by Chris Maher | May 28, 2015
Images ©www.chrismaher.co.uk / CyclingShorts.cc
JLT Condor presented by Mavic clinch the 1-2 on the cobbled streets of round 5 in Durham.
Arguably the toughest round of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series, the cobbled climb is every two minutes or so, and is a circuit you either love or loath!
Ed Clancy “I love the City, but I hate the circuit” he told the crowd after the finish.
Returning to the Cathedral City of Durham for the sixth consecutive year. It’s one of the most popular rounds for the spectators to watch.
The race got underway with two neutral laps, before starting the 30 or so expected ascends of South Street!
Several attempts were made by ONE Pro Cycling, Starley Primal & JLT Condor to make a break stick.
JLT Condor’s Richard Handley made that break, easing away every lap until he started picking up back markers.
Jon Mould, ONE Pro Cycling lead the peloton around, with Madison Genesis also helping to reel-in the escapee, whilst Round Four winner and team-mate Kristian House marshalled the moves.
Team WIGGINS strongest man Chris Lawless, helped chase down Handley, as the group dwindled down to ten.
With three laps left, the back markers were with-drawn, leaving only ten riders on the circuit.
Handley had almost caught the main group on the final lap, but House & Lawless were around half a lap behind.
An easy win for Handley in the end, with House sprinting into second, to make it a JLT Condor presented by Mavic 1-2. Lawless resigned his-self to third, whilst Scully beat Mould to the line for fourth.
Clancy, losing steam early on, in the race, gathered enough strength to blast around the course for the Quickest Lap contest. Whilst Handley had mopped up the Chain Reaction Points leading most of the nights race.
Madison Genesis retain the Pearl Izumi Leaders Jerseys once more going into tomorrows Round Six, in Barrow-in-Furness.
Durham Individual Top Ten Results
1: Richard Handley JLT Condor presented by Mavic
2: Kristian House JLT Condor presented by Mavic
3: Chris Lawless Team WIGGINS
4: Tom Scully Madison Genesis
5: Jon Mould ONE Pro Cycling
6: Marcin Bialoblocki ONE Pro Cycling
7: Tom Stewart Madison Genesis
8: Adria Moreno Sala Velosure Starley Primal
9: Steve Lampier Team Raleigh GAC
10: Stephen WilliamsPedal Heaven
Durham Team Classification
1: ONE Pro Cycling
2: Madison Genesis
3: Pedal Heaven
4: NFTO Pro Cycling
5: Velosure Starley Primal
6: JLT Condor presented by Mavic
7: Team Raleigh GAC
8: SportGrub Kuota
9: Team WIGGINS
Costa Express Fastest Lap: Ed Clancy – JLT Condor presented by Mavic 2:00.560
Chain Reaction Cycles Points: Richard Handley – JLT Condor presented by Mavic
Team Leader board after round 5
1: Madison Genesis
2: ONE Pro Cycling
3: Pedal Heaven
Full Official Race Results http://www.tourseries.co.uk/home.php
by Chris Maher | May 27, 2015
All images © www.chrismaher.co.uk / CyclingShorts.cc
Power “House” Kristian Solos To His First Victory Of The 2015 Series
JLT Condor presented by Mavic’s Kristian House powers his way around the new 1.4Km circuit in Motherwell.
Scotland’s only visit by the Tour Series this season saw a trio of riders break away in the earlier part of the race.
House, Chris Opie – ONE Pro Cycling and Mike Northey – Madison Genesis put a good thirty seconds into the peloton after the first Chain Reaction Sprint, won by Chris Lawless – Team Wiggins.
The pace was high, and the strung out peloton failed to close the escapees down with-in the hour of racing.
House, powered away from Opie and Northey with two laps to go, giving him his first victory of the 2015 Series.
NFTO left it too late to set Steele Von Hoff up for the uphill sprint to the line, but he managed to fend Ed Clancy off, for the best of the bunch sprint.
