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
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