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| WOMEN COMPETITORS | MALE COMPETITORS | JULIAN WINN INTERVIEW |

Julian Winn talks about the course for the Nationals

Related Articles: Nicole Cooke gives her view of the Course

Related Articles: The Road Race Course Preview

Yesterday (Thursday, 26th of June), I travelled to the Five Star Celtic Manor Resort in Newport to meet up with the Mens British Road Race Champion Julian Winn to get his impressions of the course to be used for the Mens and Womens Road Race Championship this weekend. Julian has spent the last couple of weeks at home trying to recover from a chest infection and said he felt good.

The weekend before though his luck deserted him when he put on a new set of tubulars and punctured both in what was supposed to be his pre championship hit out. He is however confident that things will be right for this weekend after a three hour plus training ride to test his legs left him feeling good. In the days and weeks previous though his form had taken a knock after the antibiotics and illness had its normal effect of draining a rider of their strength.

After Julian had been interviewed by a number of TV crews and done the "ride up a hill" routine for them a number of times, he joined me for a trip around the course.

The riders line up outside the impressive Celtic Manor Resort and take a right turn shortly after the start to exit the Resort into Cat Ash Road (1), a narrowish lane that runs alongside the Resort. This is all pretty much down hill and will provide an easy enough start.

Shortly after crossing a bridge over the A449, the field turns right (2) to ride through Langstone, a fairly narrow road still with a mini roundabout the only obstacle. You then come to the A48 (3), around 6 miles of rolling roads (4) leading to the climb of Wentwood. Speaking about this, Julian says "this is probably the widest road on the race and there will be probably be some early attacks here on the first lap, but because its fairly straight road, I don't think they'll get to far, you'll still be able to see them when they're say 40 seconds up the road."

This section of road also allows riders to position themselves. "I think if you have ideas about the race, you obviously near to be fairly near the front because once you turn off here, they do get narrow and bumpy its good to be in the first 15 or 20 but you have plenty of time here to have a breather and let the legs turn over before the serious stuff starts". As for later laps and what he expects to happen here, Julian isn't sure that it would be a wise place to attack here and he expects there may be a headwind on this section which is fairly exposed.

At point 5 on the map, the field turns off the main road and into the lanes heading for Wentwood. Here the road is just a little wider than single track, two cars can get by each other but its tight and the road surface also starts to get a bit bumpy in places. Because of this, Julian says "Its wise to stay near the front even though its not too bad. Once you're on the climb, its pretty narrow road. I've ridden around it and its once of those surfaces that can zap you with the bumps and everything." With all this in mind, comimg into the village Llanvair Discoed, Julian feels the best place to be is top 10, top 15, which means that for those intending not to be caught out any further back, there may well be a dog fight on the A48 to get position, where riders may use a lot of energy just to get position for the climb.

"I don't think it will be so bad on the first lap" he explains but he is mindful that with such a large group, it would only take a fall or a split when the hammer goes down, for a rider at the back to lose the race very early on. After coming into the village of Llanvair Discoed, the field turns right and that's where you see the sign that says 14% and you know the climb is coming as you race by the Woolands bar and restauraunt. "If its a strung out here, you could be chasing your tale" Julian says.

Its only a short climb, perhaps only a few hundred metres. "I think its quite tough" Julian says of it. "A 39x21 type of climb. The first time, you're not going to be too worried about it, and it levels off afterwards." After that the climb varies. Its not steep all the way up but nor is it a gradual drag. SO I asked Julian what makes this a tough climb bearing in mind this road goes up (and down a little) for 3 miles before they reach the top at Wentwood.

"Because the gradient changes all the time, its difficult to get into the right gear and get the right rhythm." As we hit a gradual 'dragy' section of the climb, Julian says "this is the part where races can often be made. Everyone fears the big steep parts but on those everyone knows what's coming up and these are the parts if you have strength, you can really damage a field, especially if the sun is bearing down and it gets to you. Bearing in mind though, there is a long way to go and you still have the finishing circuits."

But after the drag, come a number of other "steps", steeper sections where Julian feels you'll want your 23 again. After the 2nd of the steps, it levels off as the races travels by the reservoir on the left where the riders get a little breather. Describing this section, Julian says "as you go past the house being built on the right, you start the climb proper, which is the Wentwood climb. Even though we have been climbing, this is where the Wentwood climb starts. Its not steep but there is still a little way to get to the top. Not overly hard but its the race that makes it hard.