Motherwell Individual Top Ten Results
1: Kristian House JLT Condor presented by Mavic
2: Chris Opie ONE Pro Cycling
3: Mike Northey Madison Genesis
4: Steele Von Hoff NFTO Pro Cycling
5: Ed Clancy JLT Condor presented by Mavic
6: Chris Lawless Team WIGGINS
7: Jon Mould ONE Pro Cycling
8: Tom Stewart Madison Genesis
9: Richard Hepworth SportGrub Kuota
10:Morgan KneiskyTeam Raleigh GAC
Motherwell Team Classification
1: Madison Genesis
2: ONE Pro Cycling
3: Team Raleigh GAC
4: Pedal Heaven
5: NFTO Pro Cycling
6: Velosure Starley Primal
7: JLT Condor presented by Mavic
8: SportGrub Kuota
9: Team WIGGINS
Costa Express Fastest Lap: Ed Clancy 1.25.745
Chain Reaction Cycles Points: Chris Opie
Team Leader board after round 4
1: Madison Genesis
2: ONE Pro Cycling
3: Pedal Heaven
Full Official Race Results http://www.tourseries.co.uk/home.php
Thanks to Pete & Grace for media access throughout the series… http://www.sweetspotgroup.co.uk/home.php
by Chris Maher | May 26, 2015
All images ©www.chrismaher.co.uk / CyclingShorts.cc
Local girl Katie Archibald rode off the front of the bunch, to win round two of the Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series.
Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International’s Katie Archibald made her move after the first Sprint in Motherwell. Team-mate Gabby Shaw had begun to stretch the peloton out in the early laps of the race.
Race leader by default, Nikki Juniper had won the Sprint Jersey in Round one. So Jessie Walker (RST Racing Team) will wear the Sprint Jersey in Motherwell.
With round one winner Laura Trott (Matrix Fitness) not present, meant Juniper was the next placed highest rider to wear the Leaders Jersey.
Juniper, Walker and Eileen Roe (Wiggle Honda) made the uphill sprint towards the line for the first three places, with Shaw taking fourth place.
Archibald didn’t contest the sprint, and this gave her the advantage of riding off the front for the bunch as they all recovered from that effort.
Gaining twenty to thirty meters along the top flatter part of the course, Archibald, a supreme pursuiter, rode steadily away. Roe & Juniper were unable to match her pace.
Archibald took the next set of Points, with Emily Nelson (Team USN) and Annasley Park (Team Giordana Triton) taking second and third.
As Archibald approached the finish line, the chasing bunch of eighteen girls where almost a lap down.
Riding over the line with ease, the main bunch where left to sprint it out for the remaining positions.
In a big bunch Sprint, Nikki Juniper took second place with Eileen Roe third. Lydia Boylan (Team WNT) took fourth and Katie Curtis (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, fifth.
Nikki Junipers Reaction: “We were only going to attain the Sprints Jersey”, “and we got the first prime”. “But no one heard the klaxon for the next prime”. “We knew Katie had probably got the next one”. “There was a bit of confusion on the Points Jersey”. “But apparently I’m still in it”.
Nikki Juniper of Team Giordana Triton talks to Chris Maher of CyclingShorts.cc about her current lead in the Matrix Fitness GP Series 2015 after round two in Motherwell.
