Obviously want to avoid Box Hill as I struggle with large crowds so are there any other climbs with a good view?

Thanks. 🙂

The Star Inn in Dorking has some advantages.

Hills are a bit tricky, tend to be sunken, tree-lined, no pavement affairs. Up to Newlands Corner certainly is. Box is open, but out for reasons that make it good to spectate from! Can’t remember Leith enough to say. Google streetview your way up?

You could make it into a nice mtb ride!

Oh God, its 2nd August isn’t. Think we might go to the Lakes that weekend.
Try the climb to Newlands Corner getting there via Merrow.

Thanks for the suggestions, will take a look on Google maps. 🙂

As a follow up to @aP’s post you can ride into Newlands along the NDW from Guildford (level ride if you start from top of Fort Road/Pewley Hill, unrestricted parking Sunday I recall, goes straight onto Pewley Down, across there with nice views, bridleway to White Lane then up onto NDW to Newlands (cafe, large car park but might be a hassle to park there on the day)

@cg I used to live in Guildford nr Fort Road and ride from there to Newlands all the time, about 20 mins, other options possible with a bit more climbing to Newlands, eg Chantry View Woods car park off Pilgrims Way or park in large public car park near Evelyn Arnaud Theatre in Guildford). If you want a map let me know. If you have the MTB lots of options to get to the Leith Hill climb too. Watch the weather as last year they cut out Leith Hill as it was deemed too dangerous in the wet with the crowds

OS GetaMap/Maps 😉

EDIT: There is some good mtb-ing not far from Newlands if you want a little lap let me know. Kris Cook sadly passed away on the Newlands climb last year, there’s a little memorial to him on the other side of the road to the carp park.

His justgiving page raised over £50k Kris Cook – Woking Hospice

Watch the weather as last year they cut out Leith Hill as it was deemed too dangerous in the wet with the crowds

they cut box hill as well. and having been on that ride it was the right choice. the descending skills on display on the wide open descents was scary enough.

My theory is that it was as much about getting people round in time as the safety. If they were planning on having to pull a couple of hundred* people off the course to clear for the pro race, and it ended up being 5, 10 times that number because of the conditions, and those people are cold, wet, and not dressed or prepared for travelling from there – money etc. Could have been dangerous.

*plucking numbers out of a hat – no clue!

Thanks again all, much to research. 8)

cg I assume you are going to see the pro’s ? Below is a quick video I made at the Olympics just at the top of Box Hill, the riders where back to speed and cranking – just wanted to show that. I guess my point is that there will be very few points on the course where the pros will be going slowly, as the marshall said during 2012 “this is not an Alpine stage, to these riders it’s hardly a hill”

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-fHeeNey94[/video]

Probably Newlands Corner or Box Hill are the best viewing spots. Not much else in the route this time.

I’ll be sulking since I didn’t get in…. again

jam – will take a look later at your vid. It’s actually the boy I want to see and cheer, he got a place through his club draw. 8)

CG understood, mates that did it last year said there was a service stand at Newlands and it was quite busy so there should be a lot going on there.

If want quieter and don’t mind just seeing the pros, I reckon top of Ranmore (Known as Denbies Hillside on NT site)…HERE
Grass banks both sides heading west (and down near St Barnabas church) so easy to find a nice spot. Plus another couple of car parks west of there as well if the one I pointed to is full. I was surprised how quiet it was up there when I nipped up last year.

Having said that, I enjoyed being on Dorking high street…great atmosphere, freebies and entertainment plus not that crowded

Looking at the route it goes along the A25 from Westcott to Dorking, so it doesn’t go up to Ranmore.

I often ride from Merrow Downs up to Newlands and have watched it before doing that. Well briefly then I bog off for some off road fun.

Looking at the route it goes along the A25 from Westcott to Dorking, so it doesn’t go up to Ranmore.

Nope, it does for the Pros in the Classic and they pass not just once but 3 times