by Anna Magrath | Dec 4, 2012
Revolution Series 10 | Revolution 38 – Lizzie, Jo & Marianne are greet by the crowd – ©www.ChrisMaher.co.uk
The girls took over the track on Saturday with a combination of World, Olympic and Junior champions in the mix.
We decided to unleash our female writers from the Cycling Shorts office.
I attended along with Heather and new recruit Annie. The dynamic duo concentrated on grabbing riders for interviews including the amazing Marianne Vos (coming soon). Paul Francis Cooper caught up with Lucy Martin (more following next week) while Tom Murray took to the boards fresh from his honeymoon. I asked Tom how he was feeling about the evening as he waited to sign in, “I’m not sure how my form will be tonight after my break, we’ll play it by ear”, he grinned.
This was the second meeting of the 2012 season and it wasn’t short of cycling stars. Lizzie Armistead (AA Drink – Leontien.nl), Jo Rowsell (Matrix Fitness-Prendas), Marianne Vos (riding for Rabobank) and Elinor Barker (Team USN) fresh from her World Cup win representing the best of the elite women’s world track and road cycling talent along with Junior World Champions Lucy Garner and Amy Roberts, and for the boys; Ed Clancy, Alex Dowsett, Steven Burke and Luke Rowe who was sporting a rather splendid moustache.
The evening got underway early with a special race of which we are not allowed to speak according to the announcement Hugh Porter made over the PA just after the race took place, it was almost too late as I was preparing a tweet, but I’m sure word got out somewhere, but we shall behave ourselves and reveal all nearer Christmas.
Elite Flying Lap:
There was a strong field in the men’s events but no one could match Ed Clancy (Rapha Condor Sharp), he took a time of 13.292, he was a fraction slower than the time he set at Revolution 37, Steven Burke riding for IG SigmaSport managed to clinch 2nd with a time of 13.901, a major improvement on his 14.149 in round one of the Revolution Series… Jon Dibben of Rouleur put in a time of 14.063 to take 3rd.
Revolution Series 10 | Revolution 38 – Marianne Vos battles Lizzie Armistead – ©www.ChrisMaher.co.uk
Women’s Omnium – Elimination (Devil Scratch) Race:
Blink and you miss the action, in this format the riders were coming off every lap so keeping up was a nightmare, more so if you’re one of the riders. It was fast paced from the start and the 20 strong field weren’t intimidated by reputations. Jo Rowsell was the 7th rider to be eliminated, but she’s been unwell lately and wasn’t sure if she would be fully recovered in time to participate, it’s not the sort of event she regularly rides so I think she was saving herself for the head to head match later in the evening. The top 10 was full of promising young talent, proving we have depth in British women’s cycling at the moment. Lucy Garner (3rd), Amy Roberts (4th) and Emily Kay (7th) were all in the mix. Eventually it came down to a battle between Armistead and Vos, the fight we’d all been waiting for and Marianne showed her class beating Lizzie in the dying moments.
Click here to read Heather’s interview with Emily Kay from Revolution 38.
Heather & Annie’s interview with Marianne Vos.
DHL Future Stars Girls:
6 Lap Dash – The girls were out to impress with the focus of the night on the ladies, first up was the 6 Lap Dash where Emily Nelson (IG SigmaSport) decided to stamp her mark. Emily is in the hunt for the overall championship win so she really needed to gather some points over her rivals, and improved on her second place result of the first round result. Jessica Roberts [leader after round one] didn’t manage to stay with her only managing a 7th placing, Megan Barker and Sophie Capewell came in second and third respectively.
Points Race – In the Points race Emily Nelson struggled to get near the points in sprint one. The points went to Lucy Shaw (Rudy Project RT), Charlotte Broughton (Team Sky) and her team mate Grace Garner, Megan Barker mopped up the final points. Emily fought back in sprint two followed by Jess Roberts (Raleigh GAC) who seemed to be a little off form on the night, Holden (Maxgear) and Sophie Capewell (WD40). This meant that Shaw needed to win on the line in order to take it from Nelson. Unfortunately Lucy didn’t quite manage it, coming over the line second to Grace Garner (Team Sky), this meant Grace leapfrogged Lucy into 2nd place and Emily took the win. Thrilling race.
Scratch Race – Emily Nelson took control yet again and of the girls competition and won, with the Team Sky duo of Grace Garner and Charlotte Broughton in second and third respectively. This means that Emily Nelson is now leading the girls competition taking the jersey from Jessica Roberts.
