At the Bike Race


A project focussed on the people that make bike racing.

Marshalling at the Buxton Mountain Time Trial in Longnor, Derbyshire. The Buxton MTT is an iconic early season time trial, consisting of two or three laps around the hills surrounding the picturesque village of Longnor. Traditionally held on Good Friday, it relies on the willingness of volunteers to sacrifice part of their Easter weekend to help make the race happen. Pictured: Pat Holborn

A young helper rings the bell to indicate the last lap at the Manchester Wheelers cyclocross race in Heaton Park, Manchester.

Spectators at the Kelham Island Urban Cyclocross race in Sheffield. A unique race in an industrial setting held in 2017 & 2018, the support of organisers, riders and spectators wasn't enough to keep the race going due to venue hire fees.

Helpers await the start of the Manchester Wheelers' Tommy Barlow Memorial Time Trial in Warslow, Cheshire. Masks betray the looming threat of Covid-19 while a sign reminds competitors of the potential dangers of racing, with the graveyard of The Church of St Lawrence providing additional reinforcement of these risks. The event perpetuates the memory of a past president and long serving Manchester Wheeler, who joined the club in 1913 and died in 1981. L-R: Nick Green, Mavis Ross, Ian Ross.

Local cyclocross races attract hundreds of racers. With multiple laps and the persistent risk of competitors being lapped by quicker riders, the races traditionally rely on helpers positioned at the finish line to keep track of who is where in the race. This involves one helper shouting out race numbers as the riders pass and the other helper writing them down.

"Which number was that?". Helpers try to identify increasingly mud-spattered racers at the Manchester Wheelers cyclocross race in Heaton Park, Manchester

With the advent of timing chips, the emphasis of post-race results wrangling has shifted from deciphering a scribbled list of numbers to reviewing the output of the finish line sensors.

Stop the Clock. Many cycling clubs around the country will hold weekly club time trials on Summer evenings. In addition to marshals to direct the competitors, timekeeping is a vital role to provide the racers with their finishing time, with many riders competing against themselves week-on-week to better their times. Pictured: Holly Carter of Mancheser Wheelers keeps time at the club's weekly 10 mile time trial in Chelford, Cheshire.

A marshal also performs the role of cheerleader at the Salford Cyclocross race in Buile Hill Park, Salford. Part of the Northwest Cyclocross league, the events rely on numerous helpers to set out and marshal the courses, particularly when held in busy urban parks.

Cycling events, including the 2019 World Championships, often rely on the financial support of local councils. For larger events the authorities will typically be hoping that the revenue generated for local businesses will be more than worth the investment.

The Fixer. With miles of tape marking out the course, marshalling at a cyclocross race can be a constant battle to keep the riders on track. Pictured: Charles Dennison of Manchester Wheelers.

Proper Volunteer. A helper at the World Championships in Yorkshire sports clothing playing on the words of one of the county's tea brands. Northallerton, North Yorkshire, 2019.

Home Town Glory. When the Cycling World Championships came to Harrogate in 2019, the locals were divided between those disliking the disruption of the event and those embracing the festivity. This resident had welcomed a group of Belgian fans onto her driveway and celebrated the occasion with balloons and pom-poms in the colours of the UCI and by dancing with the Dutch spectators.

Home County Glory. Lizzie Armitstead enjoys the support of local fans as she competes in the 2019 World Championships. The support wasn't enough to help her catch the winner Annemiek van Vlueten who put in an extraordinary performance to ride to victory in a solo break from 100km.

Spectators create a festival atmosphere on the slopes of Whinlatter Pass, site of the team time trial in the 2018 Tour of Britain.

A View from the Finishing Truck. Positioned at the finish line of the final stage of the 2019 Tour of Britain on Deansgate, Manchester, the finishing officials have the perfect view of Mattieu van der Poel's victory.

At the Sign-On. Chris Lockyer of the Manchester Wheelers mans the sign-on desk at the club's annual hill climb event. Club events are typically enter-on-the-line events, meaning that competitors register on the day rather than pre-entering, meaning that signing everyone on can be a particularly busy time for popular events.

Post-race maths can be a tricky time, with competitors anxious to find out their times and results needing to be announced. This is further exacerbated when events are run with 30-second start intervals rather than the standard 1 minute, with more competitors finishing in close succession and subtraction of start times from finish times being a less straightforward calculation. Here Dan Robinson does a last minute check of his sums at the Manchester Wheelers hill climb before announcing the results.

Competitors review their times in the gathering gloom of a late Summer evening after the Manchester Wheelers' hill climb.

Set phasers to inspire. A young fan attends the start of the final stage of the 2019 Tour of Britain in Altrincham, Cheshire.