Halfords Tour Series - Canary Wharf - 16 June 2011

Best options are:

• Park at canada square
  Its got lawn and a bar which will probably be rammed. Its in the centre of the course so people would need to enter by crossing the DLR footbridge over the course. Its up a couple or flights of stairs

• Cabot square
  Accessible the same way, but on the other side of 1 Canada Square. Workers were assembling what looked like a band stage beside the fountain this morning.

• Walkway beside Credit Suisse
  Has the closest pub to the course, and the Cat and Canary close by too

• Tramp beers
  Quite a few options. Probably the bese one is at the parts of the course accessible from the entry to the wharf off Westferry circus.

Refresh fail.

Teens little stimpy map is the park... Need to cross in via DLR footbridge. One of the few bits of lawn.

Maybe Pink's idea is best then, at least people can congregate easily then come/go as they please... Stimpy's gone walkies...

Yeah, I was thinking that spot. Its right out the front of Credit Suisse. They're gonna have to close that road, eh?

Still too early, Joe?

Who we cheering for? I was thinking Rapha Condor Sharp, who are nice, but a bit pricey.

Maybe Pendragon Le Col Colnago? They have, by far, the best name. Followed by Motorpoint Marshalls Pasta.

Cheering? I'll be casually tossing banana skins over my shoulder as riders approach...

I work just round the corner, so I'll be along. What sort of time is everybody getting there?

I don't think Buffalo Bill's coming...

Looks like a good one, even if that circuit is probably the dullest to race around, ever. :)

I'll be down, bikeless, but cycle parking at Canary Wharf is so poor that might not be a bad thing. I wonder what they'll make of a typical forum bike pile?

Hey. I work on West India Dock so will be along to join you about 5.30. I'll have a quick recce (& Tesco beer run) at lunch to see what's getting barriered - Stimpy's current position looks right to me (nice & nearby too!).

I've just been over, there are barriers along the sides of the road but Stimpy looks accessible still.

Keep an eye on Stimpy...

Entertainment at Canary Wharf gets underway at 4pm, including pop classics sung by the London Community Gospel Choir, the Solid Steel Ambassadors steel drum band and cheerleaders from Pineapple Studios.

The Canary Wharf Corporate Grand Prix takes place at 6pm, and sees teams from some of London’s leading companies, anchored by professionals, racing around the famous business and shopping district, before the elite Halfords Tour Series race begins at 7pm.
So there's racing from 6pm, which maybe means no access inside the circuit from quite early this afternoon then?

I'm gonna do a few laps of the course at lunchtime... It's quite a tricky technical circuit...

There are four pretty nasty corners, one's got a manhole cover right on the apex... Lethal...

The centre is probably for corporate entertainment.

You can get us in, right Clive? You've been on TV.

Well, that wasn't exactly corporate entertainment. And as Clive works in the reinsurance industry, he'd probably just make a lot of types in the enclosure feel very guilty. :)

I was on Magpie once... And Blue Peter... And Screen Test... I'll call Michael Rodd...

I met Michael Rodd, he hosted a company all hands meeting once. Nice fella, was a bit peeved that we all wanted to talk about Screen Test rather than Tomorrows World though.

Dude, I want to be so close my favourite riders from Motorpoint Marshalls Pasta can hear my cheer them on.

Apparently the riders in the corporate race at 6pm have to ride disk brake/flat bar Boardman hybrids they've all been given...

Never seen that at a race in one of London's financial districts before.