Our writer Chris Maher caught up with 2016 National Road Series Champion Nikki Juniper of Team Ford EcoBoost after her win at the Ryedale GP. Click below to listen.
Nikki Juniper National Road Series Champ 2016 by Cycling Shorts
Our writer Chris Maher caught up with 2016 National Road Series Champion Nikki Juniper of Team Ford EcoBoost after her win at the Ryedale GP. @TeamFordEB @junipernikki @britishcycling @CyclingShortsUK @chrismaher_UK
Dowsett, Simmonds And Davies Back Up Their Twenty-Fifteen Titles Here In Stockton-On-Tees In The National Time Trial Championships 2016 Defending champion Alex Dowsett [Movistar] successfully reclaims his Time Trial National Jersey in Stockton-On-Tees for an impressive fifth senior title. Setting the quickest first split, Dowsett was the odd-on favorite around the circuit through the High Street, along the Riverside and out of town before returning for another three laps. James Gullen [Pedal Heaven] posted the closest time for Silver over a minute down and Ryan Perry [Langdale Lightweights RT] the Bronze. Talking in-front of the assembled cheering crowd Dowsett praised Stockton Council on their circuit layout and organization.
The whole Town Centre aspect of time-trialing is really something quite incredible. (Last year’s circuit was on a partly closed circuit at Cadwell Park Racing circuit near Louth, Lincolnshire) The atmosphere was really great, even out of town there were a lot of people watching. I think the course suited the spectator crowd, so Stockton should be proud of what they put on today.
For me personally I paced it I’d say, as perfectly as I could.
The gap to second last year was a lot bigger. I’ve seen these guys at 10s this year and it’s great to see British time-trialing really coming up.
When Alex was asked about another hour record attempt in the near future: I hope so, the bar has been set quite high by Wiggins (Bradley). I know I’m capable of it from the numbers from the last attempt. It’s just a question of when. 54k is not a distance to taking lightly. It’s a huge ask from my team [Movistar] as well to set it up. It takes months to set up. I can’t see it happening this year, but possibly for next year.
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Hayley Simmonds successfully defended her first National title from twenty-fifteen backing up her win having spent most of the year riding abroad riding her first professional contract.
Back on her beloved Cervelo P5, Simmonds put over half a minute on her closest on-form rival Claire Rose [Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa] who took Silver, with Team-mate Dame Sarah Storey close behind for Bronze.
Cycling Shorts: What have you been up to recently?
Simmonds: With-in the last couple of weeks I’ve recently changed Teams. I was riding professionally for Unitedhealthcare, I made the decision when they offered me, to be let out of my contract, so I accepted that. I made the decision to ride for Aerocoach.
It was a really hard decision to leave the team. I had to weigh-up in my mind, was I prepared to potentially sacrifice defending my title today to remain on the team.
I decided that I wasn’t and that defending my title today probably meant more to me.
I want to return to a UCI team, I want to be a professional bike rider.
Hopefully I’ll be able to find a UCI team for next year.
I’m lucky that I managed to find some guest rides in UCI races for the later part of the year. So I will still be keeping my hand in UCI races.
Cycling Shorts: How did you find the course here in Stockton-On-Tees and did it suit you?
Simmonds: I didn’t think it suited me. When I looked at the course before, I didn’t think it suited me as much as last year’s course did. But it was a good course. It was a really interesting course. It was a course of two parts.
It had a technical bit in the town centre and the dual carriageway section that was more of a traditional time trial course.
The bit in the town centre was actually really good in terms of support from local people and I was lucky enough to meet some of the local people a couple of weeks ago when I first came to look at the course.
The support was great and yeh! It suited me enough.
Interview – Hayley Simmonds 2016 National TT Champion by Cycling Shorts
Haley Simmonds talks to CyclingShorts.cc writer / Photographer Chris Maher after taking the 2016 National TT Champion title in Stockton.
In the U23 Time Trial, Scott Davies [Team Wiggins] also defended his twenty-fifteen title beating Tao Geoghegen Hart [Axeon Hagens Berman CT] for Silver by nineteen seconds with Gabriel Cullaigh [100%ME] a further thirty seconds back off the pace.
Haley Simmonds talks to CyclingShorts.cc writer / Photographer Chris Maher after taking the 2016 National TT Champion title in Stockton.
Interview – Hayley Simmonds 2016 National TT Champion by Cycling Shorts
Haley Simmonds talks to CyclingShorts.cc writer / Photographer Chris Maher after taking the 2016 National TT Champion title in Stockton.
The triumphant Lizzie Armitstead chats after her well deserved 2016 AVIVA Women’s Tour title win.
Interview – Lizzie Armitstead 2016 AVIVA Womens Tour Yellow Jersey Winner by Cycling Shorts
The triumphant Lizzie Armitstead chats after her well deserved 2016 AVIVA Women’s Tour title win.
Katie Hall crowned 2016 AVIVA Women’s Tour Queen of the Mountains; she talks to the assembled media after her win.
Interview – Katie Hall – Queen of the Mountains – AVIVA Women’s Tour 2016 by Cycling Shorts
Katie Hall is crowned 2016 AVIVA Women’s Tour Queen of the Mountains; she talks to the assembled media after her win.
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.
The 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”.
Stage 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
Stage 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.
Angela 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.
“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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