Women’s Tour de Yorkshire 2016

ChTHltTWgAEPmsBWords by Anna Magrath Images by Chris Maher

 

Record Crowds for Spectacular Day 2 of Tour de Yorkshire

Over one million spectators came out to cheer on the riders for the second day of the Tour de Yorkshire, as the county celebrated a ground breaking day for women’s cycling.
Glorious sunshine started the day in Otley for the hotly anticipated Asda Tour de Yorkshire Women’s Race where World Champion Lizzie Armitstead led the peloton out of her hometown.
Crowds bigger than those who witnessed the Grand Départ in Otley cheered on as 100 of the world’s best female riders took part including Rio hopeful Emma Pooley; Dani King and Lucy Garner from British squad Wiggle High5, Hitec Products brought one of the world’s strongest sprinters Kirsten Wild and Dame Sarah Storey took part – Great Britain’s most decorated female Paralympian in history.
Speaking before the start Lizzie Armitstead, racing in her World Champions jersey for the first time in the UK, paid tribute to her home town of Otley and the immense support she was receiving.
The 136km race was a game changer for women’s cycling in the UK as it took the same route as the men’s and offered over £50,000 (€63,623) – currently the biggest prize pot in women’s cycling.
The winner of the Asda Women’s Tour de Yorkshire was Kirsten Wild from Team Hitec Products who crossed the finish line in Doncaster before thousands of cheering fans.

Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire said:

“Today has been an historic day for women’s cycling and it’s been a spectacular day of racing. The crowds were once again phenomenal and to see how the people of Yorkshire have taken this event to their hearts is just overwhelming. There was so much spirit and positivity in Yorkshire today it was magnificent to see. Clearly the one thing we would have changed if we could was the fact we had intermittent live TV coverage but I must stress that safety is paramount. Unfortunately there was a serious technical fault with the plane relaying the TV signal, the plane had to be grounded and the TV coverage could not continue for this reason.

“Fans and communities have continued their spectacular support for the Tour de Yorkshire not just from the routes but also digitally by sharing images, footage and updates to keep the public informed. Please keep tweeting and following @letouryorkshire and we will be putting highlights online tonight.
“We are now focussed on the day ahead tomorrow from Middlesbrough to Scarborough which promises to be an exhilarating race!”

ChTEvB2UoAADB7-Kirsten Wild:  The plan was to let a little group go with one of us in the break, unfortunately that didn’t work out, the girls did a good chase and we caught them in the final, it was really good work. The sprint was hard, I started a bit too early, and I thought maybe not, there was a really strong headwind, so I let one girl pass and I could follow her and then pass her in the final again. There were a lot of people on the roadside it was really nice to have that support. It’s good to win here in Doncaster.

Lucy Garner: “I couldn’t quite get around Kirsten for the sprint, everyone know she’s an awesome sprinter, she’s definitely the one to beat here today in a sprint, actually for me I’ve not been 100% healthy coming into this race so I couldn’t have asked for more today, especially from my team Wiggle High-5, they did an awesome job to bring the three that were away back. It would have been great if we had a rider up in the break, so we did have to work hard to bring them back but there were other teams working with us who also wanted a sprint finish. We caught the back [of the train] with 4km to go and then it was just a case of focusing on the sprint finish. We knew we had to look out for Lizzie [Armitstead] she’s on great form this season and has won so many races, it’s just lucky for us her breakaway didn’t stay away.”

Lizzie Armitstead: “I wanted to put on an aggressive race and a bit of a show, it’s what it’s all about cycling, it’s a bit of an entertainment show at the end of the day. I wanted to be able to get stuck in and have a go. There were a couple of moments where I thought we could stay away [from the peloton] we were holding them at about a minute and the team car came up and they told us the organisation in the chase is not very good so just keep plugging away, but when we tried towards Doncaster and it was just a block headwind we weren’t getting above 45km per hour I thought, right they are going to be closing that gap pretty quickly. 

By the time we were caught I’d burnt all my matches, I tried to get stuck in and help some of the younger girls on my team but actually they didn’t need it, they were quicker than me, so i was really proud of the way GB rode today, there are some young girls in the team and I think they have very bright futures. The course lived up to my expectations, in fact it was better, stating in Otley it was a goose pimple moment. All along the course there were people shouting so thank you to everyone who turned out.”

