Plan now for the visit of Le Tour
The drama, excitement and spectacle of the Tour de France is coming to Cambridge and the county on Monday 7 July, as the third stage of this year’s tour begins in the city.
Cambridge City map
There will be lots going on in the build up to the race and on the day itself. This leaflet aims to help you plan ahead for what is sure to be a day like no other.
Round Church
About With a global TV audience of 3.5 billion, the Tour de France is the world’s largest annual sporting event. Stages 1 and 2 of this year’s event will take place in Yorkshire, before Stage 3 begins by Parker’s Piece (Cambridge). The Peloton will then ride through the historic city centre via Regent Street and Sidney Street before turning left at the Round Church. The riders will then travel past the world famous colleges of St John’s, Trinity and King’s as they cycle along King’s Parade and Trumpington Street before leaving the city via the A1134. The Peloton will then race through to Saffron Walden via the A1301 taking in the beautiful villages in the south of the county including Great Shelford, Hinxton and Ickleton.
King’s College
After the Tour leaves Cambridgeshire, it travels through Essex towards London to finish on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace.
Parker’s Piece
Given the size of the event and the anticipated number of spectators, we expect the roads, trains and buses will be very busy before and during the event, so we suggest you plan your journeys and business around the area in advance.
Route and Road Closure Information With such a large scale event, it is a requirement of the Tour de France that a number of roads in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire will be closed or affected on the day (for all vehicles including cycles) as preparations are made to host the race. Please study the maps to see how the changes will impact on your normal day. These maps are also available to download at: www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/letourstage3. Road specific closures: Roads closed: From Sunday 6 July – 5.30pm
Key Pedestrian Route Crossing Points Tour de France Race Route (closed roads)
Regent Terrace, Gonville Place and Parkside
Closed Roads
Roads closed: From Monday 7 July – 4am Regent Street, St Andrew’s Street, Sidney Street, Bridge Street, Magdalene Street, Short Street, King’s Parade and Trumpington Street, Park Terrace, Parker Street, Emmanuel Road, Victoria Avenue, Drummer Street and Emmanuel Street. Roads closed: From Monday 7 July – 7am Trumpington Road, Jesus Lane, Lensfield Road, Hills Road (between Regent Street and Station Road) and the A1301 will be closed. Directly affected roads The roads marked in orange on the map will be directly affected by the event, please check the maps online for detailed information. Vehicles will not be able to cross the route while the road closures are in place, though local access will be maintained for as long as possible. Access for emergency vehicles will be maintained at all times and pedestrian access to properties will not be affected. Pedestrians can walk on the footpaths of roads that are closed although these may be barriered and busy. There will also be stewarded crossing points for pedestrians to cross the route. Road re-opening The road closures will remain in place until 3pm when a phased re-opening will begin, with the last roads in the heart of Cambridge expected to open by 6pm.
Directly Affected Roads
Public Transport Trains The trains are expected to run to a normal timetable with operators looking to add extra carriages to their existing trains. Please check with your train operator or visit www.nationalrail.co.uk. Buses Given the size of the event and the road closures in the city centre, Drummer Street bus station will be inaccessible. To ensure bus services can continue, a bus hub will be created at the railway station in the south of Cambridge and in the north buses will be stopping at Maids Causeway, in Mitcham’s Corner area and at Queen’s Road. The bus operators are looking to run services as close to the normal timetable as possible – this includes normal start times for Park and Ride services but they are conscious that demand for buses will be high. All the details of the changes are available online and via the bus operators.