Talking about how it will effect the field, Julian says, "the course likes this will make the selection for you rather than you having to attack all the time." To spice things up, there will be a prime with points awarded to the first six riders at the top of the three mile Wentwood climb to go towards the overall points competition (outside of the British Championship).

The climb up to Wentwood is narrow and the gradient varies

It may not be there, but the burnt out car is close to the top of the climb

DESCENT

"Its very fast" says Julian talking about a descent that in parts is 1 in 6. "I came down here the other day and was doing 80-85kph and its one of those descents you have to be wary of because even though the corners in the main aren't sharp, you can carried away and drift out on them. And if its rains, it will be a bit of 'fun' in the wet. I don't think you have to risk anything on the descent because you're not going to really gain anything by going down here kamikaze."

Asked how his Opera bike felt on the descent, he explained that "the surface isn't too bad. I like to think I can descend fairly well and at the bottom part, I like to think you can left the brakes go." The riders continue to descend for a few miles before they get to a sharp left, a turn that comes back on it self while still descending as the field makes the turn towards Llantrisant and Tredunock. The road here continues to go ever downwards before flattening out and as before, the roads, are still on the narrow side. Your typical "lanes" that many of the riders use for training. After a few miles, the race turn right towards Tredunock and over a narrow bridge with what Julian says is quite a nice pub at the end of it!

The riders though won't get much of a chance for a drink here as there is a shortish climb after the pub which Julian says riders will need to be wary of and shortly after that, you come to the main road between Usk-Caerleon. One of the most noticable landmarks here is the CWRTIUM Spa Treatment centre on the right as the road rolls along into Caerleon. Julian says that again, the drags on this road, especially on the third lap after 60 or 70 miles, could well see a split. "It doesn't look much when you're rolling around but it could zap the legs if the pressure is on."

I put it too Julian that may be this is a section where there could be a regrouping but Julian feels that its also a section where the gaps will open but as he says, anything can happen in a race. His reason of feeling gaps will open is that the road is quite twisty and a group that is out of sight is out of mind. A break may only have 20 seconds but because they are out of sight, the chasers will be thinking they are miles up the road.

As the race enters the ancient Roman town of Caerleon, it goes into a one-way system and the streets past the castle are quite narrow. With Belmont Hill approaching quickly now, Julian says riders will be getting a little twitchy to stay near the front. After the castle and the one way system, the race turns left after the bridge and the riders are on Belmont Hill. This is the climb that for me had "pain" written all over it as the field winds its way up what is around a half a mile climb past the Kings Arms.

Describing the climb, Julian says "I wouldn't describe it as a power climb. From the bend after the pub onwards, its quite a sapper when you think you have to come up here quite a few times (10), it will sort the men out from the boys." Asked whether he feels this type of steep climb will suit him, Julian cautiously says "it will if I'm going well. Its perfect for me if I'm going well but I have to be cautious what I'm saying because of the number of times going up it. Its one thing going up it once..."

After the riders crest the hill on the big lap, they go left down the Cat Ash Road again where they started the race and do it all over again for two more laps (mens race, women only do it once more). Then after the 3rd lap, they follow the road around to the right and down to the A48 where they turn left and then after a short distance, turn left again into the Resort. This entails a short burst up hill before it flattens out and then a steeper, longer section up to the hotel past the conference centre. This will be a perfect position for those wanting to be entertained as there is sure to be lots of action from those riders still left in the race at this point. The men will do 7 finishing laps and the women 3.

Right: The roads through the Celtic Manor Resort have speed bumps (pictured) which have been 'flattened' out especially for the race by Celtic Manor.

Through the finish area, turn right and out onto the finishing circuit. Before I went around this, I left Julian at his car so he could get home to see how the house he is having built is going, and I took a peak at where the race may well be won and lost.

The riders travel down Cat Ash road before turning left and up a shortish climb (see picture below) that runs alongside the motorway (M4) before it descends rather quickly. The road here is very narrow, single car width but by this time, the groups should be quite small. At the bottom of the descent there is a sweeping left hander as the riders travel under the motorway and onwards down a long, narrow road, the notorious Bulmore Road (picture below), a narrow, undulating road with an energy sapping rough surface. Then its Belmont Hill again! Ouch... Around to the right after Belmont to descend (over the motorway) to a left turn at the A48 (there's a Londis shop on the intersection). Alap of 8 miles and one the men have to do seven times!

As Julian says "Its a tough circuit and there will be no lucky winner" adding that luck will play a part however because those that puncture, may lose the race due to the narrow roads even though it is expected he says that a motorbike with wheels will be part of support.

See you at Celtic Manor!