Rory Townsend got the better of Scott Thwaites [Vitus Pro Cycling p/b Brother] and HSBC-UK National Road Champion Connor Swift [Madison Genesis] in a three-man duel along Westgate in Guisborough in 4h 17m.
A ten-man group formed early on & led for 2/3rds of the 169km 3.5 lap course before dropping to four soon after. Matt Holmes & Tom Moses [Madison Genesis], Max Steadman [Canyon DHB p/b Bloor Homes] & George Wood [Swift Carbon Pro Cycling] remained defiant till the last small lap when Townsend & Swift went with Thwaites in hot pursuit.
Gabriel Cullaigh [Team WIGGINS Le Col] brought the chasers in 30s further back with Homes finishing 5th on the day.
Seventy-nine riders finished the gruelling Klondike course out of 137 starters with 3 King-of-the-Mountain primes in Saltburn-by-the-Sea. Zeb Kyffin claimed the prize for Ribble Pro Cycling.
Results
1 – 8 Rory Townsend Canyon dhb p/b Bloor Homes 4:17:57
2 – 47 Scott Thwaites Vitus Pro Cycling p/b Brother U st
3 – 16 Connor Swift Madison Genesis st
4 – 34 Gabriel Cullaigh Team Wiggins Le Col +30
5 – 11 Matthew Holmes Madison Genesis st
6 – 22 Alex Luhrs Ribble Pro Cycling st
7 – 9 Ian Bibby Madison Genesis st
8 – 80 Steve Lampier Saint Piran st
9 – 28 James Shaw SwiftCarbon Pro Cycling st
10 – 33 Mark Christian Team Wiggins Le Col +1:06
11 – 39 Daniel Tulett Team Wiggins Le Col st
12 – 14 Joey Walker Madison Genesis +1:31
13 – 17 John Archibald Ribble Pro Cycling st
14 – 135 Russell Downing Giordana Racing st
15 – 10 Michael Cuming Madison Genesis +1:36
16 – 27 Tristan Robbins SwiftCarbon Pro Cycling +2:00
17 – 88 Leon Mazzone Spirit Tifosi Racing Team st
18 – 141 James Jobber Backyardbikeshop.com +2:06
19 – 1 Ryan Christensen Canyon dhb p/b Bloor Homes st
20 – 46 Alistair Slater Vitus Pro Cycling p/b Brother U +2:10
21 – 38 Jacques Sauvagnargues Team Wiggins Le Col +2:27
22 – 75 Joseph Sutton Richardsons-Trek RT st
23 – 73 James Jenkins Richardsons-Trek RT st
24 – 116 Peter Kibble Wales Racing Academy +2:30
25 – 78 Alex Platt Saint Piran +3:14
26 – 19 William Brown Ribble Pro Cycling +3:24
27 – 87 Tom Mazzone Spirit Tifosi Racing Team st
28 – 81 Oliver Maxwell Saint Piran st
29 – 86 Rupert Graham Spirit Tifosi Racing Team st
30 – 112 Toby Jarvis Team PB Performance st
31 – 20 Alex Dalton Ribble Pro Cycling st
32 – 26 Jordan Reed SwiftCarbon Pro Cycling st
33 – 97 Andrew Nichols Team B38 / Cycles In Motion st
34 – 132 Adam Lewis BEAT Cycling Club st
35 – 111 Josh Housley Team PB Performance st
36 – 110 James Hill Team PB Performance st
37 – 41 Dylan Kerfoot-Robson Vitus Pro Cycling p/b Brother U st
38 – 140 David Bolland Velo Schils – Interbike RT st
39 – 150 Scott Auld Ribble Pro Cycling st
40 – 98 Jude Taylor Team B38 / Cycles In Motion st
41 – 109 Sion Harlow Team PB Performance st
42 – 52 Jonathan Bridge Crimson Orientation Marketing R st
Interview – Rory Townsend – Klondike GP Stage 1 Winner – National Road Series 2019 by Cycling Shorts
Rory talks to the media after he wins the first stage of the 2019 National Road Series – The Klondike GP. Audio & Image © Chris Maher / CyclingShorts.cc
The final 5k were pretty straight forward in the end. I knew if I made it to that point, the hardest part of the race would be out of the way.
There where 2 steep climbs about 9k to go so if I could get through that 4k, then I’d be all right.
There where loads of attacks to that point – coming & going – then 7 of us were away. We weren’t away long together as it soon went up-hill. Connor (Swift) went – I was just behind him – so I went some how. Scott (Thwaites) came across to us, I’ve no idea how. He’s a class rider – he can just do-it.
Going on to say as he screamed with delight going over the line: “I felt good coming into this race. I said to the guys I know I’m feeling good for this one. That put the pressure on me. But the boys rallied around me, really looked after me all day. So I was relieved to pull it out for them.
GRN Presca Teamwear King of the Mountains
1 21 Zeb Kyffin Ribble Pro Cycling 10
2 43 Adam Kenway Vitus Pro Cycling p/b Brother U 4
3 11 Matthew Holmes Madison Genesis 3
4 6 Maximilian Stedman Canyon dhb p/b Bloor Homes 2
5 13 Thomas Moses Madison Genesis 2
6 4 Alex Paton Canyon dhb p/b Bloor Homes 1
Team Classification after Round 1
1 Madison Genesis 66
2 Team Wiggins Le Col 46
3 Canyon dhb p/b Bloor Homes 32
4 Vitus Pro Cycling p/b Brother U 29
5 Ribble Pro Cycling 28
6 SwiftCarbon Pro Cycling 19
7 Saint Piran 16
8 Spirit Tifosi Racing Team 4
All images ©CyclingShorts.cc | www.chrismaher.co.uk
Chris Maher
Photographer & Writer
Based in the North East of England; photographer Chris Maher specialises in sports photography with his main interests in Cycling and Super Bikes. Chris has covered sports events from local and national level right up to the Olympics for CyclingShorts.cc.
Website: www.ChrisMaher.co.uk
