Frequently asked questions

Q.What are the main business opportunities?

A.There will be hundreds of thousands of visitors to the races and a worldwide TV audience of billions, so this is an opportunity to reach a new, global audience of potential future customers and partners. Visitors to the area will need accommodation, food and drink

and spectators may want to purchase merchandise and cycling equipment. Retailers can buy official London 2012 merchandise at www.london2012.com.

Q.What are the rules around advertising and street trading on the routes?

A.Businesses are encouraged to engage with the Games, but must not use the Olympic rings, the London 2012 Games logo, terms such as ‘Olympic Games’ or create an association of your business to the Games without permission from LOCOG. Details of guidelines set by LOCOG can be found at www.gosurrey.info/business.

Q.What arrangements have been made to ensure security of businesses on the route, when so many people are coming to the area?

A.Significant security planning is already underway to protect the public and businesses. Surrey Police will provide more officers during the Games by reducing annual leave, reducing the number of officers released for other duties and calling on voluntary officers.

For more information visit www.surrey.police.uk or call 101.

Q.Why do road closures need to start and finish so long before and after the race?

A.The London 2012 Olympic Games will involve the largest peacetime security operation the UK has ever seen. Very large crowds will be drawn to such high profile events, and a huge amount of preparation will be required to make sure that the roads are safe and secure both before and after the event.

Q.Why aren’t precise road reopening times being announced now?

A.Managing the closure of our county’s roads is a major task and given the huge amount of work that will go into running the London 2012 Olympic events, it’s impossible to announce exact reopening times. Factors like size of crowds, security needs and potential delays to the events will all play a part in deciding reopening times. All road closure requirements and conditions set by LOCOG have been met.

Q.Why is this different to other road cycling events like the London to Brighton Bike Ride?

A.The Olympic Road Cycling events taking place in Surrey are once in a lifetime occasions likely to attract large crowds. Crowd safety is our priority and these events demand a very high level of security, which takes time to implement properly. The races, live on television with a vast international audience, are on a different scale to anything the county has hosted before. For example, London to Brighton attracts much smaller crowds, does not require extensive security and is not televised.

Q.Some of my staff will find it difficult to get to work as the roads are closed. Is there anything I can do to get around this?

A.We advise you to look at the race route maps with your employees and work out a route for them to use that isn’t affected by the races. You may want to consider whether staff can work from home or from other premises, if possible. Local bus services will be affected on the day so please check nearer the time at www.surreycc.gov.uk/buses. If you or your staff can walk to work you will be able to use pavements along the route, with clearly designated crossing points at regular intervals.

Welcome to the latest newsletter for businesses on the Olympic Road Cycling Road Race route in Surrey. In the lead up to the London 2012 Olympic

Games, we will keep you up to date with the latest information about the cycling events and what they could mean for your business and employees.

Surrey is set to host the men’s and women’s Olympic Road Cycling Road Race events on Saturday 28 and

Sunday 29 July 2012. Elmbridge will also host the Olympic Time Trial Cycle Race and the Olympic Torch Relay, which will pass through several boroughs

in the build up to the Games.

The presence of large numbers of spectators, tourists and the media will ensure that the world’s focus is on Surrey, providing a great opportunity for local businesses

to reach potential new customers.

Olympic Road Cycling Road Race – Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July

The Olympic Road Cycling Road Race will see 60 teams from across the world battling it out along the streets of Surrey. The 145 male athletes will cover approximately 250km

and the 67 women athletes 140km.

The course starts at The Mall in London, then crosses Hampton Court Bridge and weaves through Walton-on- Thames, Weybridge, West Byfleet, Leatherhead and Dorking. The cyclists then tackle the Box Hill loop – men have nine laps to complete and the women two – before heading through Oxshott and Esher and returning over Hampton Court Bridge on their way back to The Mall to race

for the finishing line.

Road closures

A huge amount of preparation is required to make sure that the cycling routes are safe and secure. Extensive road closures and parking restrictions will be in place around the routes from the early hours of the morning until late in the evening on event days.

To meet the requirements of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), the following road closures will take place:

Road Race

Saturday 28 July

•the section of the Road Race route through Surrey from

Hampton Court down to Box Hill (including the Box Hill loop) will close from 4am.

•the section after Box Hill through Leatherhead and Esher back up to Hampton Court will close from 6am.

Sunday 29 July

• all sections of the Road Race route will close from 6am.

The exit slip roads from both carriageways of the A3 to the A244 at Esher Common junction will also be closed all day Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July.

Time Trial

Wednesday 1 August

•initial closures will be in place for the Time Trial in

Elmbridge from 5.30am, but some local access will be allowed until 9am.

A map of the Time Trial route through Elmbridge can be viewed at www.gosurrey.info.

In the hours before the events, cars parked on the route will be removed from midnight onwards, many miles of barriers will be put up, thousands of stewards will take their positions and extensive security checks will take place.

After the events pass through Surrey, roads will remain closed for some time to ensure they are safe and secure for public use. Barriers will need to be removed, road signs reinstated, roads thoroughly cleaned, crowds dispersed,

security checks completed and stewards stood down before roads can be reopened safely.

We expect roads to be open again by late evening on each event day, but factors like size of crowds, security needs and potential delays to the events will all play a part in deciding reopening times. The security and logistics of a high profile, globally televised event like the Olympic Games mean

that closures will be in place for longer than last summer’s test event.

If you need to travel to London during the Games please check www.getaheadofthegames.com.

Keep your business running

Use these tips to minimise the impact of road closures on your business:

•If you have less than 200 staff, develop an action plan of simple changes. See gosurrey.info/business to find out more.

•If you have over 200 staff in one location, you could be eligible for free assistance.

Email keeponrunning@london2012.com for more details.

•Staff may find it difficult to get to work during the Games.

Discuss plans with them beforehand.

Deliveries

Road closures may make deliveries a challenge. We advise the following:

•Reduce – can you order early and stockpile goods or delay delivery?

•Re-time – can you move deliveries to another day or time?

•Re-route – can the delivery route be changed to avoid affected areas?

•Re-mode – can goods be collected on foot instead of a van delivery?

Contact us

Go to: www.gosurrey.info/business Call: 0300 200 1018

or email: Olympic.cycling@surreycc.gov.uk

Twitter: @gosurreylive

Facebook: GoSurrey

LinkedIn: GoSurrey for business

Post a query to:

2012 Team, Room 340, County Hall, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2DN