Lizzie Armitstead returns home to race in this year’s Women’s Otley Grand Prix.
Local girl Lizzie who rides on the continent for Boels Dolmans Cycling Team returns to participate in this year’s event. Preparing herself now for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow at the end of the month, has tapered her training towards that Gold Medal whilst her team mates ride this year’s Giro Rosa.
The Tour De France passes through Oltey on stage one just after the Grand Depart, so this year’s event is extra special with many events planned on the run up to 5th July.
Series leader Nicola Juniper is down to ride, but Katie Archibald isn’t listed to start the race. Third in the series Laura Trott has been entered into the race along with fourth place Gabby Shaw, who’s hungry for the title.
Race
A late afternoon start to the race in the presence of Tour De France Legend Bernard Hinault, and Le Tour Director Christian Pruhomme with over ten thousand spectators lining the course got underway with Series Leader Nicola Juniper at the head of race.
Taking over the lead, to the delight of the crowd was Armitstead by lap two. Getting in on the action behind Lizzie was Pearl Izumi’s Gaby Shaw, not fazed by the crowds shouting.
Armitstead was using her strength and ability to ride hard on the front, with similar tactics to last weekend’s Nationals. The field had grew in length and by lap four had split into at least four groups.
A few attacks had been tried, even with the high pace, but Armitstead was joined at the front by Pearl Izumi’s Dame Helen Storey. Juniper (Team Echelon) was beginning to get distanced in group two on the road along with her closest rival Gaby Shaw. Wiggle Honda’s Laura Trott hadn’t taken a start in this race, nor her team mate Elinor Barker.
By lap six, the pair had extended their lead to twenty-six seconds, and that extended to forty-seven seconds by lap eight.
Towards the last few laps, they seemed to be the beginnings of a chase, and the leaders began lapping the field. But as the bell lap approached, Armitstead and Storey were well clear.
Coming into the final straight, Lizzy Armistead had plenty of time to check behind and prepare herself for the cruise across the line, arms aloft. Storey then arrived and waived to the applauding crowd as she cross the line in second.
The lapped field then crossed the line, before the next group with Juniper and Shaw both sprinting for third position. Gaby Shaw had though that she had done enough of a sprint to beat Juniper, and seemed quite pleased that she had got third place, but Juniper kept accelerating across the line to clinch the third place, denying Shaw from narrowing the series lead between them both.
Race Result
1 Elizabeth Armitstead (Boels Dolmans) 37-41
2 Sarah Storey (Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours International) at 16sec
3 Nicola Juniper (Echelon Rotor) at 2-14
4 Gaby Shaw (Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours International) at same time
5 Abby-Mae Parkinson (RST Racing Team)
6 Anna Walker (Epic Cycles-Scott)
7 Melissa Lowther (Matrix Fitness-Vulpine)
8 Elizabeth Holden (RST Racing Team)
9 Jessie Walker (Matrix Fitness-Vulpine)
10 Delia Beddis (Les Filles RT) all same time
Women’s Road Race Standings after Round Six
1 Nicola Juniper139Team Echelon
2 Katie Archibald 135Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours International
3 Laura Trott 101Wiggle Honda
4 Gabriella Shaw 80Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours International
19 Hayley Jones 28Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours International
19 Harriet Owen 28Matrix Fitness – Vulpine
19 Rebecca Womersley 28WyndyMilla – Reynolds
19 Anna Christian28Epic Cycles – Scott WRT
Nicola Juniper extends her lead in the Women’s Road Race Series after round six.
The odds are getting more favourable now for Juniper to carry the title to the end, as sadly, the Sheffield Grand Prix mid week race later in July has just been cancelled due to lack of entrants.
3 days before the Tour de France Grand Départ,
the legacy is already underway …
Welcome to Yorkshire and Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) supported by British Cycling have submitted an application to the UCI for a new, world class professional cycle race in Yorkshire.
If approved by the world’s governing body, the provisionally titled ”Tour of Yorkshire” will be a three-day race and its inaugural edition will run from 1 – 3 May 2015.
Based on the strong collaboration that has been built up between Welcome to Yorkshire and ASO for the Grand Départ and working in partnership with British Cycling, the race will be a 2.1 UCI Europe Tour event, guaranteeing the participation of some of the world’s leading cyclists and providing a fitting legacy to this year’s Tour de France visit in “God’s own County”. Indeed, the organisers are strongly committed to create what shall become “a breathtaking new race in a region made for cycling”.
