All images ©www.chrismaher.co.uk | CyclingShorts.cc
The sun shone brightly for Lizzy Banks of Sunsport Velo RT in the season opener of the HSBC-UK British Cycling 2017 National Women’s Road Series the Tour of the Wolds, won in two-hours and thirty-four minuets and thirty-five seconds.
The first of nine rounds and a new course to the calendar, the Tour of the Wolds covers a distance of one-hundred and one kilometres setting out from Louth North-Westerly through South Elkinton and Binbrooke before turning Northerly at Tealby and onto a circuit through Caistor, then returning back to Louth and a three-kilometre twisty circuit through the town centre streets.
One-hundred riders set off at nine in the morning out of Louth, but split into three groups before arriving at the Caistor loop. The front group of around thirty riders rode up the testing climb at Nettleton Top but as they returned back towards Louth, six girls broke free.
Three times series winner Nikki Juniper [Team Ford Ecoboost], National Time Trial Champion Hayley Simmond [Team WNT], Anna Christian [Drops Cycling Team], Lizzy Banks [Sunsport Velo], Chanel Mason [Storey Racing] and Natalie Grinczer [Team WNT] arrived back on the finishing circuit with a one-minuet and ten second lead as Drops Cycling and Cycle Team OnForm drove the chase.
With three-hundred metres remaining, Juniper clipped wheels bringing her down and out of contention leaving five girls to fight for the win. Banks kept out of trouble and maintained her momentum going into the final left-hand corner before sprinting clearly for the line and a marvellous win.
Rebecca Durrell [Drops Cycling Team] brought the chasing bunch to the line some thirty-two seconds down on a beautiful day in Lincolnshire, much to the appreciation of the crowd that had lined the circuit in this first national race in the series.
Lizzy Banks leads the National Women’s Road Series going into round two the Essex Giro on Saturday 22nd April.
| 1 | 58 | Elizabeth Banks | SunSport Velo | 2:34:35. | 2:34:35 |
| 2 | 82 | Anna Christian | Drops Cycling Team | 2:34:36. | +1 |
| 3 | 6 | Chanel Mason | Storey Racing | 2:34:37. | +2 |
| 4 | 103 | Hayley Simmonds | Team WNT | 2:34:38. | st |
| 5 | 99 | Natalie Grinczer | Team WNT | 2:34:39. | +4 |
| 6 | 20 | Rebecca Durrell | Drops Cycling Team | 2:35:07. | +32 |
| 7 | 24 | Rebecca Womersley | Drops Cycling Team | 2:35:08. | st |
| 8 | 22 | Rose Osborne | Drops Cycling Team | 2:35:08. | st |
| 9 | 13 | Sian Botteley | Cycle Team OnForm | 2:35:08. | st |
| 10 | 81 | Hannah Payton | Drops Cycling Team | 2:35:08. | st |
| 11 | 16 | Amy Hill | Cycle Team OnForm | 2:35:09. | st |
| 12 | 15 | Anna Henderson | Cycle Team OnForm | 2:35:09. | st |
| 13 | 30 | Jennifer Holden | Fusion RT Fierlan | 2:35:09. | st |
| 14 | 87 | Lucy Horrocks | Team Vertex-Biemme | 2:35:09. | st |
| 15 | 23 | Abigail Van Twisk | Drops Cycling Team | 2:35:09. | st |
| 16 | 54 | Jennifer George | Storey Racing | 2:35:10. | st |
| 17 | 93 | Tamara Davenne | Team Vision Innovative Leisure | 2:35:10. | st |
| 18 | 9 | Charlotte Colclough | Bianchi Dama UK | 2:35:10. | st |
| 19 | 80 | Holly Flannery | Team Jadan-Weldtite | 2:35:11. | st |
| 20 | 19 | Alicia Speake | Cycle Team OnForm | 2:35:11. | st |
| 21 | 41 | Steph Clayton | Mammoth Lifestyle Racing Team | 2:35:11. | st |
| 22 | 18 | Gemma Sargent | Cycle Team OnForm | 2:35:11. | st |
| 23 | 77 | Jennifer Powell | Team Ford Ecoboost | 2:35:11. | st |
| 24 | 37 | Annabel Simpson | Drops Cycling Team | 2:36:27. | +1:52 |
| 25 | 32 | Fiona Hunter Johnston | Fusion RT Fierlan | 2:37:45. | +3:10 |
The Tour of the Wolds has given a boost to businesses in the area as well as significantly raising the profile of the Lincolnshire Wolds as a destination for cycling.
The event saw teams of professional cyclists and spectators staying in the area; and generated lots of exposure for the area through the media. Feedback received from the competitors is that they enjoyed the challenge the Wolds presented to them; and that it is a great place for cycling.
We’ll now be working with our partners and the event organisers to look at what needs to be done to secure the event for future years.
The Magna Vitae Tour of the Wolds has significantly raised the profile of Louth and the Lincolnshire Wolds. It is wonderful to see a sporting event change the face of the town for a day.
We are thrilled that so many local residents and businesses turned out to support the event and hope that everybody enjoyed the weekend.
The coverage that The Tour of the Wolds received online and in the media is testament to the success of this fantastic new event, and the publicity Louth received during the weekend will live on for many months ahead.
We look forward to working with key partners to bring more high-profile sporting and cultural events to the area.
Chris Maher
Photographer & Writer
Based in the North East of England; photographer Chris Maher specialises in sports photography with his main interests in Cycling and Super Bikes. Chris has covered sports events from local and national level right up to the Olympics for CyclingShorts.cc.
Website: www.ChrisMaher.co.uk