Results: Motherwell
1: Katie Archibald Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International 0:39:33.541
2: Nikki Juniper Team Giordana Triton 0:41:02.815
3: Eileen Roe Wiggle Honda
4: Lydia Boylan Team WNT
5: Katie Curtis Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
6: Jessie Walker RST Racing Team
7: Emily Kay Team USN
8: Annasley Park Team Giordana Triton
9: Lucy Martin Matrix Fitness
10: Gabriella Shaw Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
11: Henrietta Colborne Team Jadan
12: Rebecca Nixon Fusion RT Gearclub Bike Science
13: Jennifer George Les Filles
14: Charline Joiner Team WNT
15: Hannah Walker Team WNT
16: Manon Lloyd Team USN
17: Genevieve Whitson WV Avanti
18: Mel Lowther Matrix Fitness
19: Lauren Creamer Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
20: Emily Nelson Team USN
Overall after Round Two
1 Nikki Juniper 37 Team Giordana Triton
2 Katie Archibald 36 Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
3 Lydia Boylan 31 Team WNT
4 Jessie Walker 30 RST Racing Team
5 Annasley Park 24 Team Giordana Triton
6 Laura Trott 20 Matrix Fitness
7 Charline Joiner 19 Team WNT
8 Dani King 19 Wiggle Honda
9 Eileen Roe 18 Wiggle Honda
10 Manon Lloyd 18 Team USN
Team Rankings after Round 2
1 Team Giordana Triton 78
2 Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International 72
3 Team WNT 56
4 Matrix Fitness 45
5 Team USN 33
6 Team Jadan 18
7 IKON Mazda 8
Sprint Rankings after Round 2
1 Nikki Juniper 14 Team Giordana Triton
2 Jessie Walker 12 RST Racing Team
3 Katie Archibald 7 Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
4 Elinor Barker 4 Matrix Fitness
4 Emily Nelson 4 Team USN
Next race in the Matrix Fitness GP Series is on June 02nd in Croydon.
by Chris Maher | May 25, 2015
All images ©www.chrismaher.co.uk / CyclingShorts.cc
Trott wins 2015 Milk Race by three thousandths of a second
Laura Trott and Kristian House win The Milk Race
Laura Trott today (Sunday 24 May) claimed victory in this year’s elite women’s Milk Race whilst Kristian Houseclaimed the 1st prize in the elite men’s race.
Riding around the city centre course in Nottingham for team Matrix Fitness, Laura beat last year’s champion Katie Archibald of Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International by three thousandths of a second. In third place was Pearl Izumi’s Katie Curtis. Meanwhile, in the men’s race Kristian House of JLT Condor was victorious over team Wiggins’ Andy Tennant and JLT’s Ed Clancy, who came in second and third respectively.
The women’s top five finishers were as follows:
- Laura Trott, Matrix Fitness
- Katie Archibald, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
- Katie Curtis, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
- Dani King, Wiggle Honda
- Jessie Walker, RST Racing
Speaking after her triumphant win, Laura said: “It’s great to win such a prestigious event especially with an exciting sprint finish. I’m really pleased to return to Nottingham and be in front of such amazing crowds. Here’s hoping The Milk Race returns again next year!”
The men’s top five finishers were as follows:
- Kristian House, JLT Condor
- Andy Tennant, Wiggins
- Ed Clancy, JLT Condor
- Christopher Lawless, Wiggins
- Sam Lowe, Raleigh GAC
Following his victory, Kristian said: “It’s great to be part of an event like The Milk Race. The atmosphere and amount of support from the crowd make it one of the best events in England to be part of.”
The Milk Race, which initially ran between 1958 and 1993 as the UK’s leading multistage cycling race, was resurrected in 2013 as a city centre event. In 2015, the majority of the event is being funded by The Dairy Council and DairyCo, meaning that all corners of the dairy industry are working together to put on Britain’s leading one-day cycling extravaganza. More than 100,000 people came out to see The Milk Race across the weekend.
This year, the elite races formed part of a festival of cycling in Nottingham city centre, which included a Schools Ride, a Family Ride, a ride for advanced cyclists and a special ride for the British dairy industry.
Once again, Nottingham’s Old Market Square was transformed into The Milk Race Village, where thousands of spectators took advantage of milk-based products and giveaways from some of the country’s leading dairy companies.
In an elite field containing numerous world, Olympic and British champions, the women’s Milk Race has become a key event in the annual cycling calendar, and offers a first prize of £1,000 – the same value as the men’s event.
Sandy Wilkie, Chairman of The Dairy Council, said: “Last year’s Milk Race was a great occasion but today’s event has surpassed it. It was a fantastic spectacle and a great celebration of cycling and dairy. Our congratulations go toLaura and Kristian, and here’s hoping that, if further funding can be secured, The Milk Race can be a permanent fixture in the British sporting calendar for many years to come.”