Over the evening I noticed that this meet seems to have not only been about the girls but also about siblings, Lucy and Grace Garner both put in great performances in their elite and junior races, and younger siblings of previous DHL Future Stars are now starting to make their mark like Tom Rotherham who’s older brother Matt previously dominated DHL Future Stars races.
Coming soon – Heather’s interview with Emily Nelson & Paige Milward.
DHL Future Stars Boys:
Scratch Race – Stuart Balfour made a valiant attempt to lose the peloton and with a few laps to go it looked like he was going to succeed in staying away, but with two laps remaining he was caught. Tom Rotherham and Tristan Robbins stormed to the line, Tom took the victory by a wheel.
Points Race – In the boys points race Tom Rotherham crossed the finish line first but only took enough points to come 3rd (4 points). Second place went to Levi moody (6pts) and the winner with 8 points was Joe Evans.
6 Lap Dash – In the 6 Lap Dash Levi’s consistent results meant he pulled on the yellow future stars jersey at the end of the evening, taking it from Tristan Robbins who now lies in second place on the same number of points as Levi (138), it’s looking like a real battle for the boys this year with about five riders in the mix for the championship.
Revolution Series 10 | Revolution 38 – 1km Madison TT – Robert Bengsch & Marcel Kalz (Rudy Project RT) wind it up – ©www.ChrisMaher.co.uk
Elite 1km Madison Time Trial:
The Madison is always a crowd pleaser and the guys from Rudy Project love this race so you know they will always put in a great performance, and they did just that. Six teams came in under one minute and at the halfway point IG SigmaSport duo of Tom Murray and Steven Burke looked like they were going to be the ones to beat with a time of 59.239, Team Sky’s pairing of Alex Dowsett and Luke Rowe had only managed a time of 59.956 but with a couple of big names to come including Rudy Project and Rapha anything was possible. In the end the last three teams to take the board took the top spots. Rouleur (Jon Dibben & Sam Lowe) 3rd with 58.464, second place went to Rudy Project (Marcel Kalz & Robert Bengsch) in a time of 56.660, but the winners by over one second were the Rapha Condor Sharp pairing of Ed Clancy and Andy Tennant.
Elite Women’s Omnium – Scratch Race:
In the scratch race the competition was on from the start, no one was prepared to let the race lull. Emily Kay was on fire and prepared to take on the top riders, in the end she came away with 3rd, which when you look at the names in the peloton you have to admit she’s holding her own. Emily can provide a little turbo boost when she sprints for the line, but she was just beaten by Vos who took second. The race belonged to Katie Colclough (Specialzed-Lululemon) though who made a solo effort early on to take the win with Marianne and Emily gaining ground in the last few laps. Throughout the race Vos had sat on Emily’s wheel, which was amusing as Emily’s plan for the night was to sit on Marianne’s wheel. So I’m sure by the end of the evening they’d become very well acquainted with each other.
Elite Men’s Points Race:
The men returned to the track in the points race, Simon Yates (Maxgear Racing) took the first sprint, followed by Joe Kelly (FACE Partnership), Team Sky’s Alex Dowsett and Russell Downing (NetApp Endura). In sprint two Robert Bengsch (Rudy Project RT) took the top points, his team mate Marcel Kalz was caught in a British sandwich between Ed Clancy (Rapha Condor Sharp) and Luke Rowe (Team Sky) for the remainder. In sprint three Clancy won and that took him to the head of the points leader board, but unfortunately for him Luke Rowe also added to his tally which meant in the race for the line Rowe took the win with 9 points, Clancy pipped to the post with 8 and Simon Yates took 3rd place for Maxgear. Seems like Luke’s Movember Moustaches might be aerodynamic after all.
Women’s Team Pursuit – GB v Netherlands
This event was always going to be a close one and everyone was on the edge of their seats, the GB team consisted of Lizzie Armistead, Jo Rowsell and, Elinor Barker, they were up against the powerful combination of the Netherlands team; Marianne Vos, Amy Pieters and Ellen van Dijk. Opinion was divided in the media area who would be victorious as form was unknown for some riders. The British team seemed to get a better start than the Dutch team, but in the second lap the tenacious Marianne Vos took control of the race again as she got into her stride. It was all to play for in the final lap and GB battled wit their drop handlebar bikes to cross the line in a time of 2:28.216, just beating the Netherlands who came in with a time of 2:28.383.
