Q: Who Organises the Race?
Q: Who Funds the Race?
Q: How Long Has the Race Been in Existence?
Q: How Important is the Race in the Cycling World?
Q: Does "The Girvan" Attract Any Big Names?
Q: Why Girvan?
Q: How Does a Stage Race Work?
Q: Racing on Public Roads - Is It Legal?

Q: Who Organises the Race?
A: Ian Sinclair is the Race Organiser on behalf of Kilmarnock based Wallacehill Cycling Club. He is aided by an organising committee and a small army of volunteer race officials and numerous supporting organisations.

Kilmarnock businessman and Wallacehill Cycling Club member George Miller started it all back in 1968, going on to organise the race for 23 years. In 1991, George handed the reins over to fellow club member (but no relation) David Miller who was at the helm until 2004. In 2005 long standing committee member and former Scottish Cyclists' Union President Ian Sinclair took over the reins. The race has been promoted throughout its history by Kilmarnock based Wallacehill Cycling Club, one of Scotland's most successful clubs.

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Q: Who Funds the Race?
A: The race is run on a not-for-profit basis. In 2006 ScottishPower renewables - world leaders in green energy technology - came on-board as our core sponsor. Other long standing sponsors include Active Office Scotland, The Carrick Gazette and, more recently, Dumfries and Galloway Council. For a full list of our sponsors and supporters visit the Sponsors page on this site. If you, your company or organisation would like to support the race please contact the Race Organiser.

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Q: How Long Has the Race Been in Existence?
A: The Girvan Cycle Race has been held annually over the Easter holiday weekend almost continuously since 1968. The race was not held in 2001 due to the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak and, due to funding problems, was not held in 2002.

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Q: How Important is the Race in the Cycling World?
A: The race, known to cycling enthusiasts simply as "The Girvan", forms part of British Cycling's Premier Calendar, an annual series of single-day and multistage races for elite road racers. The race is held in very high regard by the cycling fraternity and provides an important early-season test for national, trade and club teams alike.

A good performance at Girvan can catch the selectors' attention and pave the way to international team selection. The race provides a stepping stone for ambitious riders. Many of our former competitors have gone on to success in British and World Championships, Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games. Several have gone on to join the European pro circuit, competing in the major tours of France, Spain and Italy. Multiple Giro D'Italia and Tour de France stage winner Mark Cavendish won a stage at Girvan as recently as 2004.

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Q: Does "The Girvan" Attract Any Big Names?
A: It certainly does! The race boasts some of the best known names in world cycle road racing as past competitors. Mark Cavendish, Chris Boardman, Sean Kelly, Robert Millar, Tony Doyle, Brian Smith, Chris Newton, Rob Hayles, Paul Curran and Sean Yates to name but a very few.

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Q: Why Girvan?
A: Back in the late 1960s the race very quickly found a home in the popular seaside resort. Reasons include the superb racing roads, spectacular scenery, mild climate (no, really!) and affordable accommodation to be found in south west Scotland. Cheap flights to warmer parts of the world may have dented Girvan's holiday trade but many people, not just the cycle racing fraternity, still find the town to be a very agreeable destination for a break, not just at Easter but at any time of year.

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Q: How Does a Stage Race Work?
A: The race is essentially a greatly scaled down version of the famous Tour de France. Followers of the World Rally Championship may recognise the timing/points system as it is broadly similar to the format used in the WRC.

Riders compete together over a number of timed "stages". Each stage produces a Stage Result, with every rider being credited with a time and place according to their finishing position.

As the race progresses, each stage classification is added to the preceding ones to produce a combined General Classification or "GC". The overall winner after all four stages is the competitor who has the lowest cumulative time on General Classification. The leading finishers are also awarded points that count towards the British Cycling Premier Calendar Series rankings.

Other classifications within the main race determine the winning team, best sprinter, best hill climber and leading under-23 rider. All this makes for a highly competitive race which, after three days and four stages, can be won by several minutes or by as little as a single second.

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