Peterborough's Pearl Izumi Tour Series round saw success for Britain's Olympic and Paralympic athletes with wins for Ed Clancy and Dame Sarah Storey, but the real story was victory for ONE Pro Cycling setting up a thrilling final round in Bath later this week.
The team win in Peterborough sends ONE Pro Cycling and Madison Genesis to Bath level on points for the closest ever Pearl Izumi Tour Series finale, with the team of England cricketer Matt Prior head on countback thanks to their seven team victories to Madison Genesis' four.
The women's Matrix Fitness GP Series will also be decided on Thursday in Bath, with Nikki Juniper's third place giving her a 23-point lead over Charline Joiner and Jessie Walker, but with the final round scoring double the majority of the top ten still have a mathematical chance of victory.
Juniper claimed second in the bunch sprint behind Eileen Roe, but Dame Sarah Storey had by that point already claimed victory alone after an attacking ride from her and her Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International team.
Teammate Joanna Rowsell claimed the Combativity Award for an equally aggressive ride, while the team stretch their lead over Team Giordana Triton to 16-points. Juniper did though tie up the Series' Sprints competition with an unassailable lead over Walker with one race remaining.
As what will be a disappointing Series for defending champions JLT Condor presented by Mavic draws to a close, there was some cheer for the men in black, with Ed Clancy claiming his eighth Pearl Izumi Tour Series race win to extend his rank as the most successful rider in the Series. The victory was also the team's 25th since the Series began in 2015.
Clancy won outsprinting Canary Wharf winner Steele Von Hoff from a small group of seven riders who broke away from the fast moving peloton with ten minutes remaining. Pedal Heaven's David McGowan did his best to emulate last year's Peterborough winner Matt Gibson by taking a final lap flyer but was caught with 50-metres to go to the line, setting up Clancy's powerful sprint.
Two seconds was the winning margin for the five riders of ONE Pro Cycling over Madison Genesis, giving them the ten points for victory in Peterborough and making things all square with one event to go and setting up the closest ever Pearl Izumi Tour Series finale.
Pearl Izumi Tour Series, Round Nine, Peterborough, Tuesday 9 June 2015
Team Result
1) ONE Pro Cycling
2) Madison Genesis
3) Pedal Heaven
Individual Result
1) Ed Clancy, JLT Condor presented by Mavic
2) Steele Von Hoff, NFTO
3) Tobyn Horton, Madison Genesis
Costa Express Fastest Lap
Yanto Barker, ONE Pro Cycling, 1:20.990
Chain Reaction Cycles Sprints winner, Round Nine
Morgan Kneisky, Team Raleigh GAC
Pearl Izumi Tour Series Standings, Post Round Nine
1) ONE Pro Cycling, 102pts
2) Madison Genesis, 102pts
3) Pedal Heaven, 84pts
4) Team Raleigh GAC, 70pts
5) NFTO Pro Cycling, 60pts
6) SportGrub Kuota, 52pts
7) Velosure Starley Primal, 48pts
8) JLT Condor presented by Mavic, 45pts
9) Team WIGGINS, 31pts
Chain Reaction Cycles Points Standings, Post Round Nine
1) Morgan Kneisky, Team Raleigh GAC, 71pts
2) Tom Stewart, Madison Genesis, 60ptd
3) Jon Mould, ONE Pro Cycling, 46pts