Six strong for Endura Racing in Colchester
Endura move to within touching distance of first ever title after yet another team win
Endura Racing clinched their sixth team win of the 2012 Halfords Tour Series in Colchester, to move into a 14 point lead with two rounds remaining.Individual glory went to Graham Briggs, claiming Team Raleigh – GAC’s first individual Halfords Tour Series win, to add to their first ever team victory in Peterborough last week.
With a maximum of 30 points available from the Woking and Stoke-on-Trent rounds next week, the latter of which includes the additional Tommy Godwin Team Time Trial, Endura look to a racing certainty for overall honours at the fourth time of asking.
Victory for Briggs was made even more special, by doing so in the British Circuit Race Champions jersey, emulating the feat achieved by only Dean Downing and Ed Clancy in the Series’ four year history.
“I had a good ride at Durham, I was fourth there and I was third on Tuesday so to win tonight in the jersey is really special,”said Briggs afterwards.
“I was feeling good tonight and I could see they were coming back to us with a lap to go so I took a breather and was quite confident in the sprint. I maybe celebrated a bit too early, it was close but I got it.
Briggs outsprinted Redditch winner Niklas Gustavsson by the narrowest of margins from a six rider breakaway to take victory, as once again the speed of the racing in The Halfords Tour Series caused the field to split apart.
Behind the leading two was Marcel Six in third, with leading teams Rapha Condor Sharp, Node4 – Giordana Racing and leader’s Endura all represented, by Andy Tennant, Matt Cronshaw and Ian Bibby respectively.
With a large crash in the opening laps on the drying circuit the pace was initially slow, but with wind drying the roads once racing was back underway the speed soon picked up, snaking the peloton out into a long line around Colchester’s town centre.
Breaks came and went, until Bibby pulled clear, being joined by the British champion’s jersey of Briggs.With riders from UK Youth, Rapha Condor Sharp, Node4 – Giordana and Metaltek Scott joining them, the Series’ top five teams were all represented, slackening the pace behind.
The six worked well together to break clear of the main field, establishing that the win would be fought out between them, with Briggs, the fastest finisher from the group coming out on top.It was a close run contest however, with Gustavsson and Six to the outside nearly pipping the Raleigh man to the line.
In their third season of the unique, team based Series, Team Raleigh – GAC have now clinched both their first team and individual wins, keeping them fourth in the standings and firmly in the hunt for the overall Runners Up spot.
“This year, all team members are gelling together and it’s getting better and better each round,” said Briggs. “We’ve won a round, won an individual round and Bernie is holding onto the sprints so it’s working out well.”
Team Raleigh – GAC could only take fourth on the night, as their all-important third placed rider Bernard Sulzberger came in 19th, but the Australian did enough to extend his lead in the Boardman Bikes Sprints competition.
Behind Endura Team UK Youth bounced back into form with second, before Rapha Condor Sharp in third.Going into the final week of racing just five points separates positions two to five in the standings, with all to play for behind the leaders.
As for the overall honours, Endura’s Ian Bibby isn’t counting his chickens just yet.
“We were really aggressive and that’s what we aimed to do. We wanted to go out and attack. I broke away a few times I felt like I could have won but I didn’t sprint too well and I wasn’t too sure whether to commit or wait for the group. Happy we’ve extended our lead and we just need to defend it for the next two rounds. But anything can happen.”
Highlights of Round Nine from Colchester will be shown on ITV4 on Friday 8th June at 8pm, with a repeat on the morning of Saturday 9th June and online via the ITV Player for 30 days following transmission.
The Halfords Tour Series enters its final week of competition with Woking hosting Round Ten on Tuesday 12th June before the Grand Final in Stoke-on-Trent on Thursday 14th June, which includes the Series’ first team time trial, named in honour of Tommy Godwin.
The Halfords Tour Series is a sister event to The Tour of Britain, the UK’s biggest professional cycle race, which takes place every September.To take on the challenge of riding a Tour of Britain route in a Tour Ride, head towww.tourride.co.uk to find our more and to register for your challenge!
