by Chris Maher | Jul 4, 2014
Pre Race:
Round Six of the Women’s Road Series
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
5 Danielle King 64Wiggle Honda
6 Grace Garner 58RST Racing Team
7 Elinor Barker 55Wiggle Honda
8 Lydia Boylan50Velosport – Pasta Montegrappa
9 Alexie Shaw 49Epic Cycles – Scott WRT
10 Abigail Dentus 42Team de Ver
11 Molly Weaver 40Epic Cycles – Scott WRT
11 Lowri Devey 40Abergavenny RC
13 Megan Barker 37M&D Cycles/Scimitar Sports/Fusion Sports RT
14 Jessie Walker36Matrix Fitness – Vulpine
15 Jo Tindley33Matrix Fitness – Vulpine
16 Amy Roberts 31Wiggle Honda
16 Chloe Frazer31Deeside Thistle
18 Hannah Walker 29Epic Cycles – Scott WRT
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.
Results by British Cycling
Women’s Road Race Standings TBC
The next round of the Women’s Road Race Series is the Essex Giro 2day 12-13 July.
by Chris Maher | Jun 24, 2014
All images ©www.chrismaher.co.uk
Pre Race
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
9 Alexie Shaw – 49 – Epic Cycles – Scott WRT
10 Abigail Dentus – 42 – Team de Ver
11 Molly Weaver – 40 – Epic Cycles – Scott WRT
11 Lowri Devey – 40 – Abergavenny RC
13 Megan Barker – 37 – M&D Cycles/Scimitar Sports/Fusion Sports RT
14 Jessie Walker – 36 – Matrix Fitness – Vulpine
15 Jo Tindley – 33 – Matrix Fitness – Vulpine
16 Amy Roberts – 31 – Wiggle Honda
16 Chloe Frazer – 31 – Deeside Thistle
18 Hannah Walker – 29 – Epic Cycles – Scott WRT
19 Hayley Jones – 28 – Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours International
19 Harriet Owen – 28 – Matrix Fitness – Vulpine
19 Rebecca Womersley – 28 – WyndyMilla – Reynolds
19 Anna Christian – 28 – Epic Cycles – Scott WRT
Results by British Cycling
Women’s Road Race Standings TBC
The next round of the Women’s Road Race Series is the Otley GP on Wednesday 2nd July.
by Chris Maher | Jun 16, 2014
Images ©chrismaher.co.uk/Cycling Shorts – photos are regularly updated on flicker.com
Round Four in the Women’s Road Race Series was held in Lancashire. Over a two day period the race was split into three events. A one mile individual time trial prologue, A fourty-five minute criterium and an eighty-one kilometre circuit race.
Wiggle Honda’s Laura Trott won both the individual time trial and the criterium to hold the blue leaders jersey over-night. Pearl Izumi’s Katie Archibald was a close second, followed by RST Racing Team’s Grace Garner in third.
A damp start to the final event brought an early end for several riders in the first couple of circuits. This didn’t affect the top placed girls, and a couple of attacks by Archibald, Storey and Dani King split the peleton into three groups. A mechanical for Storey, saw her drop back from a leading group of around thirty girls by lap five.
The main group remained together for a couple of laps, with Storey maintaining her deficit at around two-twenty, but unable to re-join the leaders.
A chat the evening before amongst the Wiggle girls, had come up with a plan to make a surprise attack from within the group. Mid way through the race, the girls found themselves stuck in the middle, with no-one wanting to attack. So with this game plan in mind they launched a drive up the “Little Rise” on the course. Trott, then King, then Elinor Barker went away from the bunch and this was the decisive move that shaped the final out-come.
Talking to Laura after the race, she said about their game plan, “This is the perfect situation”. “I looked behind an it was just the three of us. I looked behind again and Katie had joined us”. “We just worked then as a Team Pursuit”. “With Dani and Elinor counter attacking (Archibald) all the way to the end, I just got a free ride to the finish”.
The Wiggle Girls then led the race leader into the final sprint for the line, with Archibald chasing them down. Trott had the freshest legs to follow, then lunged for the line, beating Archibald for the third successive time.
Surf & Turf 2Day Final overall.
1 Laura Trott Wiggle Honda 03:00:53
2 Katie Archibald Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International 00:00:12
3 Danielle King Wiggle Honda 00:00:23
4 Elinor Barker Wiggle Honda 00:00:31
5 Grace Garner RST Racing Team 00:02:21
6 Lydia Boylan Velosport – Pasta Montegrappa 00:02:27
7 Nicola Juniper Private Member 00:02:28
8 Jo Tindley Matrix Fitness – Vulpine 00:02:29
9 Megan Barker M and D Cycles/Scimitar Sports/ Fusion Sports RT 00:02:29
10 Rebecca Womersley WyndyMilla – Reynolds 00:02:30
11 Emily Nelson Fusion Development Racing Team 00:02:30
12 Elizabeth Malins Fusion RT Gearclub Bike Science 00:02:30
13 Lauren Creamer Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International 00:02:31
14 Abigail Dentus Team De ver 00:02:31
15 Melissa Lowther Matrix Fitness – Vulpine 00:02:31
16 Gabriella Shaw Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International 00:02:32
17 Lucy Shaw Solihull CC 00:02:32
18 Rebecca Rimmington Merlin Cycles 00:02:33
19 Eve Dixon Team 22 00:02:34
20 Jane Barr Velocity 44 Stirling 00:02:34
Stage two 81 Kms or 13 laps of 6.2 Kms.