Elite Elimination (Devil Scratch) Race:
The final two left standing after a thrilling race battled it out. The crowd gasped for a moment when Russ Downing swerved up to use the banking to jump Luke Rowe coming into the final lap, in his usual cheeky style, the move nearly worked culminating in a photo finish, but Luke took it by less than a quarter of a wheel.
Elite Scratch Race:
The scratch race got going and Alex Dowsett and Robert Bengsch lapped the peloton. First to the finishing line was Robert’s team mate Marcel Kalz securing him 3rd place but as the peloton came to the line it was Alex Dowsett who took glory and Bengsch had to settle for 2nd.
The Elite Men’s Team competition is still led by Ed Clancy and Andy Tennant for Rapha Condor Sharp.
Don’t forget to enter our howies Revolution T-Shirt Competition here:
Don’t forget you can catch the highlights show on ITV4 at 20:00hrs on Wednesday 05/12/2012 and afterwards on ITV Player in the UK, for those outside the UK you can watch an edited highlights show on the Revolution Series website and YouTube channel.
You can download the full event results in PDF format by clicking here.
Revolution Series 10, Round 3 is on 5th January at Manchester.
To find out more about the series and to grab one of the few remaining tickets left for the Finale of the season in February at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow. www.cyclingrevolution.com
Revolution Series 10 | Revolution 38 – Elite Men – Team Rapha Podium – Ed Clancy & Andy Tennant – ©www.ChrisMaher.co.uk
Elite Championship Standings after Round 2
1 Rapha Condor Sharp 125
2 Rudy Project RT 100
3 Rouleur 95
4 Sky Procycling 75
5 howies 68
6 Maxgear 68
7 WD40 56
8 IG-Sigma Sport 51
9 FACE 50
10 Sportscover 44
11 NetApp-Endura 40
12 Raleigh-GAC 8
Revolution Series 10 | Revolution 38 – DHL Future Stars Podium – Levi Moody & Emily Nelson – ©www.chrismaher.co.uk
1 Ed CLANCY Rapha Condor Sharp 61
2 John DIBBEN Rouleur 50
3 Simon YATES Maxgear Racing 44
4 Andy TENNANT Rapha Condor Sharp 40
5 Owain DOULL Howies 35
6 Christian GRASMANN Rudy Project RT 34
Future Stars Girls After Round 2
1 Emily NELSON IG Sigmasport 149
2 Jessica ROBERTS Raleigh GAC 133
3 Emily HAYCOX Howies 116
4 Ellie COSTER Howies 113
5 Beth HAYWARD Rapha Condor Sharp 108
6 Hannah BLOUNT Rudy Project RT 102
Future Stars Boys After Round 2
1 Levi MOODY Sportscover 138
2 Tristan ROBBINS Howies 138
3 Joe EVANS Rudy Project RT 112
4 Leon GLEDHILL Sportscover 108
5 James SHAW Sky Procycling 101
6 Jack HOYLE Rapha Condor Sharp 95
Race Results Revolution 38
Elite Mens Flying Lap
1 CLANCY Ed Rapha Condor Sharp 13.292
2 BURKE Steven IG Sigmasport 13.901
3 DIBBEN Jon Rouleur 14.063
4 KALZ Marcel Rudy Project RT 14.075
5 LATHAM Chris WD40 14.162
6 WOOD Oliver Sportscover 14.602
Elite Mens 1km Madison Time Trial
1 RAPHA-CONDOR-SHARP Rapha Condor Sharp 55.249
2 Rudy Project RT Rudy Project RT 56.660
3 ROULEUR Rouleur 58.464
4 IG Sigmasport IG Sigmasport 59.239
5 WD40 WD40 59.524
6 TEAM SKY Sky Procycling 59.956
Elite Mens Points Race
1 ROWE Luke Sky Procycling
2 CLANCY Ed Rapha Condor Sharp
3 YATES Simon Maxgear Racing
4 BENGSCH Robert Rudy Project RT
5 TENNANT Andy Rapha Condor Sharp
6 DOULL Owain Howies
Elite Mens Devil Elimination Race
1 ROWE Luke Sky Procycling