 

Jersey winners:

Overall, the winner of the blue Asda Women’s Tour de Yorkshire jersey was Kirsten Wild; her Hitech teammate Lauren Kitchen took the navy jersey of the Aunt Bessie’s sprint; Rossella Ratto of Cyclance Pro Cycling won the pink Mug Shot Queen of the Mountain jersey; the Howden’s Joinery/RNLI white jersey for best young newcomer went to Lucy Garner and the purple best team classification was awarded by Doncaster Sheffield Airport/Flybe to the Great Britain team.

 

 

More images and interviews from the race to come so watch this space!

Tour of the Reservoir Stage 2 Report, Gallery & Results

Barnes Stamps On Her Pedals To Victory In The 2016 Alexandra Tour Of The Reservoir Stage Two, Whilst Rowsell Revisits The Podium In Style In A Last Minute Effort For Glory.

 

Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir stage two.

Brilliant sunshine greeted the Ladies assembling in Blanchland for stage two of the Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir 2016.

A steady ride along to the Reservoir circuit saw the group lead by Team WNT’s Hanna Walker before two riders set-about an early lead.

It was Team WNT’s Walker and Jo Tindley that led onto the first of five climbs up to the Manor House by over two minutes before Tindley found herself soloing around the Reservoir for thee laps.

Holding a good One-Thirty-Five lead, several attempts at bridging across the gap failed with Walker marshalling the moves from Henrietta Colborne, Team Ford Ecoboost, Eleanor Dickinson, Drops Cycling Team and Natasha Reddy, RP Vision Racing Team.

The gap closed on the second ascend to the Manor House were all the chasers were reeled in once more.

As the race progressed around the circuit and past the feed zone, Tindley still had a forty-four second advantage, but Drops and Ecoboost were making progress.

By the third ascend and the first Prime, Tindley’s reign was all but over as the race flattened out, Tindley’s gap had shrunk to fifteen seconds.

The race all came back together but crosswinds split the group into-two with around twenty-five going clear. It wasn’t long and they were all back together once more.

The pace had proved too much for race leader Grace Garner, Podium Ambitions p/b Club La Santa who soon found comfort and company from Hannah Walker at a more leisurely pace before retiring.

Tour of the Reservoir 2016 - Motorpoint Spring Cup Stage 2As the Bell Lap approached Julie Erskine, Team Ford Ecoboost had a ten second lead from two chasers Anna Turvey, Tyneside Vagabonds and Maddi Campbell, Team Footon Velosport. These two had come from an earlier split of twelve escapees, but reformed one final time before the final push to the line.

With around two-minutes advantage, the victory was going to one of the girls from this leading bunch including Nikki Juniper, Eleanor Dickinson, Alice Barnes and Alice Cobb.

Five-Hundred meters remaining, the group had fragmented slightly up the steep climb to the reservoir . It was Alice Barnes, Team 100%ME who’s head came into view firstly, stomping on her pedals with under fifty meters to the finish-line. Unable to match the speed of Barnes, it was left up to Juniper and Lucy Shaw, Drops Cycling to battle for the final podium placements.

Nikki Juniper wins the General Classification for the Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir 2016, Eleanor Dickinson, Drops Cycling Development second and Maddi Campbell, Team Footon Velosport third.

After round two of the Women’s Road Series 2016, Nikki Juniper, Team Ford Ecoboost moves up-to the top of the leader board going into round three in the Lincoln Grand Prix in mid May.

 

Nikki Juniper talked to Cycling Shorts after the Podium Presentation: “So yesterday we got Charline on the podium, which is what we wanted. Job done!”, “And today was more about myself, the girls worked so hard for me to put me in a good position. Kinda wanted to control it (the race) until the last lap, and that’s where we said I would go, on the climb”. 

