Gabriella Shaw (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International) sprinted to victory in the third Giant Sheffield Women’s Elite, 1st and 2nd Cat circuit race.
The race built into a dramatic bunch sprint in the final few laps with former winner Tanya Griffiths trying to break free in a repeat of last years race.
The front of the race had been hotly contested through-out the sixty-minute circuit race, with Corley Cycles Drops RT driving the race along in the early stages.
Amy Gornall (Corley Cycles Drops RT) had escaped the pack, only to-be neutralized whilst the emergency services accessed part of the circuit.
The race re-started after the circuit had been cleared with Corley Cycles once again setting the pace.
Team Jadan’s Henrietta Colbourne rode aggressively on the front of the race, but was unable to forge ahead with counter moves from Charlotte Broughton (Corley Cycles), Rebecca Womersly (Corley Cycles) , Amy Gornall and Annasley Park (Team Giordana-Triton).
Annasley Park began the first move of the race initially, quickly marshaled by Rebecca Carter (Team WNT) and Hannah Walker (Team WNT).
After the re-start, Rebecca Womersly took-up the pace, before Annasley once-more found herself driving the race along.
The lead group whittled down to a manageable fifteen riders, as the girls looked amongst themselves to see who would try and break-free next.
With good representation from Corley Cycles Drops RT and Les Filles Racing Team whom had both fired riders off the front through-out, any move though soon got counteracted. The pace remained high as the final few laps grew close.
Womersley, then Gornall, then Womersley once more led the race. The bell lap was looming.
Gornall was joined by Tamara Davenne (Oxford University CC), then they were brought back together for the final lap and inevitable bunch sprint.
Elite/1/2 Women Results
1 Gabriella Shaw Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Intl 58.13
2 Henrietta Colborne Team Jadan “”
3 Charlotte Broughton Corley Cycles – Drops RT “”
4 Elizabeth-Jane Harris Army Cycling Union “”
5 Annasley Park Team Giordana- Triton “”
6 Jennifer George Les Filles Racing Team “”
7 Rebecca Womersley Corley Cycles – Drops RT “”
8 Elizabeth Stedman University of Sheffield CC 00.03
9 Delia Beddis Les Filles Racing Team “”
10 Tamara Davenne Oxford University Cycling Club “”
Local girl Katie Archibald rode off the front of the bunch, to win round two of the Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series.
Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International’s Katie Archibald made her move after the first Sprint in Motherwell. Team-mate Gabby Shaw had begun to stretch the peloton out in the early laps of the race.
Race leader by default, Nikki Juniper had won the Sprint Jersey in Round one. So Jessie Walker (RST Racing Team) will wear the Sprint Jersey in Motherwell.
With round one winner Laura Trott (Matrix Fitness) not present, meant Juniper was the next placed highest rider to wear the Leaders Jersey.
Juniper, Walker and Eileen Roe (Wiggle Honda) made the uphill sprint towards the line for the first three places, with Shaw taking fourth place.
Archibald didn’t contest the sprint, and this gave her the advantage of riding off the front for the bunch as they all recovered from that effort.
Gaining twenty to thirty meters along the top flatter part of the course, Archibald, a supreme pursuiter, rode steadily away. Roe & Juniper were unable to match her pace.
Archibald took the next set of Points, with Emily Nelson (Team USN) and Annasley Park (Team Giordana Triton) taking second and third.
As Archibald approached the finish line, the chasing bunch of eighteen girls where almost a lap down.
Riding over the line with ease, the main bunch where left to sprint it out for the remaining positions.
In a big bunch Sprint, Nikki Juniper took second place with Eileen Roe third. Lydia Boylan (Team WNT) took fourth and Katie Curtis (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, fifth.
Nikki Junipers Reaction: “We were only going to attain the Sprints Jersey”, “and we got the first prime”. “But no one heard the klaxon for the next prime”. “We knew Katie had probably got the next one”. “There was a bit of confusion on the Points Jersey”. “But apparently I’m still in it”.
Nikki Juniper of Team Giordana Triton talks to Chris Maher of CyclingShorts.cc about her current lead in the Matrix Fitness GP Series 2015 after round two in Motherwell.
