Many roads around the island will be subject to closures and one-way flow over the coming weekend, not dissimilar to those regularly introduced for the Parish Walk.
More than 1,000 cyclists will be taking part in the various divisions of the Gran Fondo event (approximately half of which are from off-island, including many from overseas), which is mainly concentrated in the north of the island around Ramsey.
The two-day event begins on Saturday morning with the UCI individual time trial on the mountain climb between the outskirts of Ramsey town and the Bungalow.
This six-mile segment of the TT Course will close at 9.30am from its junction with Barrule Park to the junction with the A14 Tholt-y-Will Road until 12.30pm at the latest.
There will also be afternoon closures in the area of the Mooragh Park for the Minisculo Fondo (catering for the youngest of riders and families) between 3.30 and 5.30pm.
This will include the park itself, Park Road and North Shore Road from its junction with Park Road to the junction with Ballacloan Road.
Sunday is the main day and the action spreads much further afield. The feature Gran Fondo race will commence at 9.30am (followed by the Medio Fondo 15 minutes later and the shorter Piccolo Fondo at 10am) from Mooragh Park with a road closure in place between 8.30 and midday on the A10 Bride Road from its junction with Mooragh Promenade to the junction with Lamb Hill, and the small Lamb Hill loop road itself.
The coast road from Bride to Jurby will also be closed, in addition to the Ballavarran (Pillbox) Road and a section of Jurby Road to Sandygate and the A14 as far as the junction with Ballaugh Curraghs.
The whole of the main Curraghs Road will be closed to the junction with Old Windmill Road and Dollagh Mooar/Ballaterson Manor.
From 9.30am to 1pm Ballaugh Glen Road and Druidale Road will be closed. The Beinney Phott Road, from Brandywell on the TT Course to Druidale Cottage will be closed until 4pm at the latest.
Sartfield Road, Little London and Ballabooie Road, from its junction with the A3 to the junction with Staarvey Road, will be closed between 9.30am and 1pm, along with the whole of Staarvey Road, the southern end of Switchback Road to the junction with the A20 Poortown Road.
Between 10am and 3pm Station Road, St John’s, the entire Patrick Road from St John’s to Patrick will be shut.
Dalby Road, from its junction with Lhagg Road (200 metres south of the Niarbyl junction), will be close to the Round Table. Ronague Road from Round Table, and Corlea Road will also be closed over the same period, Glen Rushen Road from South Barrule plantation car park to Snuff the Wind Mines will be shut.
Slieau Whallian Road (Gleneedle) will be closed between 11am and 4pm at the latest, as will Ballavargher Road (Hope) from Slieau Whallian Park to the junction with Archallagan Road.
West Baldwin road leading up to and including the Injebreck climb, will be closed. Finally, the Tholty Will Road from the Bungalow to the Sulby Claddagh junction will be closed between 10.30am and 5pm at the latest, along with the St Jude’s Road.
Between 10am and no later than 5pm, Jurby Road from St Jude’s to the Mountain View Innovation Centre and Jurby Road from its junction with Ash Grove to Bowring Road, plus the latter from its junction with Coburg Road and Grove Mount South (including Cumberland Road and Windsor Mount Road) will be subject to closure for vehicular traffic.
All event information can be found at the Gran Fondo Isle of Man official website at www.granfondoisleofman.com
A full preview of the event appears in this week’s Manx Independent.