2023 Tour of Cambridgeshire to be the final edition

[steverob]

https://www.tourofcambridgeshire.com/blog/toc-reaches-the-finish-line

Having ridden this three times previously (although admittedly I've only done the 100 mile version once) and with an entry already booked to do this year's as well, I'm a little saddened by this news. There are a dearth of closed road sportives in the UK already in my opinion and this will bring the number down to one fewer.

For those of you who had this on their list to eventually get round to doing, there are still some spots left for this year, but you'd better be quick because it's going to be your last chance.

 

[mjr]

It's presented as “ mission accomplished now the worlds are coming to Glasgow ” but there are hints about the cost and having lost two to COVID restrictions. Any more investigative coverage?

 

[Norry1]

Big shame.

I've done the ToC twice (2018 and 2019) and really enjoyed both. I'm doing the Shorter Race this year (in my Masters Category 60-64, we do the shorter version.

I wonder if a replacement UK Qualifier for the World Gran Fondo Championships will emerge.

 

[Dogtrousers]

That's a shame. I did investigate doing it, when a friend of mine was doing it (2019?), but I decided it wasn't my cup of tea (a bit too difficult). But my friend enjoyed it so it's always a shame to see the amount of choice reduced.

 

[steverob]

It's presented as “ mission accomplished now the worlds are coming to Glasgow ” but there are hints about the cost and having lost two to COVID restrictions. Any more investigative coverage?

I have no insight into whether the reasons given why this is the last one are true or not, but feel that it is way more likely to be that they have lost money on the post-Covid events, rather than the "we've achieved our aims" story they've chosen to headline.

That's a shame. I did investigate doing it, when a friend of mine was doing it (2019?), but I decided it wasn't my cup of tea (a bit too difficult). But my friend enjoyed it so it's always a shame to see the amount of choice reduced.

That's interesting that you feel it might be too difficult - what was it specifically that put you off if you don't mind me asking?

I know that I always thought their marketing/pitch was a little strange at times - they pushed quite hard on the "this is your chance to qualify for the World Championships" angle and really tried to appeal to the racers, but didn't seem to really advertise quite as heavily to more "normal" cyclists. Yet on all the ToC events I did, I'd say that at least 60% of the attendees either weren't bothered by the Worlds or couldn't have met the qualifying mark even if they'd wanted to (I fell into both of those categories!) and were just there because they wanted a very flat closed road ride, which they got in spades.

 

[Dogtrousers]

That's interesting that you feel it might be too difficult - what was it specifically that put you off if you don't mind me asking?

I'm more of a trundle round and do the distance rider. I think I got the impression that this was more of a "racy" event and a bit too quick for me. I may even have checked the cut off time and found it too quick (maybe, IIRC, it was a few years ago).

 

[steverob]

Yeah, I can see why you'd have that impression if you looked at their publicity / website / etc. - it's 90% about the race side of things. I'm much like yourself in that I wanted to do the distance at my own pace (although always happy to ride with like-minded others of course) and didn't really care about setting new PRs and stuff like that.

Now I'll admit I didn't take part in the very first event, which might have had a tighter time limit, but for the ones I did I took all the time in the world and yet I was nowhere near the back - people were still finishing a good hour after me and no-one seemed to be worrying about being picked up by the broom wagon.

This is especially true of the 2019 edition where I did 101 miles at 13.5mph, plus spent over an hour in total at the various pit stops because it was absolutely baking hot that day and there is no shade in the Fens! The other two I did shorter rides (79 and 84 miles) at a marginally faster pace with fewer stops, but both were still not exactly numbers to set the world on fire!

 

[CXRAndy]

I did it 2018/19, since then it doesnt interest me. I remember '19 being baking hot, being unfit, so did the 76 miler with my brother in-law. Boxers and his brothers did it too if I remember.

Martin qualified that year to go onto the later events.

2018 was a blast literally, never cycled so fast for so long, extremely stressful holding the wheels in a pack at 23-25mph.

Like you said Steve most were there to ride a closed road event not to race as such

 

[Datum2]

Living by one of the "closed roads" the T o C has always been excellent free entertainment especially with the bbq going and a beer at hand. Being at the early stages of the route(s) in Great Gidding we see most riders pass in fairly short order. Hope to be doing the same again this year.

 

[HLaB]

I did it a few times before the 100mile version. I wasn't really a fan mainly because its on roads I ride all the time but also because I wasn't a fan of the riding. One of the times me and 2 other guys made a chaingang. After a bit we had about 20riders sitting in our draft. After 10mins or so someone eventually came forward from the back to help. Or so I thought, he got as far as me, 2nd man at the time. Muttered something like, "oh sh1t I'm getting to far forward" and barged straight into my side. Other uk closed road sportives seem just as bad. Since then it has been the TT for me, and I'm sad that's coming to an end. I'm never going to qualify I'm too much of a wuss on decents/ bends but I like it.

 

[johnblack]

Did it last year, the first half was great, sat in a group kept a decent pace of about 22mph. Group split at about 50 and the roads got very flat, open and dull after that. Not one I'll miss, not enough variation, but glad I did it. I thought the set up at the showground was pretty good.

 

[steverob]

Having had a chat with someone at an LBS near the event yesterday, they seem to think there were a lot of little reasons adding up as to why they’ve called it quits, but one of the bigger ones is that apparently they are knocking down the Arena and building houses on the land. That would make it a lot more difficult to host an event of this size.

 

[mjr]

https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk...spectator-events-looking-for-new-home-3740482 says it's the showground which is going, not the arena.

 

[Norry1]

Well I enjoyed the final edition. Beautiful day - fast riding/racing - met up with quite a few peeps afterwards in the grassy square - got a new ekoi helmet at 50% off in the stalls - qualified for Worlds - kept it upright. All good.