Jon Mould and Team Raleigh both made it two wins from two in Week Three of The Pearl Izumi Tour Series, as the unique, team based Series made its first appearance in Edinburgh.
Mould took another dominant solo victory, ahead of Tom Scully and Kristian House, while Team Raleigh did enough with three riders in the top eight to take their second team victory of the 2014 Series.
The Nottingham team narrowly beat Madison Genesis, who had three riders in the top eleven, including second placed Scully, while Rapha Condor JLT came third to have their lead narrowed to eight points ahead of next Tuesday’s Redditch event.
On the tough 1.3-kilometre course, featuring a long cobbled climb through the Grassmarket and up Victoria Street, before a fast descent back to the Grassmarket the field soon split up.
After 15-minutes of racing and the opening Sprint a group of five riders found themselves clear, including Mould, Scully and House, plus Marcin Bialoblocki and Matthieu Boulo. With all five representing different teams there was little by way of an organised chase behind, and instead a second group formed containing the all-important second and third riders from each team.
House and Boulo both made attempts to get clear, but at the final Sprint it was Mould powering clear, with House and Scully in pursuit. Once away though the NFTO Pro Cycling rider wasn’t seen again, keeping a steady lead over his pursuers to add victory in Edinburgh to that of Durham earlier in the week and Stoke-on-Trent at Round One.
Scully then pipped House, with Boulo and Bialoblocki both crossing the line alone, before Graham Briggs lead in the pack for sixth. Behind the Rapha Condor JLT man though came Morgan Kniesky (seventh) and Evan Oiphant (eighth), making Yanto Barker’s tenth unneeded for Raleigh to claim their fifth ever Pearl Izumi Tour Series team win.
NFTO took fifth in the teams but again dominated the individual prizes, with Mould add the Sprint win on the night and retention of the Sprints jersey to his individual win.
The win for Mould also means he becomes only the second rider in Pearl Izumi Tour Series history to take three individual wins in a season, following on from Ed Clancy’s hat trick in 2013.
Consolation for Scully was another Costa Express Fastest Lap prize and his Madison Genesis team edging closer to leaders Rapha Condor JLT.
Highlights of the Edinburgh race will be shown on ITV4 at 9pm on Friday 30th May, with a repeat at 6am on Saturday 31st May.
Round Seven of The Pearl Izumi Tour Series takes place in Redditch on Tuesday 3 June, the third visit for the team based Series to the Worcestershire venue, backed by the Choose How You Move project.
The Pearl Izumi Tour Series
Thursday 29 May 2014, Edinburgh
Round Six Team Result
1) Team Raleigh
2) Madison Genesis
3) Rapha Condor JLT
4) Node4 Velosure
5) NFTO Pro Cycling
6) Pedal Heaven Colbornes
7) Starley Primal Pro Cycling
8) Metaltek Kuota
9) Great Britain
Round Six Individual Result
1) Jon Mould, GBR, NFTO Pro Cycling
2) Tom Scully, NZL, Madison Genesis
3) Kristain House, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT
4) Marcin Bialoblocki, POL, Node4 Velosure
5) Matthieu Boulo, FRA, Team Raleigh
6) Graham Briggs, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT
7) Morgan Kniesky, FRA, Team Raleigh
8) Evan Oliphant, GBR, Team Raleigh
9) Ian Bibby, GBR, Madison Genesis
10) Yanto Barker, GBR, Team Raleigh
Round Six Costa Express Fastest Lap: Tom Scully, NZL, Madison Genesis, 1’45.819
Round Six Sprint Winner: Jon Mould, GBR, NFTO Pro Cycling
Overall Team Standings, post-Round Six
1) Rapha Condor JLT, 72pts
2) Madison Genesis, 64pts
3) Team Raleigh, 59pts
4) NFTO Pro Cycling, 54pts
5) Node4 Velosure, 41pts
6) Metaltek Kuota, 32pts
7) Great Britain, 29pts
8) Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 26pts
9) Pedal Heaven Colbornes, 22pts
Overall Sprint Standings, post-Round Six
1) Jon Mould, GBR, NFTO Pro Cycling, 56pts
2) Graham Briggs, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT, 41pts
3) Tom Scully, NZL, Madison Genesis, 31pts
Second win for Katie Archibald on home roads in Scotland
Following the trend of recent rounds, Scottish riders dominated the first ever Scottish round of the Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series in Edinburgh, with Katie Archibald taking another dominant victory on the cobbled streets.