2 DOWNING Russell NetApp Endura
3 YATES Simon Maxgear Racing
4 DIBBEN Jon Rouleur
5 TENNANT Andy Rapha Condor Sharp
6 ATKINS George WD40
Elite Mens Scratch Race
1 DOWSETT Alex Sky Procycling
2 BENGSCH Robert Rudy Project R
3 KALZ Marcel Rudy Project RT
4 MOULD Jon Howies
5 TENNANT Andy Rapha Condor Sharp
6 LATHAM Chris WD40
DHL Future Stars Girls
Points Race
1 NELSON Emily IG Sigmasport 6:34.377
2 GARNER Grace Sky Procycling
3 SHAW Lucy Rudy Project RT
4 BLOUNT Hannah Rudy Project RT
5 BROUGHTON Charlotte Sky Procycling
6 DENTUS Abbie FACE Partnership
6 Lap Dash
1 NELSON Emily IG Sigmasport
2 BARKER Megan Raleigh GAC
3 CAPEWELL Sophie WD40
4 DENTUS Abbie FACE Partnership
5 COSTER Ellie Howies
6 HAYWARD Beth Rapha Condor Sharp
Scratch Race
1 NELSON Emily IG Sigmasport
2 GARNER Grace Sky Procycling
3 BROUGHTON Charlotte Sky Procycling
4 HAYWARD Beth Rapha Condor Sharp
5 BARKER Megan Raleigh GAC
6 BLOUNT Hannah Rudy Project RT
DHL Future Stars Boys
Scratch Race
1 ROTHERHAM Tom Maxgear Racing
2 ROBBINS Tristan Howies
3 MOODY Levi Sportscover
4 TANFIELD Charlie Rouleur
5 ESCRITT Jack FACE Partnership
6 WALKER Joey NetApp Endura
6 Lap Dash
1 ROTHERHAM Tom Maxgear Racing
2 HOYLE Jack Rapha Condor Sharp
3 ROBBINS Tristan Howies
4 MOODY Levi Sportscover
5 TANFIELD Charlie Rouleur
6 KELLY Jake Rudy Project RT
Points Race
Boys DHL Future Stars Points Race
1 EVANS Joe Rudy Project RT
2 MOODY Levi Sportscover
3 CULLAIGH Gabriel NetApp Endura
4 ROTHERHAM Tom Maxgear Racing
5 GLEDHILL Leon Sportscover
6 ROBBINS Tristan Howies
Revolution Women’s Omnium
Women’s International Elimination Race
1 VOS Marianne Rabobank
2 ARMITSTEAD Lizzie AA Drink – Leontien.nl
3 GARNER Lucy Node 4 Giordana
4 ROBERTS Amy Team USN
5 COLCLOUGH Katie Team Specialized – Lululemon
6 PIETERS Amy Skil – Argos
Revolution Series 10 | Revolution 38 – Katie Colclough – ©www.ChrisMaher.co.uk
Women’s International Scratch Race
1 COLCLOUGH Katie Team Specialized – Lululemon
2 VOS Marianne Rabobank
3 KAY Emily Scott Contessa – Epic
4 ROBERTS Amy Team USN
5 ARMITSTEAD Lizzie AA Drink – Leontien.nl
6 HALL Corinne Node 4 Giordana
Women’s Team Pursuit
1 Great Britain (ARMITSTEAD Elizabeth, ROWSELL Joanna, BARKER Elinor) 2:28.216
2 Netherlands (VOS Marianne, PIETERS Amy, van DIJK Ellen) 2:28.383
Revolution Series 10 | Revolution 38 – Team GB – LtoR: Elinor Barker, Lizzie Armistead & Jo Rowsell – ©www.ChrisMaher.co.uk
by Heather Bamforth | Dec 2, 2012
Revolution Series 10 | Revolution 38 – Emily Kay takes on the Champions LtoR: Any Pieters, Emily Kay, Lizzie Armistead – Image © www.ChrisMaher.co.uk
During Revolution 38, I caught up with Emily Kay, last year’s winner of the DHL Future Stars competition, to find out how she is was finding it mixing it up with the Olympic and Senior World Champions on the track.
Emily on the podium at the beginning of her run as DHL Future Stars Champion – ©2010 Anna Magrath/Cycling Shorts.
DHL Future Stars Process
Emily has been a part of the DHL process right from the start. “I started off with the DHL Sprint School,” she explains, “then moved up to the DHL Future Stars, and now I’m riding with the best riders in the world. So, I suppose that’s proof that the system works. It’s great to get the opportunity to race against the likes of Marianne Vos and Lizzie Armitstead too.”