South Cambridgeshire map
Round Church Cambridge
Jesus Lane
Newmarket Road
Other services affected
Queen’s Road
Schools Grantchester
Mill Road Gonville Place
King’s M11 College
Fen Causeway
Hill’s Road
Trumpington Road
Emergency Services
Great Shelford
Parker’s Piece
Harston
Schools and Academies have been considering the implications of this event on the services they provide and they will be contacting those parents/carers to confirm whether they intend to remain open or closed on the day. Please check with your place of study for details. Affected schools will also be posted on www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/letourstage3. Emergency services and health and social care organisations have been preparing for the Tour de France to make sure people still receive the help they need. Your care provider will inform you of any changed arrangements. If you have any concerns about the welfare of yourself or others as a result of the disruptions please contact your service provider. If you have a medical or dental appointment we advise confirming in advance with your practice. Businesses
Sawston
The Tour de France will have a significant impact on transport throughout the region on Monday 7 July so please plan for potential disruption to your business from the ability to accept deliveries to fire evacuation procedures and access arrangements for your staff and customers.
tention! Tour Whittlesford
Key Key
Pedestrian Route Crossing Points Tour de France Race Route (closed roads)
A505
To manage the impact of the race, many companies and organisations are using their business contingency plans for severe weather days in order to arrange for flexible staffing or home working where appropriate.
Duxford
A11
Closed Roads
Directly Affected Roads
Parking Cars
The car parks in Cambridge will be very busy with three multi-storey car parks specifically affected: •
Park Street will be an entry-only car park until 7am. Any cars parked there after that time can only exit once the road closure is lifted.
•
Grand Arcade car park – Lensfield Road will close at 7am. Access to Grand Arcade car park can be managed via Tennis Court Road until 7am. Any cars parked there after that time can only exit once the road closure is lifted (approximately 6pm).
•
The Queen Anne Terrace car park will be inaccessible to the public.
Normal charges for Park Street and Grand Arcade will apply during this time. Cars will not be able to park on roads along or near the route. Grafton East and West car parks will be open as normal but are expected to be busy.
Please note that advertising on ‘A Boards’ is not permitted and we request that chairs and tables are not put outside businesses along the route on the day of the race to keep pavements clear and safe. Use of the Tour de France brand or logo to promote your business is not permitted. Unauthorised street traders are also not permitted.
Watching
The Tour de France is the biggest free sporting event in the world and in an average year will attract around 12 million spectators to the roadside. You can watch the race from anywhere along the route and we anticipate Cambridge city centre will be very busy very early. If you intend to travel into the city on race day, we encourage you to plan ahead and to think about what time you will travel and whether you will use public transport, cycle or walk. The race starts at approximately 12.15pm on Gonville Place but there will be activity on Parker’s Piece from 8.30am where as part of the ‘Big Weekend’ there will be a Cycling Village, French Market and big screen to show the race as it unfolds on the way to London. In addition Cambridge Arts Picturehouse are also planning on screening the race along with some cycling related short films. Please see the cinema’s own website for details. Ahead of the race there will be a carnival procession which will begin at about 10.15am. The procession will follow the race route and takes about 45 minutes during which sponsors and supporters will be handing out a whole host of race related goodies to spectators.
Our recommendations: 1.
Plan your vantage point carefully to minimise the need for travel.
2.
Do use public transport, walk or cycle to travel across the city to avoid using your car.
3.
Plan your journey ahead and anticipate delays, whether going to work or to watch the race.
4.
Be proactive about making sure people you know who are affected are aware of the impact on them such as elderly neighbours, business suppliers and customers.
5.
Check the local weather forecast and come prepared.
6.
You may be standing in position for a long time so bring a bottle of water and food. Please take your rubbish home with you.
7.
Don’t get too close to the moving convoy or obstruct its path.
8.
Keep dogs on leads and children close by.
9.
Lost children are encouraged to approach a steward or Police Officer for assistance.
10. Please be considerate when standing near to private property and be mindful of residents/businesses requiring access to their property.
I have a disability/mobility issue. Where can I watch? Due to the high volume of people expected at the race, anyone with mobility issues may find it challenging to get safely to some parts of the course. Plans for viewing areas for people with disabilities are currently being developed and when available will be published on: www.cambridge.gov.uk/le-tour-cambridge. A large scale print version of this document is available on request please email enquires@cambridge.gov.uk.
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Websites www.letourcambridge.com www.cambridge.gov.uk/le-tour-cambridge www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/letourstage3 This leaflet is created by Cambridge City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council.