REDDITCH is gearing up for next Thursday (May 26) when the biggest show on the borough calendar comes to town.
The Pearl Izumi Tour Series bike race will feature thrills, spills, and more as some of the best bike riders in the country battle it out on the streets of Redditch.
Not only that but there will be bags of entertainment too as well as schools races, business races and ‘hot lap’ races against the clock before the pros take to the track.
The flag drops on Round 2 of the Matrix Fitness GP Series women’s at 6pm with Round 4 of the men’s Pearl Izumi Tour Series starting at 7.30pm.
Each race should last about an hour and they both follow the classic Redditch circuit of start/finish on Church Green West, down Prospect Hill, fast left into Clive Road, left into Hewell Road, before the steep lung-busting climb up Unicorn Hill and back to the start.
However it’s well worth arriving long before the main event as there will be entertainment from 11am plus the ‘tour village’ on Church Green featuring a host of interesting attractions.
The Hub in the Kingfisher shopping centre will be open for food as will other outlets in and around Church Green while Diamond Buses will be laying on half hourly buses until around 10pm to take fans home after the chequered flag has dropped.
A number of star names are due to take part and autograph hunters should be in for a field day with a special tent set up for eager signature hunters – you never know you might nab an Olympic star!
The honour of seeing the riders off has been given to Pam Yates, president of Redditch Road & Path Cycle Club. Pam is a winner of British Cycling’s regional volunteer of the year and played a key part in RR&PCC winning club of the year in 2015.
In addition she was instrumental in setting up the club’s highly successful youth section, encouraging more and more youngsters to get on their bikes and enjoy the thrill of cycling whether for racing, time trialling or touring.
