Hi everyone,
As you may have already seen in today's club newsletter (thanks, Bill), I'm organising a couple of trips and I would like to share a few more details with my C&CCC clubmates. Both trips are ones I’ve organised before and may be familiar, albeit I wasn’t a member of C&CCC when they last happened. Both trips are voluntary endeavours on my part and the prices cover costs.
One trip is to the Cyclo-Cross World Championships in February 2023. It may seem too far away, yet only 15 places remain. Read on for details. Partners, friends (even friends in other clubs!) are welcome.
If you want to experience cyclo-cross at its very best, a World Championships in Belgium or the Netherlands is the way to do it. It’s an epic experience. Hoogerheide is the regular location of the GP Adrie van der Poel (Mathieu’s dad). I can’t imagine Mathieu not being there if he's fit and well.
The Hoogerheide Worlds will include six races (three on Saturday, three on Sunday). There may be a seventh race if the team relay race, held as a test event at the 2022 Worlds in Fayetteville, USA, is repeated.
Our private coach will depart from Swindon on Friday 3rd February around 06.00 and will travel via the Channel Tunnel (to save time and avoid any delays due to bad weather).
Three nights on a bed and breakfast basis at the Fletcher Wellness-Hotel Stadspark in Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands, in mainly twin-bedded rooms. Some double and single rooms are available. The hotel is approximately five miles from the race venue, so a very convenient short coach trip there and back, and maybe even the odd team staying there.
Hotel: https://www.fletcherstadsparkhotel.nl/en/
Event website, including tickets: not yet launched (or I’ve not found it)
Itinerary / included:
• Friday 3rd February 2023: coach departs from Swindon around 06.00 (time will be confirmed nearer the time). Travels along M4, M25, M26, M20 with agreed pick-ups along the way. Take the train from Folkestone through the Channel Tunnel. Continue our journey on the coach to Bergen op Zoom. Spend three nights on a bed and breakfast basis at the Fletcher Wellness-Hotel Stadspark.
• Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th February: coach travel from the hotel to the race and back. Race entry tickets are purchased separately.
• Monday 6th February: drive to Calais for the return train crossing from Calais to Folkestone. A hypermarket stop should be possible but will depend on our progress. Continue the return journey back to Swindon, with agreed drop off points. Expecting to arrive in Swindon early evening.
Note: if the team relay race is confirmed, it seems likely that it will take place on Friday afternoon. If possible, the itinerary on Friday 3rd February will be adjusted to enable us to go to the race before going to the hotel. This will likely involve an earlier start.
The price per person for this three-night itinerary will depend on the final number of passengers going on the trip, as follows:
Minimum 25 persons £360
Minimum 30 persons £330
Minimum 35 persons £315
Minimum 40 persons £295
Minimum 45 persons £285 - we're already at this price point
Minimum 50 persons £275
Single room supplement is £99
If you wish to book a place, I must ask that you do so on the understanding the final price could be up to £360 per person. I fully expect it to be much less. Previous trips have been full, or close to full, bringing the price down significantly. There are already 45 places booked and I’m expecting to fill the coach.
I will advise the total price by the end of October 2022 when the balance for the trip falls due. If the price falls after final balances have been paid, as has been the case in the past, you will receive a refund of the difference.
Children are very welcome to come along and enjoy the trip. Any persons under 18 must be with a parent or responsible adult.
If you wish to book, please email me at CyclingEvent@outlook.com and I’ll send you a booking form and details of how to pay your deposit. Any questions, please drop me an email or reply below.
Cheers,
Mark
Morning all. I am finalising the bookings soon and wanted to see if anyone is tempted before I do. It is £275 per person for all travel and three nights B&B in a hotel in the Netherlands. Full details earlier in this post. I have one twin room and one single room available.
Mark
If anyone is more tempted by this trip now that it's a bit nearer, I have just five twin rooms remaining. Something has spurred on people to make a number of bookings in the last week or so. Maybe it's the prospect of seeing Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, defending World Champion Tom Pidcock, Marianne Vos, Lucinda Brand, Silvia Persico, Zoe Backstedt and Evie Richards back in the mud. Quite a prospect!
The event website is up and running here: https://wkhoogerheide2023.nl/en/
It‘a great to have some C&CCCers already signed-up. There are still a few places left in twin rooms if you’re tempted.