Results: Motherwell
1: Katie Archibald Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International 0:39:33.541
2: Nikki Juniper Team Giordana Triton 0:41:02.815
3: Eileen Roe Wiggle Honda
4: Lydia Boylan Team WNT
5: Katie Curtis Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
6: Jessie Walker RST Racing Team
7: Emily Kay Team USN
8: Annasley Park Team Giordana Triton
9: Lucy Martin Matrix Fitness
10: Gabriella Shaw Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
11: Henrietta Colborne Team Jadan
12: Rebecca Nixon Fusion RT Gearclub Bike Science
13: Jennifer George Les Filles
14: Charline Joiner Team WNT
15: Hannah Walker Team WNT
16: Manon Lloyd Team USN
17: Genevieve Whitson WV Avanti
18: Mel Lowther Matrix Fitness
19: Lauren Creamer Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
20: Emily Nelson Team USN
Overall after Round Two
1 Nikki Juniper 37 Team Giordana Triton
2 Katie Archibald 36 Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
3 Lydia Boylan 31 Team WNT
4 Jessie Walker 30 RST Racing Team
5 Annasley Park 24 Team Giordana Triton
6 Laura Trott 20 Matrix Fitness
7 Charline Joiner 19 Team WNT
8 Dani King 19 Wiggle Honda
9 Eileen Roe 18 Wiggle Honda
10 Manon Lloyd 18 Team USN
Team Rankings after Round 2
1 Team Giordana Triton 78
2 Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International 72
3 Team WNT 56
4 Matrix Fitness 45
5 Team USN 33
6 Team Jadan 18
7 IKON Mazda 8
Sprint Rankings after Round 2
1 Nikki Juniper 14 Team Giordana Triton
2 Jessie Walker 12 RST Racing Team
3 Katie Archibald 7 Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
4 Elinor Barker 4 Matrix Fitness
4 Emily Nelson 4 Team USN
Next race in the Matrix Fitness GP Series is on June 02nd in Croydon.
Nikki Juniper of Team Giordana Triton talks to Chris Maher of CyclingShorts.cc about her current lead in the Matrix Fitness GP Series 2015 after round two in Motherwell.
Nikki Juniper of Team Giordana Triton talks to Chris Maher of CyclingShorts.cc about her current lead in the Matrix Fitness GP Series 2015 after round two in Motherwell.
CyclingShorts.cc journalist Heather Bamforth interviews Dame Sarah Storey of Team Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International after her win at the 2015 Cheshire Classic.
Race organised by Weaver Valley Cycling Club.
A CyclingShorts.cc / ChapeauChapeau.com Production
Filmed & edited by Zoe Opal East & Mary Broome
Produced by Anna Magrath
Expanded into a two day race. The Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir returned for the second year. Sponsored by Northumbrian Water once more, the first race got underway around a small Kermesse Style circuit clockwise across the Derwent Reservoir dam wall. (Not as the map shows)
With 106 entries on the start sheet, the rolling start got underway in sunny, dry conditions. Top names including; defending Alexandra ToR Champion Nicola Juniper – Team Giordana Triton, National Pursuit Champions; Joanna Rowsell & Katie Archibald – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int’l & Dani King – Wiggle Honda; returning to racing for the first time since her training accident last year headlined the quality field.
A strong squad from Matrix Fitness, Team WNT & IKON Mazda added to the mix, and provided a top class start to this years British Cycling Women’s Road Series, the first of eight rounds.
Gaining 20 secs from a group of fifty or so riders in the first lap of thirteen, Dani King & Katie Archibald set a blistering pace, that proved too hard to bridge throughout the remaining circuits. Juniper, who’d had the legs to go with them punctured early on, and a slow wheel change from Neutral Service saw her drop by 1:45s on the second main bunch on the road.
With a strong North-Westerly wind blowing, Juniper fought her way back eventually to the shelter of the second chasing group of around 30 by now, and around three and a half mins down, with the first smaller group being two mins behind the leaders.
A crash in the earlier stages had splintered the bigger group and by the concluding lap, Dani & Katie were lapping the field.
Katie lead the final three hundred meters, but Dani had the energy, (and the voice) to come round her, for the sprint, and claim the stage one victory. Leading the chase group over the line for third was Charline Joiner – Team WNT.
I caught up with 2014 Women’s Road Series Champion Nicola Juniper after the finish of Stage One. “I’m back mentoring a very young team”. Team Giordana – Triton are a new British women’s racing team formed at the start of 2015. The core of the team are riders from the old RST/ NFTO. They were five of the more senior members present, for this two day race. Nikki, Annasley Park, Lauren O’Brian, Keira McVitty & Sarah Bryne.
I asked her about her plans for this year, & about the first days race that had not long finished. “It’s very frustrating isn’t it”, “I went all last season without a puncture, and over the cattle grid (lap one), the front wheel went down”. After riding up to the finish line on the rim, she waited about 2 mins for Neutral Service, who swiftly changed her wheel. Nikki had already noticed the girls had really splintered. “I chased back on for around seven laps”. Over the loud speakers, she could hear that a big group (second bunch of chasers) were around 40s ahead of her.