Beyond the discovery of the entire Yorkshire County, certainly beyond the routes of the Tour de France Grand Départ, and an impactful promotion through international TV coverage, a strong focus will be put on not only sustaining, but further increasing the already outstanding enthusiasm for cycling in the UK. All three entities are therefore committed to creating a sustainable event which will also help grow the sport of cycling both in Yorkshire and nationally.
Christian Prudhomme, Director of the Tour de France added: “Alongside the public interest for cycling, highlighted by the Grand Départ, Yorkshire boasts beautiful breathtaking scenery worthy of any of the cycling season’s major events. It therefore seems perfectly natural for Welcome to Yorkshire, British Cycling and ASO to continue working together in this new land of cycling, through the Tour of Yorkshire. In particular, this three-day stage race will offer television viewers worldwide the opportunity to continue discovering the splendid landscapes of this English region, a journey started by the Tour de France, whose Grand Départ this year will remain its founding act.”
Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire said: “When we bid to host the Tour de France we did so in the knowledge that this would be the start of a long relationship with ASO. So I am delighted to be able to announce this exciting new race for Yorkshire. Our county is a new cycling heartland of Europe and we look forward to welcoming back some of the world’s best riders in Yorkshire in less than 12 months’ time.”
Jonny Clay, British Cycling’s Director of Cycle Sport said: “We will await the decision of the UCI but I am confident that ASO and Welcome to Yorkshire will create a world-class event attractive to the best teams in cycling. What is more, all three organisations are committed to ensuring the race delivers lasting benefits to cycling by engaging more fans for our great sport and by encouraging more people to get active by getting on their bikes. What is common to all our events work is a determination that they inspire participation in the sport and support the network of volunteers upon whom cycling is reliant at every level.”
BICYCLE, a 90 minute documentary has it’s Public World Premiere at the Yorkshire Festival Of Cycling on Friday 4th July ahead of the ceremonial start of the Tour de France with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry in attendance .
Directed by 2x BAFTA winning Michael B.Clifford, the screening will take place on a huge outdoor screen powered by 12 cyclists.
Clifford, himself a keen cyclist made the film to explore the question ‘why is cycling and the bicycle back in fashion’?
“At a time when the bicycle is back in fashion, it is great to see a film about this beautiful machine coming out ” Chris Boardman, MBE Olympic Gold Medalist
BICYCLE tells the story of cycling in the land that invented the modern bicycle, it’s birth, decline and re-birth from Victorian origins to today. The film weaves bicycle design, sport and transport through the retelling of some iconic stories, and features interviews with notable contributors including Sir Dave Brailsford, Gary Fisher, Chris Boardman, Ned Boulting, Sir Chris Hoy, Tracy Moseley, Mike Burrows and many more, plus great archive, animation and music.
“Lyrical, affectionate, beautiful. A hymn of praise to a humble wonder; the bicycle” Ned Boulting, Broadcaster and Writer
The film will be on limited cinema release throughout the summer and autumn and will come out on DVD in September.
Hayley Davies
Writer
Riding since Feb 2011 Hayley is a 30 year old female who loves adventures. If she’s not on one of her many bikes or in the water on a bodyboard/surfboard, then Hayley is probably out looking for something new to keep the adrenaline pumping! Website: www.hjdonline.co.uk
• Mark Cavendish headlines Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic
• New status and tougher route in 2014
• Race to be shown live on BBC 1
Former World Champion and 25-time Tour de France stage winner Mark Cavendish will lead the line-up in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic on Sunday 10 August, part of the Mayor of London’s multi-award winning annual festival of cycling.
The Manx cyclist will lead his Omega Pharma Quick-Step team in the event, which has been awarded 1.HC status (the second-highest international classification) by the UCI, the international cycling federation, in only its second year, and takes place on a new, tougher route this year.
Changes to the men’s pro race route will see the 200-kilometre racing start at 13:00 and focus on multiple circuits in the Surrey Hills. The changes include two climbs through Denbies Vineyard to Ranmore Common and the introduction of additional sections of the 2012 Olympic Road Race route, such as the climb of Staple Lane over the North Downs near Guildford.
