Chris Maher chats to Nicola after her win at the 2016 Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir 2016.
View the race reports and galleries by clicking below:
ToR 2016 – Stage 1 Race Report & Gallery
ToR 2016 – Stage 2 Race Report & Gallery
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.
As 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
1: 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
1: 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
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.
1: 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
1: 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
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
Last year, the CDNW women’s league, open only to 2nd, 3rd and 4th category riders, was thought by everybody involved to be a resounding success – an average of 40 women at each race, with 70 women registered for the league. I was approached by Victoria Hood as she loved the concept and wanted to bring something similar to the women of Yorkshire.
After numerous conversations with BC Yorkshire, it was agreed that we would try and bring the same level of racing to Yorkshire.
Organising a women’s road race has historically been a massive risk to organisers, especially when it is the sole event, so persuading some organisers to assist us in our quest was key. Pete Sutton, the Regional Events Officer for Yorkshire, has been a star, and he even spent the afternoon with Victoria and I going through all of the potential dates to ensure that there were no clashes with existing similar events in the North West.
This year, I have been trying to build a community atmosphere for women who want to have a go at racing by using the #partyontheroad hashtag. It is hopefully working – 68 women took to the start line on Sunday, at an industrial estate in Skelmersdale, with rain threatening. 64 of those women finished. The race next Sunday already has 51 entrants, with more due to enter on the day.
As the time is NOW to keep building on the momentum in women’s cycling, a lot of work has been going on behind the scenes to bring you the Yorkshire Women’s Road Race Series – these are all linked via the Series on British Cycling’s website here:https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events?series_id=380 The Series is being supported by Jadan Press, from Hull, so there will be an overall series winner – with cash!!!
It isn’t a league, like the CDNW women’s league, which means that we will need volunteers to assist at each race as there isn’t a league where you register and have to marshal (it was £92 to register the league, whereas a series is free). Any offers of assistance will be greatly appreciated, even if you bring a mate with you to watch the race! It is the #partyontheroad after all!
So without further ado, here are the details for the first three events to be included in the Yorkshire Women’s Road Race Series:
1. Sheffrec CC Spring Road Race – 13 April 2014
This race is organised by Marc Etches. Marc organises the Sheffield Grand Prix, which has been a fixture in the National Women’s Series for many years. Marc’s club, Sheffrec CC, organise a Spring Road Race, and he offered to run a women’s race in the morning, before the men’s event in the afternoon.
You can enter the race here: https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/106353/Sheffrec-Spring-Road-Race#entry
This is a great starting event, being only 35 miles in length. For anyone from down South who has entered the Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir, why not enter the Sheffrec race too?
The circuit is on Strava – link here: http://app.strava.com/segments/1234074 and this video also gives you a great idea of what to expect:
Entry closes on 27 March 2014 – remember you don’t need to register for the series, you will be automatically entered into it if you ride.
2. Team Swift RR – 11 May 2014
The next event in the series is organised by Cliff Beldon, of Team Swift. You can enter the race here: https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/104997/Teamswift-Road-Races#entry
The circuit is on Strava – link here: http://www.strava.com/segments/1445730 – I absolutely love this circuit, although I have only ridden around it the opposite way around!
3. Albarosa CC Road Race – 15 June 2014
Currently being finalised – I will update you when it goes live, but for now hold the date!
4. PH-Mas Road Race – 3 August 2014
This race is also in the process of being finalised. Once it goes live I will add the date, so just keep it in your diaries for the time being!
The course is being fun on the Seacroft Wheelers RR circuit at Bishopwood, near Selby, and the circuit is here:
http://www.strava.com/segments/1132910
5. Selby CC Road Race
Stuart Davies is the organiser for the final round of the Yorkshire Women’s Road Race Series, and further information can be found here: https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/107690/Selby-CC-Road-Race#entry
This event is going to be held on a new circuit, which is first being used on the 15 May 2014, so I’m afraid I don’t have any segment details for you just yet!
Food for thought…
There aren’t many events where you can win hard cash for no entry fee. That and the fact that the #partyontheroad is coming to Yorkshire, why wouldn’t you want to get involved?
Hopefully I will see some of you there…
My thanks to Martin Holden Photography for use of the photos, as well as to all of the organisers of both the CDNW Women’s League and the Yorkshire Women’s Road Race Series. Without organisers, we have no races…
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