The Elimination Race
“I usually prefer to ride the elimination race from the front, riding at my own pace, but tonight was totally different. I found it slower than I was expecting, but it meant that I had to try different tactics than I’d use normally. But obviously
Revolution 36 – Emily graduates – final podium as a DHL Future Stars after three years domination – speaking to Hugh Porter – ©2012 Anna Magrath/Cycling Shorts.
this is a good stage to try things out on.”
Her tactics obviously worked, with a seventh in the Elimination Race.
The Scratch Race
Emily had said at the outset of the night that her main aim was to sit on Marianne Vos’s wheel at some point. In actual fact, during the Scratch race, Vos was sat on Emily’s wheel during the scratch race. Katie Colclough went off the front with a few laps to go, and it wasn’t until about two laps to go that Vos tried to close the gap, although Colclough held her off to take the win. Emily Kay stayed with Vos and tried to outsprint her on the line for second, eventually coming a close third to Vos’s second.
The Points Race
I asked Emily how the racing compared to the DHL Future Stars events. “Riding the domestic events, you find that you race against the same people all of the time and you tend to use the same tactics,” she said. “Riding at the Junior World Championships you get to ride with other people who you wouldn’t necessarily get to compete against ordinarily, this is just a step up from that. I’m really enjoying it though”.
Emily stayed with the bunch over the course of the points race, placing in one of the sprints. Ellen Van Dyck was the eventual winner, with Vos third.
by Heather Bamforth | Nov 29, 2012
With a new title sponsor on board in the British Cycling women’s network, Breeze, an updated website (www.cheshireclassic.co.uk) and a Twitter campaign (@cheshireclassic), together with the race being pushed back to the second event in the National Women’s Road Race Series, it is all change in 2013.
Andy Wood, the event’s organiser on behalf of Weaver Valley Cycling Club, has forwarded the press release to me for sharing to our readers:
“Breeze supports new look 2013 Cheshire Classic
“After an incredible summer of women’s cycling, the Cheshire Classic Women’s Road Race launched its 2013 campaign by announcing that British Cycling’s Breeze network is to be an event partner.
“With cycling becoming more and more popular in the UK the Cheshire Classic wants to make the most of the opportunity to encourage more women to ride their bikes. Funded by the National Lottery via Sport England, Breeze is the biggest programme ever to get more women into riding bikes for fun.
“The Cheshire Classic takes place a week later than usual this year on Sunday 28th April in Northwich, and is organised by Weaver Valley Cycling Club. Last year’s edition was won by Paralympic superstar Sarah Storey with previous winners including Olympic Silver medallist Lizzie Armitstead, Nicole Cooke and two time Junior World Champion Lucy Garner.
Network Manager at Breeze, Natalie Justice replied “our partnership with the Cheshire Classic was a no brainer; a reputable race with great heritage to inspire more women to get out on their bike, at whatever level. The race is a fantastic way to raise awareness on a National level”.
Organiser Andy Wood commented “the potential growth of Women’s cycling is huge. There is a lot to think about from which bike to get, to what clothing, to getting fit to join a club – it can all be quite intimidating. A major goal for me is to use the race to help people out, we’re bringing on board partners to help us provide advice and Breeze was the perfect fit”.
“The race also sees a brand new identity alongside a redeveloped website which includes a dedicated area with tips and advice from Sarah Storey, Lucy Garner & Hannah Walker. The area offers support to riders from grass roots to those wanting to start racing.
“We are hoping that 2013 will be the best yet, some of the most exciting racing at the Olympics was in the Women’s races and we want to build on the back of that. We are looking to add new features and more prize money to the race, every single penny raised is invested back into the race”.
As part of their new strategy you can follow the build up to the Cheshire Classic on Twitter (@cheshireclassic) and Facebook. Race entries are now open to riders.”
If you feel that racing is a step too far at the moment, you can find more about the Breeze network below:
British Cycling’s Breeze is the biggest programme ever to get more women into riding bikes for fun. Our aim is to help thousands more women feel confident and comfortable about going on a ride. Breeze is part of British Cycling’s programme of free bike rides, information and support designed to help and inspire women of all ages and abilities to re-discover the fun of bike riding. It has never been easier to get back on a bike as the Breeze network offers some great information, advice and support on a wide range of topics including access to cycle hire, someone to ride with and safe routes in their local area.
