The Essex Roads Spring Lambs Sportive 2018
Our Spring Lambs Sportive held on Sunday 2nd April 2017 was a great success with over 620 riders booked on, making it our second largest event ever. Please look at the great comments we received back from many riders!
Our next Spring Lambs is booked for Sunday 8th April 2018 and we would like to invite you to this tried and tested event which has been on the sportive calendar since 2009. These are two challenging rides - one of 100Km and the longer 150Km for those wanting a longer distance. And don't forget either that entries close at 23:59 Tuesday 3rd April 2018!
Unlike other mainstream sportives this is organised by a cycling club - Essex Roads CC, with over 17 years experience of event management and instinctively knowing what cyclists look for and enjoy, making it a truly memorable day in the saddle.
Our next Spring Lambs is booked for Sunday 8th April 2018 and we would like to invite you to this tried and tested event which has been on the sportive calendar since 2009. These are two challenging rides - one of 100Km and the longer 150Km for those wanting a longer distance. And don't forget either that entries close at 23:59 Tuesday 3rd April 2018!
Unlike other mainstream sportives this is organised by a cycling club - Essex Roads CC, with over 17 years experience of event management and instinctively knowing what cyclists look for and enjoy, making it a truly memorable day in the saddle.
|
A quality Sportive Headquarters
The Brentwood Leisure Centre is our HQ, start and finish, which is located on country roads and easy to reach via the M25 and A12, and for Essex Cyclists, via Brentwood and surrounding towns. This is a major sporting venue in the Southeast, with all the facilities you need including changing rooms, showers and extended car free parking on-site. As a result we can cater for up to 1000 cyclists on this ride. As per last year we will be using our fast track booking system which means you’ve just one stop to make when you book on at the venue, leaving you lots of time to make final mechanical adjustments, take a last minute pitstop and get organised before your great ride.
|
|
|
A professional start/finish line
We have a very identifiable start/finish line to the standard you'd expect from any sportive. We send our riders off at staggered times depending on their chosen distance and to ensure safety. The Results Base timing system is also located at this point where the helmet sensors used are picked up by the system. There is a a viewing area for families at the start/finish line where supporters are segregated from the riders but with a great view. This is certainly a good place to take your photographs of the returning riders. |
Great eating facilities
We take time to look after our riders with a hot food feast at the end of their ride. The food supplied by the Events Team at the Brentwood Centre is perfect for those hungry tummies after a long ride in the saddle. We have at least three hot food options and we cater for vegetarians too. we also have lashings of tea, coffee and some just so many cakes to choose from you will be spoilt for choice. All this at no additional costs to you. So many other rides charge for this facility. And for 2018 we are introducing an Essex Roads Ale available from our new beer tent. That's nice to look forward to at the end of your ride.
We take time to look after our riders with a hot food feast at the end of their ride. The food supplied by the Events Team at the Brentwood Centre is perfect for those hungry tummies after a long ride in the saddle. We have at least three hot food options and we cater for vegetarians too. we also have lashings of tea, coffee and some just so many cakes to choose from you will be spoilt for choice. All this at no additional costs to you. So many other rides charge for this facility. And for 2018 we are introducing an Essex Roads Ale available from our new beer tent. That's nice to look forward to at the end of your ride.
|
Essential en-route services
Nice to know that there are toilets en-route. These appear at all our feedstops so there are no longer any excuses to use the bushes. Our toilet facilities are provided by Blue Cube and there are enough for everybody. We use the latest cubicles with a ready supply of paper and hand sanitising facilities so you can eat your lunch with clean hands! |
Where does the ride go?
The ride takes a great loop within the county boundaries of Essex, taking in some lovely towns and villages along the way. The Spring Lambs is a great test for the Sportive Rider anxious to kick-off their early season and test the effectiveness of their well-earned winter training. The ride will also make ideal preparation for road racers trying to sharpen their form in preparation for even tougher later season challenges.
The ride takes a great loop within the county boundaries of Essex, taking in some lovely towns and villages along the way. The Spring Lambs is a great test for the Sportive Rider anxious to kick-off their early season and test the effectiveness of their well-earned winter training. The ride will also make ideal preparation for road racers trying to sharpen their form in preparation for even tougher later season challenges.
What about support for the ride itself?
Navigation is everything on events of this size and we’ve got everything covered with turn-by-turn instructions, GPX and TCX file downloads for your Sat Nav unit and signage at every major turn - these will all be posted on this website in due course, keep checking back. We will also have a rider-finder service too, just in case you can’t figure where you are. Our ride will also be mechanically supported by Yellow Jersey Cycles for maintenance checks and running repairs at all our feedstops.