 

Stage 2 Results

Tour of the Reservoir 2016 - Motorpoint Spring Cup Stage 21: Alice Barnes 100% ME

2: Nicola Juniper Team Ford Ecoboost

3: Lucy Shaw Drops Cycling Team

4: Eleanor Dickinson Drops Cycling Development Team

5: Maddi Campbell Team Footon Velosport

6: Emily Wadsworth Beeline-Gener8

7: Jennifer Hudson Fushion RT Fierlan

8: Natalie Grinczer Team WNT

9: Alice Cobb Matrix Fitness p/b Corley Cycles

10: Jennifer Holden Fushion RT Fierlan

 

General Classification

Tour of the Reservoir 2016 - Motorpoint Spring Cup Stage 21: Nicola Juniper Team Ford Ecoboost

2: Eleanor Dickinson Drops Cycling Development Team

3: Maddi Campbell Tean Footon Velosport

4: Emily Wadsworth Beeline-Gener8

5: Alice Cobb Matrix Fitness p/b Corley Cycles

6: Jennifer Holden Fushion RT Fierlan

7: Sophie Wright Renvale RT

8: Anna Turvey Tyneside Vagabonds CC

9: Lucy Shaw Drops Cycling Team

10: Melissa Lowther Team Breeze

11: Alice Barnes 100% ME

12: Jennifer Hudson Fushion RT Fierlan

13: Keira McVitty Team WNT

14: Neah Evans Glasgow Sprint Track Cycling Team

15: Karla Boddy Drops Cycling Team

 

Tour of the Reservoir 2016 - Motorpoint Spring Cup Stage 2

Motorpoint Spring Cup Tour of the Reservoir Stage Two

Erick Rowsell, Madison Genesis made a brilliant solo charge to victory in the final conclusion of the 2016 Tour of the Reservoir.

The back-end of the race saw two solo rides, firstly been Ryan Perry, Metaltek Kuota, then by Rowsell who charged past Perry with a few kilometres to go. Perry had a one-o-five second lead across the line for the bell lap. Both riders coming from the final seven-man break coming off the large three-lap circuit over Bale Hill.

JLT Condor had set the pace of the main Peloton chasing the seven escapees, not having a man in the break that had two Madison, two Metaltek, Raleigh GAC, NFTO and Pedal Heaven represented.

The wind had picked up significantly from the Women’s Race earlier in the day, and a twelve man group formed in the early stages on the Reservoir circuit.

The group whittled down as race progressed, Briggs sliding out firstly, then re-joining and settling at around two-twenty before moving onto the big circuits.

As the final group of seven had assembled, Cronshaw, Madison Genesis attacked, then Rowsell up the final big climb. Before long, they were heading back down to Reservoir and the final two circuits.

 

Tour of the Reservoir 2016 - Motorpoint Spring Cup Stage 21: Erick Rowsell Madison Genesis

2: Dexter Gardias Pedal Heaven

3: James Gullen Pedal Heaven

4: Thomas Traviss-Pollard Metaltek Kuota Racing Team

5: Jack Puller Pedal Heaven

6: Joseph Fry Pedal Heaven

7: Jonny McEvoy NFTO

8: Adria Moreno Sala Raleigh GAC

9: Tom Moses JLT Condor

10: Ryan Perry Metaltek Kuota Racing Team

 

General Classification

Tour of the Reservoir 2016 - Motorpoint Spring Cup Stage 21: Joseph Fry Pedal Heaven

2: Jonny McEvoy NFTO

3: Adria Moreno Sala Raleigh GAC

4: Tom Moses JLT Condor

5: Taylor Gunman Madison Genesis

6: Connor Swift Envelopemaster Giant Sheffield

7: Erick Rowsell Madison Genesis

8: Dexter Gardias Pedal Heaven

9: Jack Pullar Pedal Heaven

10: James Gullen Pedal Heaven

 

Motorpoint Spring Cup Leader after round three.

1: Jonny McEvoy NFTO

Race Tactics – it’s more than just a lead out

The growth of women’s cycling over the last few years has since a big increase in numbers attending events. Whilst this is obviously a positive for our sport, it also means that there are more challenges in races, as many riders (from junior to veteran) have been brought up racing in smaller numbers, where the best sprinter invariably would win. However, times are changing, and with that comes the need to understand race tactics in more depth.  Admittedly, this is quite a large topic, so I will keep it relatively brief in the first instance.  Here goes…

Bunch sprints don’t work for anybody other than those prepared to sprint

So if you’re not prepared to get your elbows out in the sprint finish, or you don’t fancy sprinting, you need to rethink your options. Which could be any one, or a selection of the following:

  • attack off the front, on your own
  • attack off the front, with other riders (not necessarily your own team mates)
  • slim the numbers in the bunch down by making it hard
  • use the circuit to your advantage

All seem relatively straightforward, don’t they? But hardly anybody uses these tools to their advantage.