To join a Breeze bike ride in your area, register at www.breezebikerides.com or contact the Breeze network at British Cycling on 0161 274 2117.
by Heather Bamforth | Nov 28, 2012
With the recent announcements that Maxgear RT’s women’s squad (the Maxgearettes) have made recently, I thought it would be a good idea to catch up with the girls to find out what has been happening in their world. The riders for next season are Nicola Soden, Melissa Bury, Lauryn Therin, Frankie White, Eve Dixon and Jo Blakeley, together with the Team Manager, Ian Bury
The Maxgearettes line up has changed slightly ready for next season. Have you changed your targets as a team for next season?
N (@nicolasoden) – As a team, the targets will be broadly similar to last year – National Road Race Series, Team Series, Tour Series and Track Nationals although the way in which they are targeted will change. The team will use a planned approach to each race based on differing courses and rider strengths. Each rider also has personal objectives within each race. There are a couple of stage races some of us would like to ride in Ireland and Jersey (Lauryn’s home turf) and we plan to make a few trips over to Belgium again.
M (@smelissabury) – This year we are aiming to have more of a presence as a team at the national series and team series races. This will hopefully enable us to get to know each other well and get to know each others riding styles so we can work to every ones strengths.
L (@lauryntherin) – From our initial team meetings we have all agreed that our targets for the coming season are to be process focused not outcome focused. A strong team ethic and developing as a group of riders who support one another is an integral part of this process. From this, we see our team developing significantly and it’s something we are all very much looking forward to.
J (@jo_blakeley) – This season we have both team and individual targets which will no doubt develop over the winter and racing season as we learn what each others strengths are and how we can work together. I think its important to allow both focuses to maximise the team potential.
You’ve brought some new riders into the fold, how do you think they will fit within the team’s dynamic?
I (@rugbyleague1) – We are delighted to have both Jo and Lauryn on board, they both bubble enthusiasm and bring new things to the team. Lauryn has an extremely exciting sporting background including world class Bobsleigh and has proved in the National Track Champs this year that she is a particularly good sprinter! Jo is very strong at Time Trial, so both riders will add new strengths to the team which should allow us to target more race types. The new team mates also means that five of our six riders are now based in Manchester within 5miles of each other, which should allow us to socialise and train better as a team, rather than just meeting up at races.
F (@frankiewhite7) – They are fitting in perfectly already! I went out with Jo on the MTB last weekend and we had great fun!
E (@eve_dixon) – We all get on really well and enjoy cycling together rather than cycling as individuals, I also think it is the strongest line up we’ve had in Maxgear in the three years I’ve been on the team!
M – After a couple of team meetings I am very excited about the new riders for next year. It will bring and open up new and different opportunities for races, as each of our riders have different strengths.
L – Being one of the new riders myself, I can see already that each individual brings something exciting to the dynamic of the team. And the best bit is, we haven’t even been out on our bikes yet!
J – I’d like to think I fit quite well into the team dynamic!! We all get on well and work/study in a variety of different areas so we all bring something a little different to the table. We also all want to
ride as a team – which I believe is one of the most important things.
Have you seen any increased level of interest since the Olympics/Paralympics, with people approaching your team for help?
E – no but there has been a rise in interest to join the team
M – We have seen an increased level of interest this year, however many seemed to be seasoned riders, so I am not sure if it was the Olympic/Paralympics that triggered this.
L – From discussions with Ian, I am aware that a number of girls contacted him displaying their interest and this was certainly more than previous years. For this reason, it is all the more important that I work hard to prove to the squad I was the right rider to choose.
How do you expect the season to unfold next year? There are new races on the calendar in the North West, how do you expect this to impact on your team?
N – It is great to see the development of a new women’s league as part of the CDNW series limited to 2/3/4 category women. It is a brilliant step forward in womens cycling in the UK as there is currently only racing available at National Level, sometimes against some of the countries or even worlds best riders. The alternative are short criteriums on closed circuits and not much in between. This new series fills this gap, offering road racing more in line with the mens split E/1/2, 3/4 system. The series will be extremely beneficial to our team as it will allow our riders to practice team tactics, build confidence and try things they may not get chance to in a National level race.
E – All new races are good for the whole of the country I think there will be women prepared to travel if they are well run events rather than just cyclists in the North West.
