The 2018 HSBC UK | Spring Cup Series gets underway in Lancashire on Sunday 15 April for the opening round of this year’s competition.
The fourth edition of the Chorley Grand Prix is the first of three rounds in the 2018 series.
About the series
The HSBC UK | Spring Cup Series is a three-round British road race series which runs throughout April and May and sees riders compete across a variety of courses.
The series opens this Sunday with the Chorley Grand Prix before the second round takes place on 29 April at the East Cleveland Klondike.
The final round of the series takes place at the ever-popular Lincoln Grand Prix on Sunday 13 May.
As well as individual honours for riders, teams also aim to come out on top in the team standings.
The course
Riders will take to the Lancashire roads for five laps of a course that features a brutal climb and technical descents.
Over 187 kilometres, the peloton will set off from Chorley at 11am, heading towards the fearsome Rivington Pike, before descending into Belmont and passing the Belmont Reservoir.
The route then heads north towards Abbey Village, passing through Wheelton and Euxton before finishing in Chorley town centre.
What happened last year
Ian Bibby won the Chorley Grand Prix for the second time in his career thanks to a stunning solo charge.
Attacking on the final climb, Bibby’s lead grew further and further in the closing stages as the local hero crossed the line to take a famous win.
Ones to watch
In three years of the Chorley Grand Prix, just two men have taken the win, but the race’s most successful rider will not be competing this weekend.
Ian Bibby is on international duty, representing Team England at the Commonwealth Games in Australia.
The other man to taste victory in Chorley will be among the favourites again this weekend.
JLT Condor’s Edmund Bradbury, winner in 2016, will take to the start line - his team won the overall HSBC UK | Spring Cup Series team standings in 2017.
Last year’s overall series winner Rory Townsend will begin the defence of his crown - the 2017 champion lining up for the newly rebranded Canyon Eisberg team.
Two-time junior world champion Tom Pidcock is among a strong Team Wiggins presence - the 2017 junior cyclo-cross and junior road time trial champion making one of his first appearances on the road for his new team.
How to follow
- Follow the action from the HSBC UK | Spring Cup Series on our live blog from 10.45am on Sunday for race updates, images and social media.
- Follow @BritishCycling on Twitter for updates from both events throughout the racing.
- Video highlights, reports, results, images and reaction will appear on the British Cycling website.
