A grand weekend in Lincoln
It’s one of the biggest events in British Cycling’s calendar and a chance to show off the city – AMELIA COSGROVE assesses Lincoln Grand Prix weekend from a visitor’s perspective.
Come for the race, stay for the city
The walk up Steep Hill is part of daily life in Lincoln; Michaelgate, those famous cobbles, is just a street. But Grand Prix weekend strips that familiarity away. The road closes. Barriers go up. A climb I walk without thinking becomes a focal point of one of Britain's most prestigious cycle races that’s been running continually since 1956 with one break for Covid and is celebrating its 70th anniversary this weekend.
Suddenly, I’m seeing it the way visitors do; humbling and exhilarating.
The Lincoln GP Supportive
It starts this Saturday, May 9 when around 800 amateur cyclists take part in the Grand Prix Sportive. It takes riders through the scenic serenity of the Lincolnshire Wolds, before returning to tackle Michaelgate, finishing in Castle Square. It’s a proper curtain-raiser – and if you position yourself on the hill to watch, you’ll already understand why this climb has mythic status – the gradient is savage, the cobbles are unforgiving, and yet, the crowd is absolutely delighted at both. Consider it a warmup – for the city as much as the cyclists.
Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix
Sunday, May10 is the main event. Three hundred professional cyclists take on a brutal circuit through the heartbeat of the medieval city - 13-laps for the men, 8-laps for the women – with up to 5,000 spectators packing the narrow streets, cheering in awe.
Where to watch
Michaelgate is the obvious choice and the right one - nowhere else do you get the gothic streets, crowd noise, and cathedral backdrop in one frame. Castle Square, the Bailgate area, Burton Village, Saxilby Road and Long Leys Road all offer strong vantage points too. Wherever you plant yourself, get there early. This city fills up fast on race weekend, and for good reason.
Eat, drink, explore
Every year, the city fills in around the circuit, cafe tables spilling further onto pavements than usual, pubs earlier and louder than a typical Sunday. The Cathedral Quarter alone – that beautiful tangle of independent shops, bakeries, delis and pubs climbing the hill toward one of the finest cathedrals – could fill a weekend on its own. The Grand Prix just gives you the perfect reason to finally work through it properly.
Start with coffee. Pass by Vines Bakery for pastries and flat whites; Stokes at the Lawn to sit and people watch; One Castle Hill, sitting right in the heart of the action with tables facing the castle gates – arrive early on race day and you’ll have one of the best seats in Lincoln for your morning beverage of choice.
For race day food – the kind you can eat standing at the barriers – grab one of Slow Rises seasonal pizzas, or a focaccia sandwich from Nonna Juana’s. The Cheese Society, just off the Strait for local produce and a proper counter you'll stand drooling over. And just over the road, the White Horse, opening its doors from 9am for race day breakfast baps, with award winning roasts, garden kitchen bites, cold pints and frozen margaritas flowing from 11am.
For pubs, the Cathedral Quarter is your new best friend. The Lion & Snake, The White Hart, and Magna Carta sit at the top of the Steep Hill if you want to be a part of the rowdy action. The Duke William on the Bailgate is where you want to be for a post-race pint; locals have been doing exactly that for years. Then the Prince of Wales beside the Castle – all good options and a good atmosphere.
For everyone, not just cycling fans
What I notice most, living here, is who turns up. Cycling fans, sure – but also people who couldn't name a single professional cyclist and absolutely do not care, Families who've found a spot on the hill and made a day of it.
Regulars from the Bailgate pubs who've relocated their usual Sunday session to the pavement. Visitors who came for the cathedral but found themselves, three hours later, inexplicably cheering strangers up a cobbled hill at a considerable volume.