F – We’re really excited about the CDNW 2W/3W/4W series mainly because it should give us an opportunity to be able to dominate races as a team but also because they are local it means our family and friends can come watch.
M – I am very pleased that there are more races being put on in the North West, as I am at Manchester University so it makes getting to races a lot easier! Also a lot of the team have work commitments, so being able to get to and from a race in a day is a massive help both financially and time wise.
L – As a team we have already planned an idea of what we would like our season to look like. The North West based races is something we will target and we are confident about our team working hard for one another.
J – It’s great there’s some events close by. It’s the nature of women’s racing at the moment that races are few and far apart. To have a set of races that are close to home is great news. I’m looking
forward to them.
How would you like domestic women’s cycling to evolve?
F – Personally I would like to see even greater advancements on those made with the entry level CDNW 2W/3W/4W series this year. When I first had a go at racing 18 months ago there didn’t seem to be a great deal out there for those unable to keep with an elite women’s bunch. Jenny Gretton has done a brilliant job with season starter crits at Tameside and Palatine Circuit, but these don’t last the whole season. Things are obviously changing, though until a hoard more ladies turn up, beginners will only continue to try and hang on to the super speedy for much of the season.
E – I would like it to become more feasible for the women to be the best they can and get a wider range of cycling in Britain rather than just an elitist sport with very few individuals getting the support.
M – As I race in Belgium a lot, I would love to see closed roads in Women’s racing. This seems to increase the quality of racing as the riders don’t have to worry about cars, and closed roads just seem to make the event more impressive.
J – I’d like to see more women taking cycling further and more publicity for womens’ cycling. This has definitely grown recently with the Olympics but there’s still a lot of people who don’t realise about the cycling groups/activities that are available around the corner. I didn’t know until just after I started cycling that there was a grass track at the park which we often went to – there’s so many different types of cycling and not enough people who know about them.
There are a number of new networks that have popped up on facebook for of regional groups for women’s cycling, so this should help massively.
Maxgearettes.blogspot.com
@maxgearettes
by Paul Harris | Nov 28, 2012
Stranger in the night – dipping a toe into the dark
There’s a lot of buzz about night riding at the minute – what with the massive national increase in cycling since the summer of Wiggo and the Olympics, participation has skyrocketed both on and off road. With our balmy, breezy summer evenings, cycling through August, September and even October is perfectly do-able, but the switch to Greenwich Mean Time rather spoils the party unless you’re somewhere lit. That’s where quality lights come in – but quality can be pretty pricey. If you’ve never done it before, how are you going to know whether it works for you without taking a punt on a bunch of expensive kit. What you need is an understanding shop and an agreeable light manufacturer.
Luckily for me, I live not too far from such a shop. Run And Ride at Hednesford are literally right on the doorstep of Cannock Chase, which gives them access to miles of trails, and they took it upon themselves to hook up with Exposure Lights to put on a tryout evening – the incredibly accommodating Exposure sent along a massive crate of their finest off road light sets, and Run And Ride invited the world to pop up to Cannock one chilly November evening, where they would strap on some serious lighting kit and lead you on a night foray.
I chucked the bike in the back and packed some cycling kit in the car that morning, and headed straight up there after work. Even early on there was a decent turnout, and it was simplicity itself to get signed up. As a nightriding newbie, I put myself at their mercy as to what to try out, and was both startled and pleased to be given a Six Pack to try, a self-contained handlebar mounted light that lit up the trail not unlike a police helicopter search light. I was impressed.
Once everyone was sorted, we were split into fast and steady groups and set out for a trawl around the Chase. Having not ridden off road at night before, it was a fascinating experience – the nature of the visibility makes you hyper-focused on the spread of light before you, and it all seems much, much quicker, the flickering of shadows on uneven ground keeping you on your toes the whole time. I loved it – I can definitely do the winter cycling thing, which has opened up another six months of riding for me. Happy days.
Six Pack is an incredible bit of kit – a single unit with the battery included, on full power it’ll kick out 1800 lumens for about three hours, with medium (up to 10 hours), low (up to 24 hours) and flash settings, the indicator on the back will change colour to indicate the remaining charge, and it’ll drop itself down through the modes as it reaches the end of the battery to make sure there’s always a bit of get-you-home light in there. Riding with the Six Pack alone was great on straight or flowing tracks, with the beam plenty wide for most occasions, but when we got into the nadgery stuff, very tight and twisty, I found myself turning into corners blind, my eyes tracking the path round the next corner before I needed to turn the bars. If you only ever rode on fast, open trails, the Six Pack would be great on its own, but if you’re likely to face any tighter turns, I think you’d have to go for a helmet-mounted light as well.