Gwyn Jones, DairyCo Board Chairman, said: “The Milk Race is an iconic cycling event and represents a fabulous platform to promote to the public the benefits of milk and dairy in the context of sport. Sport requires commitment, enthusiasm and huge energy from competitors which is something dairy farmers know and appreciate as they go about their work in producing nutritious milk and the other dairy products millions of us enjoy every day. We’re delighted to be supporting The Milk Race in Nottingham.”
Councillor Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture at Nottingham City Council, said: “Today was a fantastic day out for residents and visitors. Nottingham is delighted to host such an important cycling event – one of many this summer as we gear up to welcome more world class sporting events. Congratulations to both winners.”
Further information about the 2015 Milk Race can be found at www.themilkrace.com or follow @themilkraceuk on Twitter.
by Chris Maher | May 2, 2015
It All Comes Down To A Bunch Sprint Along The Knavesmire In The Inaugural Women’s Tour De Yorkshire!
York 80Km Closed Circuit Road Race.
The inaugural Women’s Tour De Yorkshire cycling road race took place on a closed four lap, 20 kilometre circuit. Open to Elite, First, Second and Third cat ladies, gave opportunity, for the girls to ride safely through the streets of York. Looping out beyond the A64 to the East, before returning, the race completed the circuit on the Knavesmire near the Race Course entrance.
Likened to a Belgium Kermesse by the girls, rather than a City Centre Criterium. The technical at times course, twisted & turned through the streets of York, passing several well known landmarks, through ancient City Walls, and over cobbled roads, before entering the more exposed windier sections outside of town.
Flagged off by British Cycling President, Bob Howden, the Race got underway at 10.30am by an eighty strong field of riders.
Crowds had already built-up around the City streets, and the race got off to an aggressive start. There were many attacks on the back-end of the circuit, but each and every one were brought back on the run into the City Centre. At times the peloton were very strung-out, that showed the pace indeed was quite high averaging nearly 40kmph. Wiggle Honda’s Eileen Roe had several goes escaping the clutches of a strong Pearl Izumi – Sports Tours Int’l Team and the Team USN squads. They all had goes of firing riders off the front. But as the final lap approached, it became clear that it would end with a bunch sprint.
Approaching the final kilometres, last minute efforts were made to escape, but lead-out trains were formed for the Sprinters, and it was a case of “surfing the wheels” (Louise Mahѐ), and picking the best line or wheel to come off!
In the end, IKON Mazda’s Louise Mahѐ lunged across the line firstly, followed very closely by Wiggle Honda’s Eileen Roe and Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int’l’s Katie Curtis in a big bunch sprint. Fifty-seven girls completed the race.
Louise Mahe speaks to CyclingShorts.cc writer Chris Maher after her win at the inaugural Women’s Tour de Yorkshire 2015.
I spoke to Louise Mahѐ after the race: “It was a fast race from the off” “At times when you look back, the whole bunch were strung-out, so you knew the pace was high”, “I left it quite late, found a gap, and went for it”. Louise said that she liked the circuit. It was flat, so you race hard. She enjoyed the closed circuit, and said the crowds were awesome!
On Twitter Louise posted: “Blimey, I won a bike race! Thanks for the support everyone”
I spoke to Eileen Row after the race: “It was a really good race”, “It was a really aggressive actually, the race!”, “Unfortunately it did come down to a bunch sprint”, “I was in several breaks that went up the road, that never really came to much up the back-end of the circuit”.
Eileen Roe of Team Wiggle Honda talks to CyclingShorts.cc writer Chris Maher about her Women’s Tour de Yorkshire 2015.
On Twitter Eileen posted: “Thank you @letouryorkshire #WTdY was amazing, what a crowd. Honoured to be on the podium of the women’s first edition”.
Click here to view our full image gallery for the Women’s Tour de Yorkshire.
