The World Cycling Championships 2003

 Oct 7th - 12th 2003

(sorry no logo the apparatchiks running their office said no!)

Tuesday Pictures (Men under 23)

                           

Wednesday pictures Elite Women TT

               

Thursday pictures - Elite Men TT

     

Friday Pictures

                   

Weekend Pictures (taken with a real film camera!)

Womens' Elite - Saturday

                                           

Mens' Elite

                                                           

         

Web Site

The Hamilton World's web site is looking pretty good - great opening flash  www.hamilton2003.com  Results posted

Ride Report on World's Course Sept 27th 2003

The city has done a generally good job on road surfaces in preparation for the World's. Right now you can barely see city hall or the School Board buildings for stands scaffolding.

I took a leisurely ride around the course today to get a bike view on the condition and a race perspective on the grades .

Queen St and Beckett Drive are smooth as silk with new black surface. Beckett strikes me as the heavier grade of the two hills - probably around 10% for the most part.

Fennell has not been resurfaced and has the annoying horizontal cracks at 5-10 metre intervals - no hazard involved but we all know how irritating these can be. Ditto Upper James till one gets to the Clairmont.

Once the Clairmont turns north near its foot the surface is once again a bit bumpy and I image more of the same on Main. The Clairmont itself both down and up is excellent. The flyover to 5th Ave which was a sea of potholes last winter has generally been cleaned up but there are still cracks (see picture) though these will pose no hazard.

Riders admittedly going uphill may find the multi lane climb shrinking to two then one lane with a narrow U-turn at the top of the flyover to take them onto w 5th and the steep descent onto James S. - a fight for space?

The Courses

The courses have been mapped and can be viewed at the official web site http://www.hamilton2003.com The web site is up but currently only contains 3 maps. One on our front page from the Nationals is simpler!

The road course starts at City Hall on Main St E and proceeds west to Queen St where it turns south to the Mountain Brow and up the 1st ascent an approx 1.5 km hill ascending 150 metres on Beckett Drive to Garth St from which it quickly turns onto Fennell Ave over to Upper James (all flat). The course then turns north on Upper James  back to the brow and down the Claremont Access onto Victoria Ave to Main St which it uses for one block turning south again at Wellington onto the Claremont Access back up the Mountain approx 2.5 km where the route flies over the James Mountain Rd , loops round back onto 5th Ave and down James Mtn Rd a sharp swift drop of about 75 metres onto James St South to Main St E and back past City Hall.

Neither climb represents a severe grade - probably 3-7 % on Beckett Drive and 5% on Claremont. The James Mtn descent however is closer to 10%. Length of the course is  12.4km. On other hand the race itself will add up to 3,000 metres or more when you add up the laps.

The long time trial course uses the same route but when it tops the mountain Brow at Garth it swings west onto Scenic Drive till it joins Mohawk Rd on which it travels east to Garth which it uses to get back onto the road race course - a 20.8km loop. Certainly not flat though Scenic Drive addition only has a slight grade as it swings south to join Mohawk. Scenic Drive has quite a few bends none that severe.

Mouse over the pictures to see text. Click to enlarge.

Road Section

These pictures were taken spring 2003. Course in much better shape now!

35mm camera

Digital Camera

Time Trial Section

Spectator Locations

There will be grandstands at City Hall and the top of the Claremont with tickets selling for $75 and $150. Latter reserves YOUR seat for the whole week. Tickets going fast as at Oct 7th weekend almost sold out.  Most of the course has ample sidewalk or park areas - except the hills! Both the Beckett Drive climb and the Clairemont Access ascent/descents have no room for spectators. The James Mtn Hill descent might be viewed from a small residential street which overlooks it.

Grandstands

Seating is good but big screens are hard to see in bright sunlight and poor resolution. As at Tuesday 7th the booths selling stuff or displays were relatively few and none too exciting. Haven't found the food court yet - but lots of restaurants and bars within easy walking distance.

Entertainment

Lots of action over on Ferguson St. Most bars in town are featuring special acts etc. The 6 Nations are putting on a big display in Bayfront Park.

Access/Transport

By Bike

There will be secure bike parking in a fenced area  at Jackson Sq near the start/finish & Mohawk College.  - so you can ride to the event. Riding to various vantage points will be difficult as all but the Sherman Cut mountain access are closed to normal traffic. The city has an excellent bike route map which will be available at information booths.

By Car

You can drive to Hamilton but do not expect to get anywhere near to the course. Instead there are 4 parking locations on the perimeter of the city from whence you can travel to the race by shuttle bus for $10. That is both ways and includes shuttles to various vantage points on the course.

By Go Transit

Go Transit will be running buses from Toronto all week as they usually do. Believe there will be extra buses. For the weekend the Go train will be extending some of its trains that terminate in Oakville all the way out to Hamilton. Train/bus station is within short walk distance of the start/finish

HSR

Hamilton city buses will be running as normal but will be detouring somewhat to avoid crossing the course. Mountain access will be as per normal for most via the Jolly Cut (which is otherwise closed to cars etc)

Accommodation

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