(c) Chris Maher 2016

Offence is the best form of defence

Not something you probably hear much within cycling circles – it stems more from American Football, but it is also true in road racing – go on the offensive and you are at an advantage straightaway. This doesn’t mean that you swear and curse at your fellow riders (the beauty of the English language); instead it means that you stay near the front and off the front, so that riders come to you.  And guess what? It really is easier, as you don’t have to keep chasing people down, because they come to you. This lesson is especially important when you are riding in a bunch of over 60 – on the continent, races can have up to 200 riders and you can’t ride from the back to the front if 200 riders are stretched out, so you have to be near the front. I always look out for riders who are happy to sit at the back of the bunch, as the chances are that they are biding their time and conserving their energy for the sprint at the end. But if they’re at the back, that means it’s harder to stay on wheels as the less confident riders tend to drift to the back and they run the risk of getting dropped if the pace goes up.

A race is just that, a race

Which means that it shouldn’t be easy. It’s called “competition” so if you are finding that everybody in the bunch is chatting away, chances are you’re going to end up with a mass bunch sprint at the end of the race. If you know your stuff, you will know that once it comes down to a bunch sprint, you are much less likely to be in control of your own destiny and are at the whim of others. So if the bunch is having a chinwag riding along and you need a result, you need to do as much as possible to ensure that the chatting stops, the pace goes up and your competition start to find it a bit harder, because that is how you slim the numbers down and swing the finishing result in your favour.

MuleBar Tour of Northumberland 2016 | Stage One

Know your competition

This is two-fold: you want to know who to avoid (for example, riders you know who struggle with corners, or brake excessively) and you also want to know who probably knows what they’re talking about, who’s up for a race, and who you would want in a breakaway with you. If you’re not sure who that should be, look at the list of riders entered and see who’s good at time trialling, as chances are they will be pretty strong. At the same time, remember that anybody who knows what they’re doing, regardless of what they look like or how old they are, will know which wheel to follow and how to sit in. The rule is, don’t underestimate your competition.

When an attack isn’t an attack

There is a time and a place to attack.  You can also attack more than once in a race, but if you’re going to do so, make sure that your early attacks are feints rather than full on attacks.  The idea with this is that you are seeing who is up for the race and who isn’t on form.  Make sure you attack in different places, but choose the timing.  For example, most attacks happen either just after the brow of a hill or a corner when, in actual fact, the attacks which have the most effect tend to be when people least expect it.

Keeping the pace high

I’ve been in races when a discussion has been had pre-race that we would try to keep the pace high to slim the field down.  The only problem is that you have that discussion with riders and then they don’t necessarily understand that it just means you do through and off at the front of the race at a fairly high speed; instead when it’s their turn to come through they attack. This tactic doesn’t usually work if you’re trying to keep the pace high. And regardless of what you may think, it’s generally a good idea to keep the pace high because the race is then safer and you don’t end up with people riding into the space underneath your armpit and encroaching on your dance space.

Lead out trains only work from the front

If half of your team is sat near the back of the bunch, it’s not going to work is it? You need rider numbers, speed, nerves of steel and lots of confidence to effect a successful lead out, so if you think your team mates are going to be hanging around the back of the bunch, pick another tactic to win your race.

Use the circuit to pick your moment

Watch your competition as they go through the finish line – if the finish is slightly uphill and people are struggling, knock it into your little ring and roll up and see whether you can ride past people as you go through the finish. When it’s not the final lap, nobody will notice that you’re watching other riders. If the finish isn’t your ideal finish, pick somewhere else to make your move – it may be a tight corner that you’re better than others at riding, or there may be a descent when you can press home your advantage – look at areas as you go around and work out what will work best for you.

