The 2012 Lincoln Grand Prix Cycle Race and the Lincoln Grand Prix Sportive have a total economic impact in the city of Lincoln and surrounding area of over £430,000.
The race organisation is pleased to announce the results of the Economic Impact Survey carried out during the weekend of the Lincoln Grand Prix Cycle Race and the Lincoln Grand Prix Sportive events.
The survey was carried out independantly by the Lincolnshire Sports Partnership and British Cycling and consisted of on line submissions and hard copy forms circulated on the day of the race. A separate but similar survey form was circulated to all entrants in the Sportive.
A complete copy of the survey is attached with full information but can be summarised for the Grand Prix as a 4,000 attendance and an average spend per person of £96.10 producing an economic impact of £384,000. The Sportive produced an average spend by the 816 entrants of £59.74 and an impact of £48,748. The Grand Prix figure of 4,000 is derived from an estimated total attendance of 10,000 divided by the average number of positions visited by the respondents at the event.
The majority of the spend was on food and drink and hotels with travel and shopping also major items. A total of 84% of respondents said they had visited Lincoln specifically for the Grand Prix and 98.5% said they would attend the event next year.
The survey also included a participation Impact with a majority of replies saying that based on the event experience they are more likely to take up cycling or cycle more often. Another large majority said they were more likely to attend sport and/or cultural events in the future and a similar number said that they were more likely to encourage their children and immediate family to cycle or cycle more.
The Lincoln Grand Prix is one of the major events on the British Cycling calendar and is Lincoln's largest international sporting event. The 2012 race was the 57th consecutive holding of the race which started in 1956 and has seen most of the favourite names in British cycling in the City. The event attracts 160 top riders to compete over 13 laps of the course for a total distance of 102 miles.
The 2012 event was won by Endura's Russell Downing to equal the record set by Paul Curran of four wins in the race. The average speed for the 102 miles was 26 mph which included 13 climbs of the one in six cobbled Michalegate leading to the finish area in Castle Square. The race is sponsored by The University of Lincoln and Lincoln City Council with added support from Jackson Building Centres, Lindum Group, Pygott and Crone Estate Agents, British Cycling, Impsport, Active Nation, Lincolnshire Sports Partnership, Marshall Land Rover, Audi Lincoln and Lincoln Business Improvement Group.
The event web site www.lincolngrandprix.org.uk is sponsored by The Ellmore Group and contains full reports of the event together with links to the YouTube reports from British Cycling.
The previous day's Lincoln Grand Prix Sportive was held for the second time and attracted a total of 816 entrants to take part in the three distances of 63, 83 and 100 miles starting from the Yarborough Leisure Centre and passing through the Lincolnshire Wolds ending with the climb of Michaelgate to finish in Castle Square. The Sportive is designed at attract all classes of cyclist ranging from the keen club member through to the average leisure cyclist. The event is organised in conjunction with the Grand Prix by ITP events.
Grand Prix Organiser Ian Emmerson said: “We have long believed that the Grand Prix weekend has a major economic benefit to the City and County but this survey confirms this and shows how major sporting events can attract publicity and income to the area. The results of this survey can be even further added to by the number of years that the event has been a major attraction for Lincoln and this will add up to many millions of pounds of economic benefit to the City and its businesses.”