Archibald attacked out of a front group of five riders to go clear on Edinburgh’s Grassmarket circuit to take her second victory from three rounds of the Matrix Fitness GP Series. Behind fifth place was enough for Fife’s Eileen Roe to keep the Series lead, ten points ahead of Dumfermline’s Charline Joiner in second overall.
Victory moves Archibald up to third overall, making it a Scottish 1-2-3 after three of the five rounds.
Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International rider Archibald also takes the lead in the Sprints competition from Louise Mahe, having won both of the intermediate Sprints in Edinburgh.
Behind Archibald came former Series Champion Helen Wyman who also broke away in pursuit of the leader, and Edinburgh’s Claire Thomas, who rounded out the podium in third.
With two rounds to go, in Redditch on Tuesday (3rd June) and Woking (10th June) it looks set to be a three way battle between Roe, Joiner and Archibald, with the latter two both riding for leading team Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International.
Highlights of the race will be shown during The Pearl Izumi Tour Series highlights on ITV4 at 9pm on Friday 30th May, with a repeat at 6am on Saturday 31st May.
Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series
Thursday 29 May 2014
Round Three, Edinburgh
Race Result
1) Katie Archibald, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
2) Helen Wyman, GBR, Matrix Fitness – Vulpine
3) Claire Thomas, GBR, Velosport – Pasta Montegrappa
4) Charline Joiner, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
5) Eileen Roe, GBR, Starley Primal Pro Cycling
6) Hannah Walker, GBR, Epic Cycles – Scott WRT
7) Natalie Creswick, GBR, Team MuleBar Girl – Sigma Sport
8) Jessie Walker, GBR, Matrix Fitness – Vulpine
9) Tamiko Butler, GBR, WyndyMilla Reynolds
10) Annasley Park, GBR, RST Racing Team
11) Louise Borthwick, GBR, Matrix Fitness – Vulpine
12) Katie Curtis, GBR, Starley Primal Pro Cycling
13) Rebecca Wormersley, GBR, WyndyMilla Reynolds
14) Gabriella Shaw, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
15) Lauren Creamer, IRL, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
16) Brit Tate, GBR, GBCycles.co.uk
17) Hannah Payton, GBR, WyndyMilla Reynolds
18) Eve Dixon, GBR, Team 22
19) Mary Costelloe, IRL, WyndyMilla Reynolds
20) Rhona Callander, GBR, Stirling Bike Club
Round Three Sprint Winner: Katie Archibald, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
Round Three Team Winner: Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
Overall Individual Standings, post-Round Three
1) Eileen Roe, GBR, Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 55pts
2) Charline Joiner, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, 45pts
3) Katie Archibald, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, 40pts
4) Hannah Walker, GBR, Epic Cycles – Scott WRT, 39pts
5) Natalie Creswick, GBR, Team MuleBar Girl – Sigma Sport, 37pts
6) Helen Wyman, GBR, Matrix Fitness – Vulpine, 35pts
7) Jessie Walker, GBR, Matrix Fitness – Vulpine, 28pts
8) Claire Thomas, GBR, Velosport – Pasta Montegrappa, 27pts
9) Gabriella Shaw, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, 27pts
10) Katie Curtis, GBR, Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 26pts
Overall Sprint Standings, post-Round Three
1) Katie Archibald, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, 20pts
2) Helen Wyman, GBR, Matrix Fitness – Vulpine, 12pts
3) Louise Mahe, GBR, Team MuleBar Girl – Sigma Sport, 12pts
Overall Team Standings, post-Round Three
1) Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, 142pts
2) Matrix Fitness – Vulpine, 120pts
3) Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 81pts
4) Team MuleBar Girl – Sigma Sport, 63pts
5) Epic Cycles – Scott WRT, 42pts
6) WyndyMilla – Reynolds, 26pts
7) RST Racing Team, 16pts
8) GBCycles.co.uk, 5pts
