The 2017 Tour Series continues with Round Seven featuring elite racing in both the men’s and women’s events. Tour Series Motherwell gets underway from 1pm and spectating is free.
The Tour Series is an annual road race event made up of 10 rounds of criterium racing (i.e. several laps around a closed circuit) each one taking place in a different city centre in Britain. Eight of the rounds also host the women’s Matrix Fitness Grand Prix, including this evening’s action in Motherwell.
There are seven professional men’s teams competing in each round of the Tour Series. These are defending champions JLT Condor, Bike Channel Canyon, Madison Genesis, Metaltek Kuota, Morvelo Basso, ONE Pro Cycling and Team Raleigh GAC. The teams field five riders in each race.
In the Matrix Fitness GP Women’s Series, there are 13 teams taking part: APRIRE Bicycles HSS Hire, DropsDrops, Liv EpicLiv Epic, NCC Group-Kuota-Torelli, Storey Racing, Sunsport Velo, Team Breeze, Team Ford EcoBoost, Team Jadan Weldtite, Team OnForm, Team RGB Building Supplies, Team WNT Pro Cycling and Velo Schils Interbike.
The women’s race is at 5.30pm (for a rundown of all the day’s activities see below) and includes the cream of Scottish talent. Among them and riding for Team WNT is none other than Olympic and World champion Kate Archibald who
Photo: Tour Series
is joined by 2016 Scottish Road Race champion Eileen Roe. Roe won the Stage 6 in Bath on Saturday night (pictured right) and in doing so became, with 5 wins, the most successful individual rider in the Matrix Fitness GP Series history. Look out too for other Scottish women riding for them own teams including Rhona Callander (Jadan), Jenny Holl (Jadan), Jennifer George (Storey Racing). Also riding for Storey Racing is Neah Evans, a road and track cycling predicted for great things by none other than the aforementioned Katie Archibald.
The men’s race takes place at 7.30pm and in addition to the seven professional teams some of the country’s brightest young male stars will be in action as part of a Scotland team that will feature in a trio of Tour Series stages, namely Motherwell, Aberdeen and Durham. Taking to the start line tonight are Joe Nally, Stephen Dent, Dylan Hughes and Innes Johnston who are joined by U23 rider Mark McGuire. Scottish Cycling Performance Programme rider Andy Brown will also be riding for his own team Metaltek Kuota. Perthshire’s Grant and Fraser Martin will also be riding for Raleigh GAC.
The race format is that each race lasts for 60 minutes plus five additional laps and the winning team is the one whose overall time to cross the finish line (i.e. their five riders times added up) and they receive 10 points with the team whose cumulative time is second overall getting 9 points and so on meaning all nine teams are chasing points each round. Points are also awarded for the individual winners, giving the series an exciting team and individual focus. The winning teams and individuals are calculated on a final points basis after all ten rounds have taken place on 29th May in Stevenage.
The entertainment gets underway at Tour Series Motherwell from 1pm at Farm Street Park & Ride, beside North Lanarkshire Heritage Centre, where there will be a family activity area from 1pm – 9pm with a climbing wall, smoothie bikes and a chance to try out some specialist bikes.
Racing starts at 12.45pm with local primary and secondary school races, then from 1.50pm there will be amateur races hosted by Scottish
Cycling. From 3.50pm there’s a Corporate Grand Prix for local organisations competing in a relay race, before the professionals take to the course. Round Seven of the Matrix Fitness GP Series (women’s race) is at 5.30pm followed by Round Seven of the Tour Series (men’s race) from 7.30pm, with a podium ceremony bringing the action to a close after the final race.
A map of the route at Tour Series Motherwell can be viewed here. The start/finish area is on the corner of the High Road and Hamilton Road.
The full running order is as follows:-
12.45pm – Schools Activities
1.50pm – Youth A/B (Boy and Girl)
2.20pm – Women’s Support Race
3pm – Senior/Junior Race
3.50pm – Corporate Race
5.30pm – Women’s Elite Race Start
6.15pm – Women’s Race Finish
7.30pm – Men’s Elite Race Start
8.45pm – Men’s s Race Finish 20:45
9pm – Podium Presentations
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to witness road racing up close and personal, as Britain’s finest elite cyclists battle it out on the Scottish streets at Tour Series Motherwell!
Entertainment and racing starts at 1pm.
Spectating is free on the course.
The 2017 Tour Series continues with Round Eight in Aberdeen on Thurday 25th May.