Hi all, very pleased to announce that the
Wasp Road Race will be returning to the calendar - on the 16th July 2017.
Some background info because I realise this may not mean much to many people: the Wasp was the Ogmore's contribution to the Welsh road race scene from 1985 up until 2011, taking its name from our yellow and black colours plus the traditional 'sting in the tail' uphill finish. For most of its life Mr Tim Raine was in charge and ran the event around the Vale of Glamorgan course (Cowbridge - Ewenni - Llantwit - Cowbridge); when I took the reins in 2007 we moved things around through a combination of necessity and cruelty, culminating in the last finish in 2011 being at the top of the Bwlch above Ogmore Vale.
But already by then, both I and road racing itself were in bad health. I was waiting for radiotherapy and the sport was at a moment of crisis as it tried to adapt to dangerous road conditions and the higher expectations of safety that we all rightly have nowadays; there was no option but for the Wasp to take a break.
Now, thanks largely to the always excellent work of Chris Landon (BBC Wales Sports Volunteer of the Year 2016... #BigThankYou #BehindEveryRace etc) we have a really good safety framework in place and I'm really excited to bring the Wasp Race back to life, and with it mark an important step in my own returning to normal life
One of the major changes that has been made is that the safety requirements for events are now much more prescriptive with all courses being pre-approved. So our course is almost the same as the original - we go from Cowbridge school (Aberthin Rd), through Cowbridge (A4222) and start the lap by climbing the slip road onto the A48. Bear left onto B4524 at the bottom of Crack Hill, through Ewenni, then RIGHT before the new(ish) traffic lights to go around the Ogmore-by-Sea coast road, Southerdown, St Brides, then right again towards Llantwit (B4265). Club 10 course through Wick, then left at the roundabout to go back up to Cowbridge via right turn at Nash Manor. Three full laps of that, then final time join the A48 going towards Cardiff instead, and finish up at Stalling Down by the garage. Which makes 107km, or 66miles in £sd.
map here Regional A event, 2/3/4/J/W. Start 11.00, finish estimated ~13.45. Always good weather, always good racing, that sort of thing.
Much more to follow nearer the time, but I have a very detailed risk assessment that includes diagrams of how every corner needs to be signed, which should in theory make it all very straightforward. I will need 6no static marshals to wave safety flags and put some signs up (three teams of two), 5no drivers (who need to be members of British Cycling) and someone confident with spanners to do neutral service.
