Resident & traffic information

Residents may request special vehicle access to the course in between events for unavoidable ingress/egress. Please do this prior to Saturday 24 August via our contact form. Potential gaps for ingress and egress are marked on your traffic information leaflet as ‘yes’ under ‘course access’.

On the day: If you are a resident within the route and you have an unexpected, urgent journey to make that requires vehicle access on the day, please find the nearest course marshal who will help relay your needs to event HQ and we will do our best to help you.

Special requirements

Please contact us directly if you have any questions or special requirements around the event. This may be for medical reasons, accessibility, care, or planned journeys.

The Cambridge Criterium is a major event and it will have traffic measures in place across the City.

We will maintain full access to all pavements on the route and there will be access/exit times for residents on the route who need to travel by car on the day.

Diversions and interactive map

Please click on the button below to see an interactive map with diversion routes, the course, and points of interest.

Event timings with access information

We recognise that sometimes you need to make an expected or unexpected journey during the event, so we’ve built gaps into the event timings that allow you to move a vehicle into or out of the road closures.

Click on a dropdown section below to see more information about what will be happening at that time and where you can access on the route.

  • The event village on Jesus Green will start to take shape and we'll start to restrict access to the course ahead of the Let's Ride.

    If you need to move your vehicle between 9:30-10:00, you'll be able to talk to one of our traffic operatives who will assist you.

  • Hundreds of Cambridge residents and local attendees will be able to enjoy the traffic-free roads. We highly recommend getting involved!

    The route will be closed to traffic during this period

  • The Let's Ride ends at 12:00, so we've built in a window to clear the course and prepare for the next part of the day.

    Residents and businesses will be able to move vehicles in and out of the course with the assistance of a traffic marshal.

  • This is a 40 minute race for amateur women - up to 50 amateur female riders will race on the course.

    The course will be closed during this time.

  • Another gap to make sure the course is clear. High priority businesses and residents may have a small window to access or exit the road closures with the assistance of a traffic operative.

  • This is a 40 minute race for amateur men - up to 100 amateur men will race on the course.

    The course will be closed during this time.

  • The amateur race winners will be presented on the podium in the event village.

    Access to the course will be possible during this time.

  • A parade celebrating all things cycling in Cambridge! Fancy dress cargo bikes, penny farthings, unicycling, BMX - everyone is welcome to bring some colour to the day.

    Access will be possible to Jesus Lane.

  • The elite men will be able to warm up and have sighting laps on the race course.

    Access will be possible to Jesus Lane.

  • The elite men will be introduced to the crowds and gridded at the start finish.

    Access may be given to vehicles during this period alongside a traffic operative. This will be at the discretion of race control.

  • Some of the country's finest riders will race the first-ever Cambridge Criterium! Get involved and cheer them on, or watch live on the big screen or Monument Cycling TV.

    The course will be closed during this time.

  • The elite men's race winners will have media duties to attend to! During this time, the elite women will also complete their sighting laps.

    Access will be possible to Jesus Lane.

  • The elite women will be introduced to the crowds and gridded at the start finish.

    Access may be given to vehicles during this period alongside a traffic operative. This will be at the discretion of race control.

  • Some of the country's finest riders will race the first-ever Cambridge Criterium! Get involved and cheer them on, or watch live on the big screen or Monument Cycling TV.

    The course will be closed during this time.

  • The elite women's race winners will have media duties to attend to!

    Access will be possible to everywhere except Victoria Avenue finish area.

    We will begin re-opening roads.

  • The elite men's podium presentation will take place in the event village!

    The roads will be re-opening to traffic, working from the furthest point (Bridge Street) towards the finish area.

  • The elite women's podium presentation will take place in the event village!

    The roads will be re-opening to traffic, working from the furthest point (Bridge Street) towards the finish area.

  • After the last race, you'll still have some time left to go grab dinner from the Food Park, or relax on Jesus Green in the event village!

