Wins for Rapha Condor JLT and Madison Genesis in Stoke-on-Trent

Last updated : 14 May 2014 By Peter Hodges

There were wins for Rapha Condor JLT and Madison Genesis at Round One of The Pearl Izumi Tour Series in Stoke-on-Trent, but it was debutants NFTO Pro Cycling who came away in the lead of the team based Series.
 
The Hereford based team took second place in both the afternoon's team time trial event, and the evening's circuit race to edge clear of Rapha Condor JLT on countback to the highest finishing position in the criterium.
 
NFTO also came away with an individual victory, as Jon Mould lapped everyone from fifth downwards for his second Pearl Izumi Tour Series win.  The Welshman attacked from a breakaway group of ten riders early on to win by just under 50-seconds. 
 
Behind Alex Peters and Tobyn Horton pipped Kristian House in a three-up sprint for the remaining podium spots, with NFTO's Dean Downing leading in a group of five who were lapped by Mould late on in the race.
 
While Peters, Horton and Mike Northey, who also won the Costa Express Fastest Lap prize, in sixth helped Madison Genesis to the round win, Downing's fifth and Adam Blythe leading in the main field in 12th gave NFTO second place and the lead of the Series.
 
Earlier on in the day they narrowly lost out to Rapha Condor JLT in the team time trial, with Great Britain coming third as they made their Series debut as a late announced ninth squad for the full season.
 
The Pearl Izumi Tour Series
Tuesday 13 May 2014, Stoke-on-Trent
 
Round One Team Time Trial Result
1) Rapha Condor JLT, 3'05.522
2) NFTO Pro Cycling, 3'05.788
3) Great Britain, 3'07.635
4) Node4 Velosure, 3'08.126
5) Team Raleigh, 3'09.323
6) Madison Genesis, 3'11.037
7) Metaltek Kuota, 3'14.337
8) Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 3'15.099
9) Pedal Heaven Colbornes, 3'17.813
 
Round One Criterium Team Result
1) Madison Genesis
2) NFTO Pro Cycling
3) Rapha Condor JLT
4) Team Raleigh
5) Metaltek Kuota
6) Node4 Velosure
7) Great Britain
8) Starley Primal Pro Cycling
9) Pedal Heaven Colbornes
 
Round One Criterium Individual Result
1) Jon Mould, GBR, NFTO Pro Cycling
2) Alex Peters, GBR, Madison Genesis
3) Tobyn Horton, GBR, Madison Genesis
4) Kristian House, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT
5) Dean Downing, GBR, NFTO Pro Cycling
6) Mike Northey, NZL, Madison Genesis
7) Evan Oliphant, GBR, Team Raleigh
8) Marcin Bialoblocki, POL, Node4 Velosure
9) Oliver Wood, GBR, Great Britain
10) Felix English, IRL, Rapha Condor JLT
 
Round One Costa Express Fastest Lap: Mike Northey, NZL, Madison Genesis, 1'31.616
Round One Sprint Winner: Jon Mould, GBR, NFTO Pro Cycling
 
Overall Team Standings, post-Round One
1) NFTO Pro Cycling, 20pts
2) Rapha Condor JLT, 20pts
3) Madison Genesis, 17pts
4) Team Raleigh, 13pts
5) Node4 Velosure, 12pts
6) Great Britain, 12pts
7) Metaltek Kuota, 10pts
8) Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 6pts
9) Pedal Heaven Colbornes, 4pts
 
Overall Sprint Standings, post-Round One
1) Jon Mould, GBR, NFTO Pro Cycling, 15pts
2) Kristian House, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT, 7pts
3) Alex Peters, GBR, Madison Genesis, 6pts
 
Katie Archibald's Tour de Force!

Katie Archibald (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International) showed no sign of tiredness from last week's Friends Life Women's Tour as she all but lapped the field when winning the opening round of this year's Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series.

The Team Pursuit world champion set out her stall by winning the opening sprint lap after just five laps of racing and, although she didn't have it all her own way in the opening laps,  was never really headed from that point onwards.

Fifty three riders lined up in Stoke for the Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series, what is now arguably the key focus of the women's domestic racing scene and the quality field included Archibald's multi-Paralympic Gold medal winning team-mate Sarah Storey and this year's World cyclo-cross bronze medallist Helen Wyman (Matrix Fitness – Vulpine).

Soon after Archibald won the opening sprint the field split with a group of over 20 riders pulling clear from the splintering peloton and soon that group was fracturing into even smaller groups. 

And such was the speed at the front of the race that back-markers were being lapped after just 20 minutes racing.  

Archibald continued to pile on the pressure and when winning the second sprint of the night second place Louise Mahe (Team MuleBar Girl Sigma Sport) was the length of the finishing straight behind the determined Scot.

Sarah Storey, Jessie Walker (Matrix Fitness – Vulpine) and Eileen Roe (Starley Primal Pro Cycling) were next in combining to chase Archibald and, although clearly racing for second place on the night, entertained the large crowd that lined the circuit.

But their pursuit was in vain because, as Archibald crossed the finishing line the clear winner on the night, the group chasing second place were in her sights and she would surely have lapped them if the race had continued for another lap.

Coming out of the final corner, Roe jumped past Walker to win the sprint for second place but Storey also passed the youngster to take third place.

It was a clean sweep for Katie and her Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International team-mates as in addition to her solo win, Katie also picked up the Combativity, contributed to the team prize and won the Sprints jersey, a real Tour de Force.

Katie Archibald – "To be honest that was really a bit of an accident to win like that.  Sarah was drilling it on the front and I came up to take a turn and a gap appeared and I thought 'balls, I've got to stay now'.  It was a little more work than I was setting out to do when I left home this morning but, yes, it was a good effort.”

Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series
Tuesday 13 May 2014
Round One, Stoke-on-Trent
 
Race Result
1) Katie Archibald, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
2) Eileen Roe, GBR, Starley Primal Pro Cycling
3) Sarah Storey, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tour International
4) Natalie Creswick, GBR, Team MuleBar Girl Sigma Sport
5) Helen Wyman, GBR, Matrix Fitess Vulpine
6) Jessie Walker, GBR, Matrix Fitness Vulpine
7) Katie Curtis, GBR, Starley Primal Pro Cycling
8) Charline Joiner, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
9) Louise Mahe, GBR, Team MuleBar Girl Sigma Sport
10) Amy Roberts, GBR, Wiggle Honda
 
Round One Sprint Winner: Katie Archibald, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tour International
Round One Team Winner: Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
 
Overall Individual Standings, post-Round One
1) Katie Archibald, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, 20pts
2) Eileen Roe, GBR, Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 19pts
3) Sarah Storey, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tour International, 18pts
4) Natalie Creswick, GBR, Team MuleBar Girl Sigma Sport, 17pts
5) Helen Wyman, GBR, Matrix Fitess Vulpine, 16pts
 
Overall Sprint Standings, post-Round One
1) Katie Archibald, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, 10pts
2) Louise Mahe, GBR, Team MuleBar Girl Sigma Sport, 7pts
3) Helen Wyman, GBR, Matrix Fitness Vulpine, 4pts
 
Overall Team Standings, post-Round One
1) Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, 51pts
2) Matrix Fitness Vulpine, 41pts
3) Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 35pts