The race will be covered live on BBC1 and shown internationally in more than 160 countries.
Cavendish will arrive at Prudential RideLondon from the Tour de France, where he’ll be setting his sights on winning the green points jersey, which he won in 2011.
“I’m excited to be riding in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic for the first time this year,” says Cavendish. “It’s another opportunity to race in front of the amazing crowds in Britain. Coming after the Tour de France and Commonwealth Games, more and more people are going to be at the roadside cheering us on and wanting to be a part of the weekend.”
“The whole event just shows the growth of cycling in Britain, so it will be great to be a part of it with my Omega Pharma Quick-Step team. We know it’s a challenging route, but we also know it’s one that can end in a sprint finish, which should suit the team and me.”
The 2013 British Champion will headline a 150-rider field comprised of 25 teams of six riders, including Cavendish’s current world number-one-ranked team Omega Pharma Quick-Step. Further details of the remaining teams and the world-class field of riders for the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic will be announced in the coming weeks.
“We are delighted to welcome Mark Cavendish and his Omega Pharma Quick-Step team to the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic,” said Race Director Mick Bennett. “The fact that he and his team have chosen to ride the event, and our elevation to Hors Categorie status for 2014, underlines Prudential RideLondon’s status as the world’s greatest festival of cycling.”
“This year we have looked at the route and made some significant changes to the race in the Surrey Hills, with the addition of the climb through Denbies Vineyard, an exciting and innovative change that we feel will benefit both spectators and riders.”
The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic starts at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, goes out through central London and into Surrey with the main route changes taking place in the Surrey Hills. Fans are invited to watch the race at spectator vantage points along the route including Kingston, Wimbledon, Putney and Dorking.
First riders will tackle the climb of Staple Lane, a new addition to the 2014 route, before heading into Dorking and the climb of Coldharbour and Leith Hill.
After returning to Dorking the race will tackle two circuits of the ascent through Denbies Vineyard, before racing back through Dorking and on to Box Hill. The more direct route used by the London 2012 road race, via Leatherhead, Oxshott and Esher, will see the distance from the final climb to the finish shortened, bringing in to play a greater tactical element as the sprinters’ teams battle to bring back any breakaways.
The last 25km of the race features the recently renovated Ancient Market Place in Kingston, a new sprint up Wimbledon Hill, the Chelsea Embankment, Tate Britain, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament and Whitehall. The final kilometre marker at Downing Street will see the race intensify as the peloton speeds to Trafalgar Square, through Admiralty Arch and the final sprint for the line on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace.
The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic is the fifth and final event of the Mayor of London’s Prudential RideLondon festival of cycling over the weekend of 9-10 August.
An extensive communications campaign is already underway to help businesses and the public plan and get around on the day, as well as make the most of the events over the weekend. Since May, information has been sent to more than 1 million residents and businesses along and close to the event routes to help them plan ahead – further information will follow in July. A series of public information sessions will be held next month in the affected areas to provide details of the temporary changes in place and to offer residents and businesses the opportunity to ask questions. Information on travel disruption and advice is available on www.tfl.gov.uk/prudentialridelondon. To avoid delays, wherever possible all drivers are advised to avoid areas near the event routes.
I, like many of you I am sure, were brought into the sport of cycling due to the seductive story of Lance Armstrong. A man returning from his deathbed to win the hardest endurance event in the world – WOW what a story. Arguably there is little that can be added to the monster of a story that it was and still is.