Tour Of The Reservoir 2016 | Elite Spring Cup & Women's Road Ser

Don’t be a sheep – negative racing is literally the WORST

Don’t follow every single attack that goes up the road, unless there is somebody in it who you want to be in a break with (the potential race winner, perhaps?). Also, don’t just mark people because you don’t want them to win. It makes a race really really boring. If you’ve got the ability to chase somebody down why not continue and do a real attack?

MuleBar Tour of Northumberland 2016 | Stage TwoIf you’re there for the photographs, you really need to be off the front

Why do you think professional riders launch random solo attacks 200km from the finish? Not because they’re mental (necessarily) but because it gives your team/sponsor(s) exposure. So if you’re in a sponsored team, do your sponsors a favour and attempt some attacks, because sponsors want exposure of the positive kind. Thanking you in advance!

Enjoy yourself

Funnily enough, if you want to be there, you will probably surprise yourself. Don’t pressurise yourself into getting a result, just enjoy it for what it is – a bike race.

 

Check out Heathers previous guides:

Womens Cycling Planning Ahead

 

Click below to read:
Part One – Where Do I Start?
Part Two – What Do I Enter?
Part Three – What training should I do?
Part Four – Practice! Practice! Practice!
Part Five – Are You Ready To Race?
Part Six – Race Day
Part Seven – Circuit Racing

 

2016 Tour Of The Reservoir Garner & Moses Claim Stage One Victories

All images ©www.chrismaher.co.uk / CyclingShorts.cc

 

Garner And Moses Claim Stage One Victories By A Wheels Length In The 2016 Tour Of The Reservoir.

 

Podium Ambition P/B Club La Santa’s Grace Garner and JLT Condor’s Thomas Moses both win the first Tour of the Reservoir stage by a narrow margin in a last effort kick for the line.

The Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir’s Women’s Race started the days action off, after an hours delay due to the return of more overnight Wintery weather.

Four girls made an initial break once they were on the Kermese Style circuit course of the Dam Wall. The main group then reformed by lap three in this reduced ten-lap race.

This second in the Women’s Road Series event had attracted an twenty-percent more field than the Men’s event, but the promise of harsh conditions and poor health had reduced the sign-on to eighty-one riders starting the day.

It all came down to the final big bunch sprint across the Dam Wall with Garner just edging out Lowther across the line.

It’s Grace Garner’s first visit to the Tour of the Resevoir, and she’ll start stage two in the Pink Champion System’s leaders Jersey.

Tom Moses victory came after a gruelling seven lap circuit of Derwent Water Reservoir.

An active Peloton from the start saw a lone escapee after the official Start. Neon Velo’s Jeremy Durrin attacked on the first lap, but got reeled back for the start of lap two.

Madison Genesis’s Matt Cronshaw broke free soon after and gained around a minute, taking the first Prime of the race.

A second rider bridged across Harry Tanfield, Pedal Heaven, followed by a third, Tom Moses. With eight more trying to bridge. The lead had been reduced to 20s according to race radio.

Moses took the second Prime and the trio had build a 1.23s lead.

Cronshaw drifted back towards the Peloton as the time gap reduced to 20s once more.

Over the third Prime, the original break-away had all but been caught, but a five man group counter-attacked on the far-side of the Reservoir, Moses being one of them, they soon had a three minute lead.

As the race drew to it’s conclusion, it looked like the Winner would come from this group of five with Adria Moreno Sala, Raleigh GAC, Jonny McEvoy, NFTO, Joe Fry, Pedal Heaven and Taylor Gunman, Madison Genesis making up the other four places.

A hard fought reverse climb to the finish-line saw Moses clinch the victory narrowly from McEvoy, who will wear the Champion Systems Yellow Jersey on stage two.

 

Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir

1: Grace Garner, Podium Ambition P/B Club La Santa

2: Melissa Lowther, Team Breeze

3: Charline Joiner, Team Ford Ecoboost

 

Motorpoint Spring Cup

1: Tom Moses, JLT Condor

2: Jon McEvoy, NFTO

3: Joe Fry, Pedal Heaven

MuleBar Tour of Northumberland 2016 Gallery & Race Report

 

A cracking start on Easter Sunday for Fusion RT Fierlan’s Angela Hibbs at the MuleBar Tour of Northumberland 2016 Two Day event.