We are always working with Cambridge County Council Highways teams, and the City Council to make sure the event runs smoothly.

We appreciate that there will be disruption for some and apologise for any inconvenience caused. As Cambridge locals ourselves, we thank everyone for their support for this event and patience dealing with traffic control measures. Residents, businesses, and community organisations in affected areas will be sent notification letters and contacted directly where possible.


Cambridge Criterium: final traffic information and event guide

The first-ever Cambridge Criterium will take place on Sunday 25 August.

Some of Britain’s best cyclists will take to the roads around Jesus Green to compete for victory as the Cambridge Criterium gets under way.

The first edition of the event also includes a free-to-attend community ride, where residents can ride the same roads the elite riders will race on later in the day.

There will also be an event village on Jesus Green with food vendors, a big screen broadcasting the event, first aid, and sponsor expo.

Owen Lake, event director, said: “Hundreds of locals have already signed up to enjoy the traffic-free roads, and I hope it will give them the opportunity to see the historic streets of Cambridge in a new light, and I’m really proud that we’re bringing some of the country’s top athletes to Cambridge for people to watch compete for free”

The course

The Cambridge Criterium event village is on Jesus Green, and the route is a 2.6km loop on Victoria Avenue, Chesterton Road, Bridge Street, and Jesus Lane.

Access to all pavements will be maintained throughout the day. To ensure a free flow of movement, a short stretch of pavement on Bridge Street will be one way on either side of the road. 

When does the event start?

The event takes place on Sunday 25 August, between 10am and 6pm. The free Let’s Ride runs from 10:00-12:00, followed by women’s and men’s amateur races at 12:20-13:00 and men’s amateur races at 13:10-13:50. 

A short parade of the top riders will run between 14:10-14:30.

The elite men race from 15:00-15:50 and the elite women headline the day, racing between 16:20-17:10.

Travel information - getting to the event

Walking and cycling

If you live in Cambridge and are able, we recommend arriving by foot. This means you won’t need to look for a car or bike parking space.

This will also give you the most flexibility to visit different parts of the route and event village.

By bike

One of the easiest ways to get around Cambridge is on a bike! There will be additional bike parking on Jesus Green for up to 400 bicycles. The easiest way to access the Event Village will be via Victoria Avenue.

Parking

If you’re driving to the event, we recommend you plan your journey with the Park & Ride as the ‘final mile’. Trumpington and Madingley Park & Ride can be accessed directly from the M11, Milton Park & Ride via the A14. 

Park & Ride

Stagecoach are supporting the event by offering 500 codes for 25% off Cambridge Day tickets (both adult and youth), valid from 25-30 August. Code: EACAMCR85Z3DAY

Road closures and diversions

Residents and visitors are warned that there will be road closures around the route. Full diversion signage will be in place around the city centre and on diversion routes.

The following shows which road closures will be in place. Closures are due to run between 04:00-22:00, although the roads will begin to clear as soon as the final event finishes:

Victoria Avenue, both directions

Chesterton Road (between Victoria Avenue & Castle Street) - Westbound

Chesterton Road (between Castle Street & Carlyle Road) - Eastbound

Magdalene Street - both directions

Bridge Street (between Magdalene Street and Jesus Lane) - both directions

Jesus Lane (between Bridge Street and Victoria Avenue) - both directions

Bus services

Bus services will continue to run on the day, but there may be some disruption as stops on the event route will be closed for the duration. Please catch your bus in the city centre if travelling in the north of Cambridge where possible.

Heading out of the city, the buses affected are Service 1 – PR1 - Service 2 – PR5 – Service 8.

The nearest stops after the City Centre are:

Service 1 Gilbert Road

Service 2 Chesterton

Service 4 Storeys Way

Service 8 Carisbrooke Road 

PR5 Milton Road Union Lane.

PR1 will be boarding at Downing Street (where Trumpington P&R also boards) not on St Andrews Street .

The Cambridge City Sightseeing tours will not run on the 25th August all day.