The discourse has been mounting higher and higher through the early years of Armstrong’s dominance, the rumours and his subsequent decline. However, this Mount Ventoux of a narrative has recently been capped by the release of The Armstrong Lie. This documentary without doubt slaps more layers of intrigue, controversy and questions to the ever expanding bounty of media available. One thing is clear though, the documentary shows how Armstrong tricked millions into entering his web of deceit. Road cycling literature is becoming more and more prevalent in the English/American market, but beyond A Sunday in Hell film and documentary’s are conspicuous by their absence. Step forward Alex Gibney. The project began after Armstrong controversially announced his intention to come out of retirement to promote awareness of his Cancer charity Livestrong. Gibney agreed with Armstrong to make the documentary allowing the film maker unbridled access. However, as Armstrong began his fall from grace so the documentary changed, taking a radically different tact. It begins with an overview of the early years, the Americanisation of the European pro-peloton by ‘Le Texan’ and his merry band of US Postal brothers. In tune with this, the cinematography of is undeniably from across the pond. Talking heads, Reed Albergotti, Jonathan Vaughters, George Hincapie, Daniel Coyle and Frankie Andreu amongst others, although sometimes full of cheesy soundbites do provide interesting comment. Meanwhile, there is some fantastic archive footage, Armstrong continually maintaining his innocence one on one with Gibney, suggesting he has never tested positive, a bespectacled Michele Ferrari, team briefs on the Astana bus during the 2009 Tour de France and quite sensationally Armstrong entertaining both the UCI and USADA doping testers at his home. During the documentary Armstrong insinuates that his admission on the Oprah show was “too much for the general public and not enough for cycling fans.” This is true of the documentary as a whole. I was crying out for more details, more tidbits, more admissions, yet all that emerged was the usual stories. The administration of drugs on the floor of the team bus during the tour, the hospital room ‘admission’ same old, same old. But, one aspect the documentary does explore, one which is well discussed in the written media is the character of Armstrong. Bullying, harassing, controlling the narrative. It is fascinating to see this on film. He stills performs ‘the look’ into the camera denying Betsey Andreu’s accusation that he admitted taking performance enhancing drugs in that hospital room as he lay riddled with cancer. He also still denies taking drugs or blood transfusions during his 2009/2010 comeback. For me this clearly suggested that despite his admission, Armstrong himself has not changed one iota. However, one thing has changed for sure – I doubt there are many people that still believe him. Gibney suggests in his narrative that he was no ‘fanboy’ of Armstrong’s, however the unbridled access he got during that Tour meant his peers felt he was becoming one. The documentary does have whiffs of positivity for Armstrong but in the end does portray him in the negative light he deserves. The sport of procycling has come a long way since the first and second retirements of Armstrong in 2005 and 2010. It may be too early to say but here Gibney has closed the chapter and what was tumultuous period in the sport. Maybe now is the time to leave the ghosts of the past behind and promote today’s new generation of riders. Cycling Shorts rating: 76%
Round Five of the Women’s Road Series returned to Northumberland for the third edition of the Curlew Cup. Won initially by Dame Sarah Storey in 2012, then Hannah Barnes in 2013, it follows the course of the Men’s Beaumont Trophy, but usually only on the smaller of the two circuits of Thirteen miles.
This year the Women’s event incorporates one of the larger twenty-two mile circuits that take’s in the double stepped Ryals climb on the last of the four circuits. If the race reaches here in a group, then it’s surely going to be the key point in the race. After the climb, it’s then a flat final run of around four miles to the finish line in Stamfordham.
Race
A sunny 9.15am start for the girls in Stamfordham. Only forty or so riders took to the start line (out of seventy-six registered).
Series Leader Nicola Juniper (Team Echelon) and her closest rival Katie Archibald (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International) were the focus for the day. No Wiggle Honda ladies present in this round, but still plenty of quality riders from Matrix Fitness Vulpine, Epic Cycles Scott WRT and Velosport Pasta Montegrappa to name but a few.
Team Jadan continue their development with Sam Thoy and Annabel Sill riding the course and the National Series for the first time.
A neutralised first climb out of Stamfordham, saw the girls safely away. Sat on the back where Pearl Izumi’s Katie Archibald & Dame Sarah Storey.
Forty minutes later the group returned and were still all intact. Archibald and (Charline) Joiner headed the group, and series leader Nicola Juniper close at hand.
It was clear that Juniper’s objective was to mark any moves by Archibald, whose Pearl Izumi team mates including Joiner (returning to road racing for the first time since her training accident in Spain), were going to make it hard and use their numbers to control the race. Joiner took the first prime of the race.
On the third climb out of Stamfordham, Epic Cycles started to make a move but nothing really came of it. Joiner once again took the prime.
On the final small lap out of Stamfordham, it was Velosport Pasta Monegrappa’s turn to escape from the group and try and form a working group. But once again they were brought back together. Joiner took the final prime in the race.
Around the backside of the course as the pace increased, the field then began to split, and coming back into Stamfordham for the final large Ryals lap, the group had split in half with smaller pockets of riders trailing behind. This was where the race began to form.
With the main contenders all in the leading group, now down to about twenty, Pearl Izumi began to take control.