Her thoughts then were to just dig-in and catch that group. Recover, and try damage limitation in readiness for tomorrows race two. As she joined the group, she realised there were girls already away, and with only three laps remaining, just sit in, and see if there was anything left in her legs to sprint.
Nikki laughed about the bunch sprint finish. Blaming her age and failing eyesight, miss-jugging the distance to the finish line. She saw the finish line approach she said. “It was a bit further than I realised”, “I’ll just go for it”, she thought. “I went a bit early” “And fair play to Charlotte Broughton (Corley Cycles – Drops RT), she went round me”.
In the end, Nikki was happy getting second in the bunch sprint, after seven laps of hard chasing. Nikki finish 16th, over 3 and a half mins down on stage one.
I asked her about the rest of the series. As last year, she’s was going to take it race by race.
“I’ve already said that I won’t be coming into this season to defend the title. I’m going to try and ride consistently, but the depth of the women’s field has grown. There are fifty faces here I haven’t seen, and loads of juniors coming through. So this year, I’m just going to enjoy it (racing, that is). Try a few things, and mentor, and help the girls along the way. I’ll just see what happens!”
Stage Two
Stage two started off in deteriorating conditions, with the promise of wintery showers and increasing winds. Rolling through the start-line and up-to the feed zone, the peloton had already shed around a third of the girls. Continuing around the Reservoir Circuit the field began to split further after the Prime Hill climb, and down the rear part of the course past the Yacht Club.
Joanna Rowsell – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int’l made the first break, with 2014 champion Nicola Juniper ten seconds behind. The Yellow Jersey group were at thirty seconds, and the next group a further minute behind. The sleety rain began to fall, along with the temperature.
Rowsell was joined by Juniper and together gained a lead of 1:58. The Yellow Jersey group of around twenty girls included Archibald who was sitting in second place overnight. A crash midway through the race, saw Archibald chances of a podium disappear.
Ciara Horne had a go at bridging the gap, but returned back into the group. Race leader, Dani King’s only support for the weekend was Anna Christian who rode alongside her though-out the stage. The gap grew to three mins and on the final lap, the main chasers split as they made a bid for glory.
Finishing up the final climb, Joanna Rowsell dropped Nicola Juniper, and there was a wait to see if King could retain her advantage. It was King, Horne then Bex Rimmington (Ikon Mazda) sprinting to the line next, with King’s team mate Christian next. Dani King had done enough to retain the lead overall, and Horne’s final drive that earned her a podium place too.
Juniper’s hard effort over both days earned her a third place.
2 Ciara Horne (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International) at 1-20
3 Nicola Juniper (Giordana Triton) at 2-06
4 Anna Christian (Wiggle Honda) at 2-20
5 Corrine Hall (Ikon Mazda) at 3-13
6 Charline Joiner (Team WNT) at 3-20
7 Elinor Barker (Matrix Fitness) same time
8 Rebecca Rimmington (Ikon Mazda)
9 Gabby Shaw (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int’l)
10 Ruth Summerford (PMR@Toachim House)
Women’s Road Series Standings
Danielle King Wiggle Honda 58
Ciara Horne Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int’l 44
Anna Christian Wiggle Honda 43
Corrine Hall IKON – Mazda 42
Nicola Juniper Team Giordana – Triton 40
Charline Joiner Team WNT 39
Bex Rimmington IKON – Mazda 27
Gabriella Shaw Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int’l 23
Elinor Barker Matrix Fitness 23
Ruth Summerford PMR@Toachim House 19
Gabriella Leveridge Velosure Starley Primal 15
Joanna Rowsell Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int’l 15
Katie Archibald Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int’l 14
Lydia Boylan Team WNT 13
Jennifer Hudson Fusion RT Gearclub Bike Science 11
Amy Hill Team Rytgear 11
Natalie Grinzcer Fusion RT Gearclub Bike Science 10
Laura Greenhalgh Les Filles Racing Team 10
Emma Grant IKON – Mazda 9
Maryka Sennema Paceline RT 8
Amy Gornall Asprire Bicycles/HSS Hire 7
Tamina Oliver Wv Zeeuws-Vlaanderen – J F L F 7
Julie Erskine IKON – Mazda 5
Gillian Taylor Fusion RT Gearclub Bike Science 3
Bethany Hayward Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int’l 3
Lauren Creamer Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int’l 2
Henrietta Colborne Bonito Squadra Corse 2
Ellie CampbellFusion Development Racing Team 1
Charlotte Broughton Corley Cycles – Drops RT 1
The next race in the series is the Cheshire Classic, Sunday 26th April. With a field of eighty quality riders. The twelve lap circuit covers 92 kilometres with a climb up-to the finish line at Acton Bridge.
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