The Halfords Tour Series, Round Nine, Colchester, Provisional Results
Round Nine Individual Result
1)Graham Briggs, Team Raleigh - GAC
2)Niklas Gustavsson, Team UK Youth
3)Marcel Six, Metaltek Scott
4)Andy Tennant, Rapha Condor Sharp
5)Matt Cronshaw, Node4 - Giordan Racing
6)Ian Bibby, Endura Racing
7)Scott Thwaites, Endura Racing
8)Chris Opie, Team UK Youth
9)Johnny McEvoy, Endura Racing
10)Ed Clancy, Rapha Condor Sharp
Round Nine Team Result
1)Endura Racing
2)Team UK Youth
3)Rapha Condor Sharp
4)Team Raleigh - GAC
5)Node4 - Giordana Racing
6)Metaltek Scott
7)Cycle Premier - Kovert
8)Herbalife LeisureLakesBikes
9)Team Hope Factory Racing
10)Team IG Sigma Sport
Overall Team Standings, post-Round Nine
1)Endura Racing, 84pts
2)Rapha Condor Sharp, 70pts
3)Team UK Youth, 68pts
4)Team Raleigh - GAC, 67pts
5)Node4 - Giordana Racing, 65pts
6)Cycle Premier - Kovert, 41pts
7)Team IG Sigma Sport, 33pts
8)Metaltek Scott, 28pts
9)Herbalife LeisureLakesBikes, 21pts
10)Team Hope Factory Racing, 17pts
Boardman Bikes Sprints winner Colchester: Graham Briggs (Team Raleigh - GAC)
Boardman Bikes Sprints standings, post-Round Nine
1)Bernard Sulzberger, Team Raleigh - GAC, 85pts
2)Marcel Six, Metaltek Scott, 55pts
3)Kristian House, Rapha Condor Sharp, 38pts
4)Dean Windsor, Endura Racing, 25pts
5)Graham Briggs, Team Raleigh - GAC, 19pts
_________________________________________________
Eileen Roe wins wet Colchester race
Annie Simpson extends grip on Series lead and Sprints competition in Essex round
Eileen Roe took her first win of 2012, sprinting to victory in Round Three of the Johnson Health Tech Grand Prix Series in Colchester. The Fife rider beat American Ruth Winder and Alice Barnes to the finish line on Colchester’s High Street to make it three different winners from race races in the Series.
Round Three began in heavy rain, which relented in the closing stages of the thirty minute race leaving a select dozen clear in front, from which Roe sprinted clear on the gentle rise to the finish, leaving Winder and Barnes battling it out for second.
USA National Team rider Winder had been one of the bright spots of the race, being involved in the action throughout on her first appearance in the Johnson Health Tech Grand Prix Series, eventually claiming second.
Behind the younger of the Barnes sisters took third for Twenty3c.co.uk – Orbea with Laura Massey in fourth. Corrine Hall’s fifth place moves her up into second in the overall individual standings, ten points off the lead.
Simpson’s extended Series lead was guaranteed after Hannah Barnes suffered a rear wheel puncture early on, dropping out of the leading group to eventually come home 21st, one place outside of the points.
The Matrix Fitness – Prendas came home in sixth to claim valuable points, also winning the Sprints competition for the third round in succession, giving her a 13 point lead in that classification.
With Simpson’s teammates Hannah Walker and Penny Rowson securing top 11 positions, Matrix Fitness – Prendas were the best scoring team in Colchester, moving them onto 108 points and a joint lead in the team standings with Node4 – Giordana Racing with two rounds to go.
“This is my first year riding the Series and my first round was last week in Peterborough,” said winner Eileen Roe. “My team mate Hannah Barnes won last year and said how good it was so I really needed to get involved as I love crit racing. It’s on the TV as well which is even better as that doesn’t happen much in women’s racing.
“Hannah and I were racing for four hours in Holland yesterday in the rain. We drove back last night, got to bed at two in the morning so I wasn’t expecting anything special tonight. But you always ride better with a race in your legs and I was more energized but I do need my bed now!”
Talking about the race, Series leader Annie Simpson said;
“It was really hard tonight especially with the weather. I just tried to keep it really fast and get the bunch down. Unfortunately Hannah Barnes went out, who is my main rival, so that helped me, but it was a really great night and it was great to see Eileen win. She’s on a Pro Team and it’s great to have those riders supporting this.”
Looking ahead to next week’s races, Simpson continued;
“Woking next week is a really good course, it’s got a lot of corners like Oxford which I won so I’d like to do well there. Stoke-on-Trent is where our sponsors Matrix Fitness are from so we want to perform there for them. That is like our home round and our team has won the past two rounds there so we feel we need to keep that up. I am really looking forward to it though.
“I still find it weird that I used to ride for others and now they’re working for me. It’s a different kind of pressure but I’ve progressed a lot and I can’t not be happy with how it’s going.”