As the Ryals approached, the field were reduced further, to around eight riders.
It was Dame Helen Storey that cranked the pace to full gas, for the last run into Stamfordham. This left team-mate and GC contender Archibald a clear path to sprint for the finish line.
Series leader Juniper wasn’t going to let her get away easily and followed her in to a close second. Third on the day went to Matrix Fitness Vulpine’s Jessie Walker, just ahead of both Gemma Neill and Gabby Shaw.
Reflection
Things nearly went horribly wrong for Series Leader Nicola Juniper who’s car broke-down on route, and left her One-Hundred and Fifty miles short of where she wanted to be!
I spoke to Nicola after the race and asked her about her thoughts on the season so far.
She had won the first Series race, the Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir in a two girl sprint, up to the finish line, against Alexi Shaw (Epic Cycles Scott WRT), she had come fourth, in round two; the Cheshire Classic with another climb to the finish.
She spoke about being pleased that she still had the lead. She had done her homework and knew that there was a two point difference between first and second positions, so her objective was to mark her closest rival (Archibald) today. It’s no secret that the Pearl Izumi girls and the Wiggle Honda girls want to use their team tactics to take the overall series, Nicola said they would have to work for it, if that’s what they wanted to do. She was going to chip away at the remaining rounds, but wouldn’t be disappointed if one on the younger girls took away the lead.
She has great admiration for both Katie and Laura, her closest rivals. They’re both “World Class” athletes she pointed out, “They both ride the track, and the road”. “I’m getting older,” she laughed. “As long as I’m riding my bike, I’m quite happy”. And when talking to the other girls about racing, they all show the same passion.
Nicola told me her objectives this year were to do a ten, and a twenty (Time Trial, that is), and the Nocturne that she won a week or so ago! So has good reason to be ‘quite happy’ with things at the moment.
Nicola is down to ride the Otley GP on Wednesday 2nd July for round six. It looks like she will be up against Laura Trott who’s lying third so far, no Katie Archibald on the entry list yet.
There are another five rounds to go in the series, a couple of two-days and a couple of circuit races. The next race in the North here, is the Ryedale GP out of Ampleforth, North Yorkshire, on Sunday 20th July. It includes the National Junior Women’s Road Race Championships.
Nicola Juniper retains her lead in the Women’s Road Race Series after round five, but Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International’s Katie Archibald is closing-in, in second place. Wiggle Honda’s Laura Trott remains in third place.
Race Result
1 Katie Archibald 2:24.35 – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
2 Nicola Juniper 0.01 – Team Echelon
3 Jessie Walker 0.01 – Matrix Fitness Vulpine
4 Gemma Neill 0.01 – Un-attached
5 Gabby Shaw 0.01 – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
6 Alexi Shaw 0.01 – Epic Cylcles Scott WRT
7 Rebecca Rimmington 0.03 – Merlin Cycles
8 Julie Erskine 0.03 – Velosport
9 Anna Ewing 0.03 – VW Breda
10 Jane Barr 0.03 – Velocity
11 Anna Christian 0.04 – WyndyMilla Reynolds
12 Chloe Frazer 0.04 – Deeside Thistle
13 Emma Grant 0.05 – Tibco
14 Lucy Coldwell 0.05 – Velosport
15 Dame Sarah Storey 0.12 – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
16 Hannah Walker 0.52 – Epic Cycles Scott WRT
17 Lauren Creamer 0.52 – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
18 Elizabeth Holden 0.53 – RST Racing Team
19 Charline Joiner 0.53 – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
20 Eve Dixon 0.53 – Team 22
35 Sam Thoy 15.21 – Team Jadan
36 Annabel Sill 15.21 – Team Jadan
Prime Charline JoinerPearl Izumi Sports Tours International
Ave Speed 32.476 Kph
Women’s Road Race Standings after Round Five
1 Nicola Juniper – 139 – Team Echelon
2 Katie Archibald – 135 – Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours International
3 Laura Trott – 101 – Wiggle Honda
4 Gabriella Shaw – 80 – Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours International
5 Danielle King – 64 – Wiggle Honda
6 Grace Garner – 58 – RST Racing Team
7 Elinor Barker – 55 – Wiggle Honda
8 Lydia Boylan – 50 – Velosport – Pasta Montegrappa
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