Top 10:
- Louise Mahé – IKON Mazda – 80 kilometres in 2:00:36.4
- Eileen Roe – Wiggle Honda
- Katie Curtis – Pearl Izumi Sports International
- Charline Joiner – Team WNT
- Alice Barnes – Betch.NL-Superior-Brentjens MTB RT
- Grace Garner – Team Giordana-Triton
- Emily Kay – Team USN
- Amy Hill – Team Rytger
- Nicola Juniper – Team Giordana-Triton
- Abigail Dentus – Team Velosport
Sprints
Katie Archibald – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
2nd Category riders
- Alice Cobb – Aprire Bicycles/HSS Hire
- Annasley Park – Team Giordana-Triton
- Hayley Simmons – Team Velosport
3rd Category riders
- Alice Barnes – Betch.NL-Superior-Brentjens MTB RT
- Beth Crumpton – North West Cycling Club
- Ella Hopkins – IKON-Mazda
Full Rider Classification WTdY 2015 – York
1, 24 Mahe,Louise – IKON – Mazda 10:35:18
2, 99 Roe,Eileen – Wiggle Honda
3, 40 Curtis,Katie – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int
4, 87 Joiner,Charline – Team WNT
5, 11 Barnes,Alice – Betch.NL-Superior-Brentjens
6, 65 Garner,Grace – Team Giordana – Triton
7, 77 Kay,Emily – Team USN
8, 75 Hill,Amy – Team Rytger
9, 67 Juniper,Nicola – Team Giordana – Triton
10 ,81 Dentus,Abigail – Team Velosport
11, 64 Dickinson,Eleanor – Team Giordana – Triton
12, 33 Shaw,Lucy – Matrix Fitness Development
13, 35 Crumpton,Beth – North West Cycling Club
14, 66 Holden,Elizabeth – Team Giordana
15, 5 Cobb,Alice – Aprire Bicycles/HSS Hire
16, 37 Archibald,Katie – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Intl
17, 44 Shaw,Gabriella – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Intl
18, 85 Boylan,Lydia – Team WNT
19, 23 Hopkins,Ella – IKON – Mazda
20, 71 Parkinson,Abby-Mae – Team Giordana – Triton
21, 70 Park,Annasley – Team Giordana – Triton
22, 94 De Quint,Pia – Velosure Starley Primal
23, 36 Mellor,Amira – Paul Milnes – Bradford Olympic
24, 18 Simpson,Annabel – Hope Factory Racing
25, 82 Simmonds,Hayley – Team Velosport
26, 21 Grant,Emma – IKON – Mazda
27, 76 Coster,Ellie – Team
28, 25 Rimmington,Rebecca – IKON – Mazda
29, 15 Hall,Lucy – Crosstrax
30, 39 Creamer,Lauren – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Intl
31, 78 Lloyd,Manon – Team USN
32, 20 Erskine,Julie – IKON – Mazda
33, 42 Horne,Ciara – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Intl
34, 79 Nelson,Emily – Team USN
35, 32 Walker,Jessie – Matrix Fitness
36, 41 Hayward,Bethany – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Intl
37, 68 McVitty,Keira – Team Giordana – Triton
38, 46 Turvey,Anna – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Intl
39, 49 Kinloch,Alison – PH-MAS VCUK Womens Cycling Team
40, 69 OBrien,Lauren – Team Giordana – Triton
41, 6 Gornall,Amy – Aprire Bicycles/HSS Hire
42, 45 Storey,Dame Sarah – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Intl
43, 97 Christian,Anna – Wiggle Honda
44, 22 Hall,Corrine – IKON – Mazda
45, 88 Tate,Brit – Team WNT
46, 19 Brand,Melissa – IKON – Mazda
47, 90 Walker,Hannah – Team WNT
48, 10 Chappell,Ruby – Behind The Bikeshed
49, 59 Dixon,Eve – Team 22
50, 91 Stedman,Elizabeth – University of Sheffield CC
51, 12 Verdegaal,Madeline – Boston Whls CC
52, 3 Thompson,Seonaid – Albarosa Cycling Club
53, 4 Brogan,Kayleigh – Aprire Bicycles/HSS Hire
54, 83 Poole, Karen – Team WattCycle
55, 61 Riley,Gina – Team 22
56, 1 Richards,Suzie – Albarosa Cycling Club
57, 27 Beddis,Delia – Les Filles Racing Team
58, 2 Botteley,Sian – Velosure Starley Primal
For more information on the Tour de Yorkshire please visit; www.letouryorkshire.com
by Anna Magrath | May 2, 2015
Stage 2 TdY Finish – Image ©www.chrismaher.co.uk | CyclingShorts.cc
The end of stage one of the tour resulted in a number of big names getting off the bike. Ben Swift with a right shoulder trauma, young Irish rider Eddie Dunbar sustaining the same injury but on his left side, both riders were casualties in the crash at the front of the peloton. We also saw the early retirement of Marcel Kittel who had only just returned from illness.