I learned a lot that night – I had a great 12 mile ride out on a Thursday evening, and I found out that riding needn’t stop because the light goes. I even found a great new shop – it must have taken a lot of time and effort to organise, and thankfully they had a good turnout to reward their efforts. The staff were friendly and approachable and incredibly helpful (one poor chap in front of me had his chain snap when he got out of the saddle at speed, resulting in a big swap one way, then a big swap the other way, ending in an oddly graceful flying W into the ferns – thankfully he was fine and one of the Run And Ride crew had the chain back together, (oooo, I’m going to say about 90 seconds after the crash happened, impressive stuff), and there was no hint of a hard sell afterwards, just good banter and useful advice. There’s a reason why people are both proud and protective of their local bike shop – that’s another thing I learned, too.
Massive thanks to Run And Ride and Exposure Lights for a great evening and an extra six months riding a year!
www.gorunandride.co.uk
www.exposurelights.com
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by Heather Bamforth | Nov 26, 2012
Phil and Anna Weaver of Epic Cycles opened their doors on a sunny Sunday morning to welcome the class of 2013.
Team Scott Contessa Epic formed in 2011 and with 8 junior riders on the squad for the 2012 Road Season and they managed to secure victory in the National Womens Team Series in their first year.
Today (25 November 2012) the team was announced with a 10 strong line up for the 2013 season retaining talented juniors from last year and introducing some exciting riders to add even further strength and depth to the team.
Now in only their 2nd year the team are already planning an assault on the major events for womens bike racing in the UK starting with a defence of the Team Series title.
The team has developed and become more commercially focused for the coming season and as such they have positioned a strong management team to support every aspect. One such position is Directeur Sportif and Scott Contessa Epic have aimed high in securing Alan Gornall, Commonwealth Gold medallist and well respected former professional cyclist.
On accepting the position Alan wasted no time in introducing himself to the team along with his clear and direct ambitions for them.
He went on to say “It is an honour to be involved with some of the best young female cyclists in the UK and having spent the day with the riders I am very excited about next season. My wife Sue and I have been involved with cycling at every level both in the UK and internationally and the future of our sport looks very promising. Scott Contessa Epic was very quickly recognised as the team to be involved in for Womens bike racing and has already played a part in producing a World Champion, European champions and providing 3/5ths of the GB Junior Worlds squad. That is some accolade for a team that is only one year old!”
Phil Weaver of Epic Cycles has tirelessly worked on behalf of the riders ensuring they have world class equipment, clothing and support.
“Both Scott UK and Epic Cycles are very proud to be part of the team and more importantly the development of its riders. 4 girls moved up to the next level of cycling and we are proud to have been part of their development as riders. With 3 girls now full time with the GB academy and 1 focusing on UCI events in Europe I feel we have every right to be proud and we will endeavour to do all we can in supporting the future of women’s cycle racing. I know that the 10 riders we have for the coming season perfectly match the team ethos, which, as we have proven, will ultimately lead to success” he commented.
New appointments to the team are;
Crystal Lane, Paralympic Cyclist and London 2012 Team GB member
Laura Wasley, TT specialist, IoM Commonwealth/Island Games hopeful
Alice Barnes, National MTB Junior Champion GB ODP rider
Kim English, 1st Year Junior former National Champion
Beth Hayward, 1st year Junior and GB OPD Track and Road rider
Amy Gornall, 1st year Junior, Road Race and Hill Climb specialist
Joined from last season by;
Emily Kay, Multi-National track champ, GB OPD and 2012 World RR rider
Rebecca Hunt, 2nd year Junior Track and Road all rounder
Anna Christian, 2nd year Junior Road and TT specialist
Zoe Armstrong, 2nd year Junior Road, Circuit Racing and Cyclo Cross
Scott Contessa Epic line up for 2013 L-R
Emily Kay, Anna Christian, Rececca Hunt, Zoe Armstrong, Laura Wasley, Crystal Lane, Beth Hayward, Amy Gornall, Kim English and Alice Barnes
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