Sprinting up-to the line after a gruelling seventy-seven kilometre Circuit of Whalton four lap race. Angela had timed her effort to perfection to clinch the stage victory over Podium Ambition Pro Cycling p/b Club La Santa’s Amy Gornall and Team Vertex-pedalpowersport.com’s Karen Poole, picking up a five-second bonus too, with three for second and two for third.

MuleBar Tour of Northumberland 2016 | Stage TwoThe blustery winds and threat of torrential downpours all added to the drama as the race un-folded.

The race had set-off hard, but then brought to a halt a couple of miles after the official start that delayed the race for five minutes before re-starting neutralised. The women’s race had been incorporated with-in the third/fourth category race.

They set of again, but not as hard. Once they went up the first drag the group split, leaving many of the third/ forth Cat lads and most of the women in little groups behind.

The trio of women rode the rest of their race in a group of around thirty, rolling through and helping to drive the peloton along.

A couple of the lads went off the front of the group, but strong headwinds made it too difficult to try and bridge any gap alone. So stayed in the shelter of the main group.

As the final kilometre approached, the women were allowed to contest their finish and they looked at each other before Angela set about her final charge to the line. Amy and Karen were close behind, but didn’t have the power to reel her back-in.

Amy Gornall, “I’ll see how my legs feel. I’ll try and hang in as it’s a little hillier and a bit of a harder race tomorrow.”

Karen Poole, “I’ll re-evaluate my strategy for tomorrow, I could have done things better today. My legs are good, and I feel good.”

Angela Hibbs “With half a lap to go two guys went on the attack so I went with them. Then they sat-up and I though ahh! I kept going. When I looked behind, they were on my wheel dragging Amy and Karen along”.

The guys were asked hang back and let the Women contest their race unimpeded on the final run up-to the finish line.

“I didn’t want it to come down to a sprint, I wanted to avoid that at all costs! I just kept the pace high and the power high”, I got to the farm and just upped the pace and the power and hoped they wouldn’t come around”.

 

MuleBar Tour of Northumberland 2016 | Stage One Women's PodiumStage One Results

1: Angela Hibbs Fusion RT Fierlan +00.05

2: Amy Gornall Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa +00.03

3: Karen Poole Team Vertex-pedalpowersport.com +00.02

4: Anna Turvey Tyneside Vagabonds

5: Rachel Crighton Team22 WRT

6: Sarah Bradford Team Jadan Weldtite

7: Charli Alston Team22 WRT

8: Gemma Sargent Aprire HSS Hire

9: Jennifer Batey Team Vertex-pedalpowersport.com

10: Hannah Farran Manilla Cycling

11: Libby Denby Team22 WRT

12: Katharine Broadbent GB Cycles.co.uk

13: Flora Gillies Team22 WRT

14: Nikki Metcalf Manilla Cycling

15: Jessica Millar Johnstone Wheelers CC

 

MuleBar Tour of Northumberland 2016 | Stage Two Women's PodiumStage Two Results

1: Angela Hibbs Fusion RT Fierlan +00.05

2: Karen Poole Team Vertex-pedalpowersport.com +00.03

3: Gemma Sargent Aprire HSS Hire +00.02

4: Anna Turvey Tyneside Vagabonds

5: Sarah Bradford Team Jadan

6: Rachel Crighton Team22 WRT

7: Hannah Farran Manilla Cycling

8: Charli Alston Team22 WRT

9: Jennifer Batey Team Vertex-pedalpowersport.com

10: Katharine Broadbent GB Cycles.co.uk

11: Nikki Metcalfe Manilla Cycling

12: Jessica MillarJohnstone Wheelers CC

 

General Classification

1: Angela Hibbs Fusion RT Fierlan

2: Karen Poole Team Vertex-pedalpowersport.com

3: Gemma Sargent Aprire HSS Hire

4: Anna Turvey Tyneside Vagabonds

5: Sarah Bradford Team Jadan

6: Rachel Crighton Team22 WRT

7: Charli Alston Team22 WRT

8: Jennifer Batey Team Vertex-pedalpowersport.com

9: Hannah Farran Manilla Cycling

10: Katharine Broadbent GB Cycles.co.uk

11: Nikki Metcalfe Manilla Cycling

12: Jessica MillarJohnstone Wheelers CC

 

A double win gives Fusion RT Fierlan’s Angela Hibb the General Classification Victory in the MuleBar Tour of Northumberland 2016. Riding safely within the main bunch on this testing course in the wind, Angela set her plan in motion and executing her move perfectly to add momentum to her early season programme. Angela will be tackling the Manx International GP Feminin Women’s Road Series Season opener, before returning to Northumberland and round two of the Women’s Road Series, the Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir.