1 Laura Trott Wiggle Honda 02:07:08
2 Katie Archibald Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International 02:07:08
3 Danielle King Wiggle Honda 02:07:10
4 Elinor Barker Wiggle Honda 02:07:13
5 Grace Garner RST Racing Team 02:09:08
6 Megan Barker M and D Cycles/Scimitar Sports/ Fusion Sports RT 02:09:08
7 Nicola Juniper Private Member 02:09:08
8 Rebecca Womersley WyndyMilla – Reynolds 02:09:08
9 Abigail Dentus Team De ver 02:09:08
10 Lauren Creamer Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International 02:09:08
Stage one 45 min Criterium.
1 Laura Trott Wiggle Honda 00:51:50
2 Katie Archibald Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International 00:51:55
3 Grace Garner RST Racing Team 00:51:57
4 Danielle King Wiggle Honda 00:52:00
5 Dame Sarah Storey Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International 00:52:00
6 Elinor Barker Wiggle Honda 00:52:00
7 Lydia Boylan Velosport – Pasta Montegrappa 00:52:00
8 Claire Thomas Velosport – Pasta Montegrappa 00:52:00
9 Nicola Juniper Private Member 00:52:00
10 Jo Tindley Matrix Fitness – Vulpine 00:52:00
Prologue Time Trial 1.6Kms.
1 Laura Trott Wiggle Honda 00:02:05
2 Katie Archibald Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International 00:02:07
3 Grace Garner RST Racing Team 00:02:09
4 Danielle King Wiggle Honda 00:02:09
5 Dame Sarah Storey Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International 00:02:10
6 Elinor Barker Wiggle Honda 00:02:11
7 Lydia Boylan Velosport – Pasta Montegrappa 00:02:12
8 Claire Thomas Velosport – Pasta Montegrappa 00:02:13
9 Nicola Juniper Private Member 00:02:13
10 Jo Tindley Matrix Fitness – Vulpine 00:02:14
Results by British Cycling
Women’s Road Race Standings TBC
The next round of the Women’s Road Race Series in the Curlew Cup is in Northumberland on Sunday 22nd June.
by Anna Magrath | Jun 11, 2014
Tom Stewart leads Madison Genesis to double success in Woking
On the evening one Pearl Izumi Tour Series Yorkshire favourite bowed out for competition, another star from the same county was firmly launched in the Series.
Pre-race the news may all have been about five-time race winner and former Champion Dean Downing making his final appearance in the Series, but post-race the talk was of 24-year-old Tom Stewart, who clinched an impressive first victory in the Series.
Madison Genesis rider Stewart was to the fore throughout, first partnering NFTO rider Adam Blythe in a two-up move before being part of the race winning break, from which he flew with teammates Tobyn Horton and Andy Tennant keeping a watching brief that would ensure team victory too.
With a handful of laps remaining Stewart went clear from the small leading group, building an advantage he’d hold until the line.
The final two laps saw Blythe and George Harper in fast pursuit, but it was too little too late, with the only consolation for the latter being second spot individually, and third on the night for his Node4 Velosure team.
Stewart’s first win was also Madison Genesis’ second individual win on the bounce, following Horton’s Canary Wharf victory, with the Guernsey rider being another, along with Tom Scully, Madison Genesis rider prominent and aggressive throughout.
Their performances and the combinations of Stewart’s win with Horton’s fourth and Tennant’s sixth gave Madison Genesis the team win, their third of this year’s Series, but with Rapha Condor JLT coming second the deficit is still 16 points.
The Pearl Izumi Tour Series heads to Jersey for its final round on Friday as a part of the Jersey Festival of Cycling, with an individual hill climb and circuit race posing a double-header challenge for teams. With 24 points left to score, only an unlikely disaster seems to be between Rapha Condor JLT and the feat of becoming the first squad to win the Series overall twice.
NFTO’s Jon Mould did enough in Woking to wrap-up the Sprints Jersey with a round to spare, sitting on top of a 22 point lead over Kristian House, with Graham Briggs a further two points in arrears.
Briggs himself was also a winner in Woking, taking the Costa Express Fastest Lap with a 1’43.298, in what is likely to for the second year in succession have been the Series’ fastest race, with at the halfway point the race having an average speed of almost 45 kilometres per hour.
For Downing, racing for the first time in the Series as teammate to brother Russell, who made his comeback from injury in Woking, there was to be no fairytale finish at the circuit where he was victorious in 2009.
There was one final top ten finish though to round out a six year spell in The Pearl Izumi Tour Series that has made him one of the stars and most feted riders, in a Series which focusses on the team.
