Scottish Road Race Championships 2011: Course Preview

Vortex Race Team are very proud to be hosting the championships in 2011, we're sure the riders will like the course we've got planned for them, based around the historic town of Balfron on the 'Endrick' circuit, which we don't think has been used for any events before. Part of it is ridden in the opposite direction for the 'Tour of the Campsies' classic time trial.
*UPDATE: COURSE HAS NOW BEEN RESURFACED BY STIRLING COUNCIL*
Circuit Start
At the start of the first lap we'll be rolling down the hill of Buchanan Street, past Dunmore Street, which will become a familiar left turn in Balfron town, there's a fast descent down to a sweeping left onto the Endrick Bridge within the first km on the A875, the road surface is good here. The course is based on the valley formed by the Endrick Water, so we'll be passing it again later.

Boquhan
As soon as we're over the Endrick Bridge, we start a on a deceptive bit of road, an incline leading up through the village of Boquhan, it will surely play a part later in the race, but possibly not noticed too much early on. The very left hand side has a lumpy road surface, the rest looks ok. The road rises for approx 1km to the first turn, a left onto the B818.

TURN 1
The road levels off a bit after the turn, still no steep gradients here, we're turning off the A875 & turning left onto the B818, heading towards Fintry, but you'll not be going that far. This corner has a particularly nasty surface on it, it needs a bit of work, but a good recon' and you'll have a decent line sorted out that isn't going to cause you any problems, we'll be going round the circuit closer to the event once the promised road work has been done and give you an up to date preview for those who can't visit the circuit. This turn is at 2.2km into the circuit.

Endrick Valley
This twisting and turning run along to turn two is approx 5km long, there's no hills to speak of, a couple of very short rises & ideal racing roads, we expect attacks to go here. There's only a few occasions where there's any more than 30 seconds sight up the road at race speed, usually much less. As for the surface, this is where we've been raising issues with the council, there's some dodgy bits of road, interspersed with some really good bits of surface, it won't be like this in May, so keep an eye on our website & twitter for news www.vortexraceteam.co.uk

TURN 2
This is another left off the B818 & onto an unclassified road, this corner will be taken quite fast as it's flat leading up to it. It drops down towards the Endrick Water again and we think this will be another fast section, it's a short section before 'Turn 3'. So fast that we're going to be placing an extra marshall on a fast bend on this road to keep things safe, it's essentially a single track road, but wide enough for two cars to pass. This turn is at 7.3km from the circuit start.

TURN 3
Immediately after crossing the bridge, you'll see a house on your right and you'll be making a left turn at the T-junction. This takes you west again, heading towards Balfron on the opposite side of the valley from the previous 5km section. This turn is at 8km from the circuit start.


BACK ROAD
This is currently the best surfaced piece of road on the circuit and takes you right into Balfron, it's also the lumpiest profile, there's a few drags and one short but hard 8% section, which we'll call the 'Balfron Berg'. The 'Berg' will claim it's victims in the race finale, but there's no sustained climbs on the circuit. This section is 2.5km long.

TURN 4
Not so much a corner, more of a left fork, this takes you off the back road and onto Dunmore Street in Balfron, which desends down to the final turn on the course. You pass this at 10.5km from the circuit start.


TURN 5
This turn forms the start/finish of each lap, the lap board will be placed close to this corner in easy sight of the riders. This is another left, back onto the A875 to head back towards Boquhan. This completes one full circuit of 11.3km. The ladies will complete 6 laps in the morning, then in the afternoon the men will complete 12 laps. The finish line will not be on this circuit, but on the last lap (you'll hear a bell when you have one lap to go) you'll turn right on turn 5 and the finish line will be up the hill.



THE FINISH LINE
When you turn right at turn 5 on the last lap, you'll see the finish line, it will be 300m up the incline, we're not being too cruel and putting it on the steepest part of the climb, so it'll be just next to Doyles Cafe.



THE MAP


THE PROFILE (one full lap)


Thanks to Robin Dick for photo's