Vintage BRM racing car to feature at cycle festival

A vintage racing car is to lead off both men’s and women’s elite cycle races at this weekend’s Bourne CiCLE Festival.

Harking back to Bourne’s glittering Formula One heritage, the car will be a Marlboro BRM P160 V12 similar to that driven by French driver Jean Pierre Beltoise to win the 1972 Monaco Grand Prix. 

It was driven by Clay Regazzoni, Henri Pescarolo and Howden Ganley, whose name the car carries.

Bourne specialist vehicle repairer and conservator Hall and Hall is supplying the car, part of the heritage collection at their Graham Hill Way premises, to lead the elite race pelotons from the start line on West Street.

Final touches are underway for the district’s first major cycling festival (31 August – 1 September), a weekend packed with top road racing action and fun for all the family at The Oldrids and Downtown Event Village on the Wellhead.

Signs are up along the routes, already marked by around 40 yellow bikes, and barriers are ready in the parkland at Grimsthorpe Castle, and for the sprint sections at Folkingham and Corby Glen.

Delaine Buses has also confirmed that two vintage buses from its museum will be on the vehicle exhibition area on South Street Car Park.

“We’re delighted to have this amazing BRM car as part of our cycling weekend,” said Andrew Norman, Head of Visitor Economy at InvestSK, the economic growth and regeneration company of festival organiser South Kesteven District Council.

“Bourne was at one time the Silverstone of its day, and Monaco was the last Grand Prix that BRM won.  It’s great to see Bourne’s four wheeled heritage helping celebrate a new two-wheeled cycling era for the town.”

Parkour freerunners from Britain’s Got Talent are part of a full programme at the Oldrids & Downtown Event Village at The Wellhead, open on both Saturday and Sunday from 10am – 6pm with entertainment, a food market and live music.

Saturday sees the festival’s amateur riders’ sportive,  with some 250 amateur riders taking part, and the elite women’s race, and Sunday starts with a women’s team time trial followed by the men’s race in the afternoon.

West Street will be closed to traffic from 7am on Saturday 31 August to 8pm on Sunday 1 September.

Full details of the road racing, where to watch, times and routes as well as The Wellhead activities are on www.bourneciclefestival.com