Navigation is everything on events of this size and we’ve got everything covered with turn-by-turn instructions, GPX and TCX file downloads for your Sat Nav unit and signage at every major turn - these will all be posted on this website in due course, keep checking back. We will also have a rider-finder service too, just in case you can’t figure where you are. Our ride will also be mechanically supported by Yellow Jersey Cycles for maintenance checks and running repairs at all our feedstops.
|
Massage at the end
Its great to get a massage when you're back from a long ride. Our expert masseurs are from McKagans and are there to breath life in to your aching body before you finish with our post-ride pasta feast. There's no need to book - just turn up for your treatment. The cost is £5 per rider but is not part of your sportive fee. |
|
Team riding
As for last year we are encouraging designated teams of five riders to take part too. This means that if you identify your team of five on booking then we can give you an average team time too. This is not an encouragement to race but will enable you to work as a group to improve your overall time together. This concept is entirely new in the UK. |
|
Photos and ride results All riders are provided with bike numbers and Sportive Photo will be present on the day providing downloadable photographs, for a reasonable fee, for those who wish to remember their endeavour. All rider and team results will be available at the finish and afterwards from this website in the results section. |
|
|
All of our rider timing is provided by ResultsBase a prestigious events timing company within the UK. All individual and team results will be available post the event and all rider times will be provided at the event. Timing is either by 'chip' or 'android' system.
|
How to get there
The event HQ is also easily accessed from the mainline Brentwood or Shenfield railway Stations (Liverpool Street line) and by road from the M25/A12 - click here for more information.
One of our previous Spring Lambs rides was reviewed by Cycling Weekly in 2009. They said; ‘this was an event superbly organised, run on idyllic country cycling roads with virtually no traffic’, - ‘the amazing thing is that the ride start/finish is only 20 miles outside London!’ So, now is the time to book (booking opens in December). We look forward to seeing you at this mammoth event!
The event HQ is also easily accessed from the mainline Brentwood or Shenfield railway Stations (Liverpool Street line) and by road from the M25/A12 - click here for more information.
One of our previous Spring Lambs rides was reviewed by Cycling Weekly in 2009. They said; ‘this was an event superbly organised, run on idyllic country cycling roads with virtually no traffic’, - ‘the amazing thing is that the ride start/finish is only 20 miles outside London!’ So, now is the time to book (booking opens in December). We look forward to seeing you at this mammoth event!
|
High Standards are our standard
We take great pride in running our sportives and we set our standards at Excellent! Many Sportives these days are pitched at £35 or more but give you a whole lot less, particularly around rider feeding. They also run out of poor quality HQ buildings such as community halls and sports clubs. We set the bar in these areas. Have a look at our rider comments page for just some of the supporting complements we've received. |
|
Booking information
The start time of the event is 08:00 a.m. for the 150Km riders, and 09:00 a.m. for the 100Km riders. Please arrive early and from 07:30 to book on. All entries are via the SiEntries website. Please note that due to the increasing popularity of this sportive:
THERE WILL NOT BE ANY FACILITY TO PAY OR ENTER THIS EVENT AT THE VENUE ON THE DAY
YOU MUST PRE-BOOK VIA THE SiENTRIES LINK TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE.
The maximum number of entrants to the sportive is as stated 1000, so please book in advance to save any disappointment on the day.
Warning – due to some riders taking advantage and cycling this event without payment at previous events, additional safeguards have been put in to place to check the validity of participants. Please do not take advantage of our hospitality and disadvantage others on the day.
THERE WILL NOT BE ANY FACILITY TO PAY OR ENTER THIS EVENT AT THE VENUE ON THE DAY
YOU MUST PRE-BOOK VIA THE SiENTRIES LINK TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE.
The maximum number of entrants to the sportive is as stated 1000, so please book in advance to save any disappointment on the day.
Warning – due to some riders taking advantage and cycling this event without payment at previous events, additional safeguards have been put in to place to check the validity of participants. Please do not take advantage of our hospitality and disadvantage others on the day.
Entry fees
Course information
Event Date: 8th April 2018
On-line entries open: 10th November 2017
On-line entries closing date: 23:59 Tuesday 3rd April 2018
150Km Start Time: 08:00 Hrs
100Km Start Time: 09:00 Hrs
HQ and Event Close-down time (when timing ceases): 17:00 Hrs
Distances: 150 km and 100 km
Maximum rider number: 1000
For further information please contact: secretary@essexsportive.com
Event Website: - www.essexsportive.com
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be aware that this is NOT the ‘Spring Saddle Sportive’ as organised by UK Cycling Events nor the 'Essex Road Sportive' organised by Evans Cycles. Please don't copy our sportives!
On-line entries open: 10th November 2017
On-line entries closing date: 23:59 Tuesday 3rd April 2018
150Km Start Time: 08:00 Hrs
100Km Start Time: 09:00 Hrs
HQ and Event Close-down time (when timing ceases): 17:00 Hrs
Distances: 150 km and 100 km
Maximum rider number: 1000
For further information please contact: secretary@essexsportive.com
Event Website: - www.essexsportive.com
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be aware that this is NOT the ‘Spring Saddle Sportive’ as organised by UK Cycling Events nor the 'Essex Road Sportive' organised by Evans Cycles. Please don't copy our sportives!
