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Thoughts Travels

The London-Surrey Classic Bike Race 2011

This morning was so quiet, with the major road from Kingston upon Thames to London closed for the rehearsal and test cycle race for the 2012 London Olympics, the London to Surrey Classic Cycle Race.

Although the roads in the area were closed at 6am in the morning, it was not until 11:45am that the two leading riders rode through Kingston and Norbiton.
One second they were there, and the next, they were gone. Who the riders were I have no idea, nor could I read any of the logos they were wearing on their tight lycra outfits.
About a minute later, the main group rode by at speed followed by the support cars. I think most people found the cars just as interesting along with the other support teams, police, organisers etc, as the spectacle lasted longer.
Another minute went by, and a second group zoomed past.
Then followed further waits for the slower riders in smaller groups, including a rider who we were told had been knocked off his bike by a support car and who finished the race supported by two of his team mates.
All too soon the event was over and gone, and it took some time to re-open the roads to the noisy and polluting traffic.
Ban all traffic from the roads I say, well until I want to go out in my car.
Categories
Thoughts Travels

So quiet, the London-Surrey Cycle Classic

Today is the London-Surrey Cycle Classic bike race, a test and to prepare for the 2012 London Olympics.

The race, some 250km for the men and 140km for women, runs from The Mall (Buckingham Palace in Central London, out into leafy Surrey a place called Box Hill and back, passing through six London Boroughs, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth, Richmond and were I live Kingston. 

From Kingston the race will pass through many small towns and villages in the County of Surrey.
To facilitate the race, many roads have been closed, and will be for most of the day. The road I live on is a major route, carrying many hundreds of cars and buses per hour, but today there is nothing, save for one or two “official” cars.
Our roads in Kingston upon Thames will be closed between 6am and 1500pm, yet the race will pass we are told at 11:50am. Why is it required to close the road so long, especially if the race is anything like the Tour De France, all the racers pass in one big block, blink and you will miss them?
For anyone who has stayed with me, traffic noise can be a problem, but today, it is so quiet, I can even hear birds singing and pigeons cooing in the distance.
It is like living in the country-side, so I am not complaining, even if I like many people are locked into their home as they cannot leave their premises because the roads are closed and the only way to use their car is barred.