Stage 2 TdY Final Lap – Image ©www.chrismaher.co.uk | CyclingShorts.cc
Stage two started with a large group going clear early in the day, with some quality riders involved including Bert de Backer (Giant-Alpecin), Andy Tennant (Team Wiggins), Mark McNally (Madison-Genesis) and Matt Brammeier (MTN-Qhubeka). The group built up a five minute lead which they held for quite some time. The job of reeling them in was left to the team of the GC leader Lars-Petter Nordhaug. Team Sky got to work. The lead group fragmented, the remains; McNally and De Backer put in an extra effort to stay away as the race arrived on the outskirts of York for the two lap finish. The attempt was looking successful until the final few kilometres of the last lap.
The pace lifted as Team Sky gained allies on the front of the peloton; IAM Cycling, NFTO, Roompot-Orange Peloton and One Pro Cycling, the race started to look more like an angry swarm of bees, as the riders were strung out behind the four teams.
Stage 2 TdY Podium – Image ©www.chrismaher.co.uk | CyclingShorts.cc
In the meantime De Backer was showing his strength and he managed to shake off McNally. With just a few kilos to go it was looking less like he would manage a lone arrival at the finish, the peloton was closing in fast. As the the race reached the 2km marker the peloton were on his tail, they could smell a bunch sprint finish. Loic Chetout (Cofidis) attacked and pulled his way up to De Backer, this small victory was short-lived as the peloton came charging past at the Flame Rouge.
Greg van Avermaet had a dig and gapped the peloton for a moment but the final moments came down to Pelucchi and Hofland battling it out for the win. The Team LottoNL-Jumbo rider just pipped Pelucchi to the post. All the hard work of Team LottoNL-Jumbo this season finally paid off, their first win of the year!
The first British rider to reach the line in the sprint was Russ Downing (Cult Energy Pro Cycling) – a Yorkshireman too!
No change overall in the standings as Lars-Petter Nordhaug finished in the bunch.
Tour de Yorkshire 2015: stage two results
1) Moreno Hofland (NED) – Team LottoNL-Jumbo – 3.57.58hrs
2) Matteo Pelucchi (ITA) – IAM Cycling – ST
3) Roman Sinkeldam (NED) – Giant-Alpecin
4) Jempy Drucker (NED) – BMC Racing
5) Dylan Groenewegen (NED) – Roompot Orange Peloton
6) Andre Looij (NED) – Roompot Orange Peloton
7) Russ Downing (GBR) – Cult Energy Pro Cycling
8) Andreas Stauff (GER) – MTN-Qhubeka
9) Harry Tanfield (GBR) – Condor-JLT
10) Pieter Vanspeybrouck (BEL) – Topsport-Vlaanderen Baloise
General classification
1) Lars-Petter Nordhaug (NOR) – Team Sky – 8.20.26hrs
2) Samuel Sanchez (ESP) – BMC Racing +10”
3) Thomas Voeckler (FRA) – Team Europcar – ST
4) Stephane Rossetto (FRA) – Cofidis +12”
5) Philip Deignan (IRL) – Team Sky +16”
6) Anthony Turgis (FRA) – Cofidis +1.18
7) Greg van Avermaet (BEL) – BMC Racing +1.20
8) Erick Rowsell (GBR) – Madison-Genesis – ST
9) Ben Hermans (BEL) – BMC Racing +1.23
10) Richard Handley (GBR) – JLT-Condor +1.26
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