MuleBar Tour of Northumberland 2016 | Stage TwoAngela Hibbs “We had a similar set-up to yesterday, there were three of us [Angela, Karen & Gemma Sargent] in the main group, but we had Gemma this time. The men didn’t seem to have the power to go, and they came back straight away. 

On the last lap I kind of knew when I wanted to go! Which was after the climb and you turn left. It was fast with a few up-to drags. I wanted to go with a mile and a half or two miles to go, same as yesterday. My “TT” legs felt good and I wanted to avoid the sprints, so I just went hard”.

“I’m dead chuffed” said Angela afterwards. “I’m doing the Isle of Man in two weeks and the Tour of the Reservoir after that”.

A great effort by Team Jadan Weldtite’s Sarah Bradford in race two sticking with the main bunch until a mechanical on the second lap climb, when her chain dropped hampering her progress. Quickly getting going, Sarah found a difficult head wind and her lower gearing working against her in her effort to catch the main bunch, eventually settling into a small group until the end.

MuleBar Tour of Northumberland 2016 | Stage One“That was fun” she chuckled heading back to HQ after the race. Sarah had hoped for the weather to deteriorate a little, saying the she preferred slightly harsher conditions.

A good ride by the Team22WRT girls completing the two day event with some good miles in their legs, and practice for the Alexandra Women’s Tour of the Reservoir just along the road in a couple of weeks. That race has a full Women’s field and is part of the 2016 Women’s Road Series.

A great ride by Johnstone Wheelers CC Jess Millar completing her first big race, gaining valuable experience on this demanding course so early in the Season. Jess has also signed up for the Alexandra Women’s Tour of the Reservoir too!

 

Men’s Nat B Results

Stage One

1: Joshua Jones

2: Harry Tanfield Pedal Heaven

3: David Shackleton Wilsons Wheels Race Team

4: Adan Duggleby The NAB Racing

5: Steven Lawley

6: Martin Ford Planet X Northside Cycling

7: Carl Donaldson GS Metro

8:  Richard Jones Planet X Northside Cycling

9: Ben Harrison Prima Team Racing

10: William Brown Planet X Northside Cycling

 

Stage Two

1: Steven Lawley

2: David Shackleton Wilsons Wheels Race Team

3: Martin Ford Planet X Northside Cycling

4: James Moss MTS Cycle Sport SCott RT

5: Russell Falder Mammoth Lifestyle Racing Team

6: Dominic Schils Massi Kuwait Cycling Project

7: Mark Robertson Army Cycling Race Team (ACRT)

8: Richard Jones Planet X Northside Cycling

9: Kieran Savage University of Sheffield

10: Freddie Jagger Muckle Cycle Club

 

General Classification

1: Steven Lawley

2: David Shackleton Wilsons Wheels Race Team

3: Martin Ford Planet X Northside Cycling

4: Dominic Schils Massi Kuwait Cycling Project

5: James Moss MTS Cycle Sport SCott RT

6: Joshua Jones

7: Richard Jones Planet X Northside Cycling

8: Benedict Spencer Loughborough Students CC

9: Timothy Holme Plant X Northside Cycling

10: Adan Duggleby The NAB Racing

 

Women’s Road Series 2016

Round One: 10 April, Manx International GP Feminin, 121 Kms

Round Two: April 16 2016, Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir

Round Three: May 15 2016, Lincoln GP

Round Four: May 29 2016, North Bucks Festival of Cycling

Round Five: June 11 & 12 2016, Essex Giro Two Day

Round Six: June 19 2016, Curlew Cup

Round Seven: June 29 2016, Otley GP

Round Eight: July 10 2016, Ryedale GP

 

 

 

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