Highlights of Round Three can be seen as a part of The Halfords Tour Series on ITV4 at 8pm on Wednesday 29th May. Round Three of the Johnson Health Tech Grand Prix Series takes place at 17:30 in Colchester on Thursday 7th June.
The Halfords Tour Series and Johnson Health Tech GP Series are sister events to The Tour of Britain, the UK’s biggest professional cycle race, which takes place every September. To take on the challenge of riding a Tour of Britain route in a Tour Ride, head to www.tourride.co.uk to find our more and to register for your challenge!
Johnson Health Tech Grand Prix Series , Round Three, Colchester, Provisional Results
Round Three Individual Result
1) Eileen Roe, Team Ibis Cycles
2) Ruth Winder, Vanderkitten
3) Alice Barnes, Twenty3c.co.uk - Orbea
4) Laura Massey, Vivelo Bikes / Inverse / Cyclaim RT
5) Corrine Hall, Node4 - Giordana Racing
6) Annie Simpson, Matrix Fitness - Prendas
7) Hannah Walker, Matrix Fitness - Prendas
8) Helen Wyman, Kona Factory Racing
9) Jo Tindley, VC St Raphael
10) Natalie Creswick, Mule Bar Girls
11) Penny Rowson, Matrix Fitness - Prendas
12) Louise Mahe, Mule Bar Girls
13) Rebecca Heath, VC St Raphael
14) Harriet Owen, Node4 - Giordana Racing
15) Adel Tyson-Bloor, VC St Raphael
16) Grace Garner, RST Racing Team Trigon
17) Adela Carter, Team Hope Factory Racing
18) Lydia Boylan, Look Mum No Hands!
19) Jessie Walker, Matrix Fitness - Prendas
20) Helen McKay, Look Mum No Hands!
Round Three Team Winners: Matrix Fitness - Prendas
Overall Individual Standings, post Round Three
1) Annie Simpson, Matrix Fitness - Prendas, 54pts
2) Corrine Hall, Node4 - Giordana Racing, 44pts
3) Helen Wyman, Kona Factory Racing, 39pts
4) Hannah Barnes, Team Ibis Cycles, 37pts
5) Harriet Owen, Node4 - Giordana Racing, 32pts
6) Jo Tindley, VC St Raphel, 30pts
7) Laura Massey, Vivelo Bikes / Inverse / Cyclaim, 28pts
8) Lydia Boylan, Look Mum No Hands!, 28pts
9) Louise Mahe, Mule Bar Girls, 27pts
10) Penny Rowson, Matrix Fitness - Prendas, 27pts
11) Alice Barnes, Twenty3c.co.uk - Orbea, 20pts
12) Jo McRae, Look Mum No Hands!, 16pts
13) Hannah Walker, Matrix Fitness - Prendas, 14pts
14) Adela Carter, Team Hope Factory Racing, 13pts
15) Adel Tyson-Bloor, VC St Raphael, 13pts
16) Lyndsey Glazier, Team Hope Factory Racing, 8pts
17) Emily Bagnall, WyndyMilla UK Youth, 6pts
18) Grace Garner, RST Racing Team Trigon, 5pts
Overall Team Standings, post-Round Three
1) Matrix Fitness - Prendas, 108pts
2) Node4 - Giordana Racing, 108pts
3) VC St Raphael, 58pts
4) Mule Bar Girls, 50pts
5) Look Mum No Hands!, 45pts
6) WyndyMilla UK Youth, 6pts
Sprints winner Colchester: Annie Simpson (Matrix Fitness - Prendas)
Sprints standings, post Round Three
1) Annie Simpson, Matrix Fitness - Prendas, 24pts
2) Jo Tindley, VC Raphael, 13pts
3) Hannah Barnes, Team Ibis Cycles, 12pts
4) Harriet Owen, Node4 - Giordana Racing, 8pts
5) Lucy Garner, Node4 - Giordana Racing, 5pts
6) Hannah Walker, Matrix Fitness - Prendas, 5pts
7) Helen Wyman, Kona Factory Racing, 5pts
8) Corrine Hall, Node4 - Giordana Racing, 3pts
9) Lydia Boylan, Look Mum No Hands!, 2pts
10) Jo McRae, Look Mum No Hands!, 2pts
11) Alice Barnes, Twenty3c.co.uk - Orbea, 2pts
12) Tamina Oliver, Abergavenny Road Club, 2pts
13) Natalie Crewswick, Mule Bar Girls, 2pts
14) Ruth Winder, Vanderkitten, 2pts
15) Adela Carter, Team Hope Factory Racing, 1pt