Pewleys Under-14s Girls / The Chantries & Pewleys Under-14s Boys / The Chantries & Pewleys Under-16s Girls / The Chantries & Pewleys Under-16s Boys | B (Under-14s)A (Under-16s) |
| 18.45 | The Greyfriars Vineyard Local Heroes Open Race | 3rd+ |
| 19.30 | The Parcours Guildford Women’s Grand Prix | Elite / 1st / 2nd |
| 20.35 | The Cycle Exchange Guildford Open Grand Prix | Elite / 1st / 2nd |
As you can see, there are loads of different races for you to enjoy over a fun-filled evening in Guildford.
The Course
The course is a difficult one to ride on, thanks to the technical challenge presented by the likes of the cobbled High Street. It begins at the top of said High Street adjacent to the Holy Trinity Church, after which point it begins to narrow before the riders head up onto the Upper High Street. The circuit continues until the end of that, asking riders to carry out a U-turn, which acts as a way of thinning out the field. They then travel back down the other side of Upper High Street, making a righthand turn onto North Street. The tarmac of North Street offers respite before what’s to come.
After the tarmac of North Street is a change of surface onto Market Street, where the narrow road means passing is difficult. There is then a rise in the road that will push riders to their limits, only for a 90-degree turn to see them enter the cobbled High Street. It is uphill all the way from there to the finish line, which was also the start line, before riders need to take on the course again. It is slightly longer than it used to be in order to allow it to qualify as a National A event for British Cycling and to be part of the Circuit Series, which also included the likes of the Dawlish Grand Prix.