New Cycle Circuit at Stourport

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Cycle Circuit at Stourport

Story posted March 15; by Richard Robotham

Stourport Sports Club Closed Road Circuit and Sports Village
Wyre Forest Cycling Racing Club and British Cycling have teamed up to help secure the necessary funding to build a new closed road Circuit in the grounds of Stourport Sport Club on land owned by Wyre Forest District Council. The venture is well under way and the development team including British Cycling’s Dave Cockram have set out a challenging circuit of just under one mile in length.

The circuit will be finished to a high specification using a top coat covering of tarmac of 10mm aggregate over the 6m wide 1.5km closed road circuit. The layout of the circuit incorporates shallow but long climbs and descents with technical elements as well as flat sections which collectively will test the strength and skills of those using the circuit. The circuit also incorporates two short cuts to allow emergency access across the circuit should the need arise. These short cuts can also be used to form shorter circuits for training and racing over six different combinations of circuit length. These circuits can also be reversed quite safely thus giving future race organisers many different options and combinations for racing.

The works on site are being carried out by Walsh Construction Ltd from Worcester. Their director Jon Bird is clearly passionate about the project and is endeavouring to produce the best cycling facility he can within the project budget and deadlines set by his client. Jon’s passion is driven by the fact that he once raced for Worcester St. John Cycling Club and he wants to be the first to ride the circuit once it is completed.

The grounds are also being used for Rugby Union, Hockey, Athletics with purpose built pitches and tracks. The development incorporates a modern brick built Sports Pavilion with a separate changing facilities and fitness suites. The developers originally hoped to build the Road Circuit at exactly 1 mile, but problems were found within an area of site once used for land fill. The problem would prove to be too expensive to overcome and a compromise was agreed, which regrettably would mean the loss of a Rugby pitch.

The Stourport Sports Club, British Cycling, Wyre Forest CRC and Wyre Forest District Council have all worked together with a common goal of providing first class facilities for the 21st Century. The Stourport Sport Club’s dream is to make the sports village a National venture for sports participation and development. With the way the overall scheme is progressing they certainly could achieve this goal. The closed road circuit is hoped to be completed by the end of March with landscaping being seeded by early April. The Wyre Forrest CRC are already based at the site and will hopefully be using the circuit before the end of the 2010 racing season.

The Stourport Sports Club are confident that this much needed facility will also attract other clubs to use the site such as in-line Skaters, walkers, running as well as hand cycling and other disability sports people.

Photo slideshow of the development

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