Five wins (Exeter and Woking in 2009, Exeter and Peterborough in 2010 and Colchester in 2011) plus the Series title with, the then, Rapha Condor Sharp team in 2011, are what Downing leaves behind, plus a legion of fans at venues impressed by his showmanship and results over the past six editions of the Series.
Downing follows NFTO teammate James McCallum into Pearl Izumi Tour Series retirement, as the next generation of stars begin to make their mark, led by the likes to Woking one-two Stewart and Harper.
Highlights of the Woking round of The Pearl Izumi Tour Series are on ITV4 at 8pm on Wednesday 11 June, with a repeat at 12.50pm on Thursday 12 June. All of the highlights programmes are also available to view online and catch-up via the ITV Player.
The Pearl Izumi Tour Series
Tuesday 10 June 2014, Woking
Round Nine Team Result
1) Madison Genesis
2) Rapha Condor JLT
3) Node4 Velosure
4) NFTO Pro Cycling
5) Team Raleigh
6) Starley Primal Pro Cycling
7) Pedal Heaven Colbornes
8) Metaltek Kuota
9) Great Britain
Round Nine Individual Result
1) Tom Stewart, GBR, Madison Genesis
2) George Harper, GBR, Node4 Velosure
3) Adam Blythe, GBR, NFTO Pro Cycling
4) Tobyn Horton, GBR, Madison Genesis
5) Graham Briggs, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT
6) Andy Tennant, GBR, Madison Genesis
7) Matthieu Boulo, FRA, Team Raleigh
8) Chris Opie, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT
9) Morgan Kniesky, FRA, Team Raleigh
10) Dean Downing, GBR, NFTO Pro Cycling
Round Nine Costa Express Fastest Lap: Graham Briggs, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT, 1’43.298
Round Nine Sprint Winner: Jon Mould, GBR, NFTO Pro Cycling
Overall Team Standings, post-Round Nine
1) Rapha Condor JLT, 106pts
2) Madison Genesis, 90pts
3) Team Raleigh, 82pts
4) NFTO Pro Cycling, 73pts
5) Node4 Velosure, 61pts
6) Metaltek Kuota, 45pts
7) Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 39pts
8) Pedal Heaven Colbornes, 38pts
9) Great Britain, 36pts
Overall Sprint Standings, post-Round Nine
1) Jon Mould, GBR, NFTO Pro Cycling, 69pts
2) Kristian House, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT, 47pts
3) Graham Briggs, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT, 45pts
Win for Roe seals Matrix Fitness GP Series title in Woking
Eileen Roe clinched the 2014 Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series title in style, winning the final race in Woking to head compatriot and best friend Charline Joiner at the top of the standings.
Roe outsprinted Redditch winner Amy Roberts and Grace Garner on the long drag to the Woking finish line to ensure she finished 13 points clear of Joiner at the top of the standings.
Joiner could only come in sixth, despite the best efforts of her Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International team, who worked tirelessly for her in the front group.
Roe, who has held the Series lead since her victory in Round Two in Peterborough, now moves on to the Commonwealth Games, where she will represent Team Scotland in Glasgow this Summer, alongside Joiner.
Consolation for the Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International team came in the team prize, having led the classification throughout the Series, thanks to the two victories of Katie Archibald and string of consistent placings from Joiner, Dame Sarah Storey and Gabriella Shaw.
After their first winless campaign in the Series, Matrix Fitness – Vulpine drew some consolation from taking the Sprints Jersey, with Helen Wyman winning the Sprints prize in Woking to seal victory in the classification over Archibald.
In a fast race, averaging 39 kilometres per hour, the front group was consistently whittled down until only a dozen or so riders remained.
Most notable for her aggressive riding was Tamiko Butler, riding for local Surrey squad WyndyMilla Reynolds, who enjoyed noisy partisan support in Woking, with the Combativity Award falling the way of Butler post-race.
Come the final sprint though it was Roe heading to the line first in a messy affair, as the leader caught a trailing group coming out of the final bend. Behind Roe it was Roberts, whose second place on the night helped her into third overall in the Series, and Grace Garner, enjoying her best ever Matrix Fitness GP Series result at the circuit where elder sister Lucy has twice won.
Fourth spot on the night for Katie Curtis, who worked throughout for her Starley Primal teammate Roe, gave her fourth in the standings, with Clemence Copie fifth before Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International duo Joiner and Shaw.
Highlights of the final round of the Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series will be shown as a part of The Pearl Izumi Tour Series highlights on ITV4 at 8pm on Wednesday 11 June, with a repeat on Thursday 12 June at 12.50pm.
Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series
Tuesday 10 June 2014
Round Five, Woking
Race Result
1) Eileen Roe, GBR, Starley Primal Pro Cycling
2) Amy Roberts, GBR, Wiggle Honda
3) Grace Garner, GBR, RST Racing Team
4) Katie Curtis, GBR, Starley Primal Pro Cycling
5) Clemence Copie, GBR, Team MuleBar Girl – Sigma Sport
6) Charline Joiner, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
7) Gabriella Shaw, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
8) Laura Greenhalgh, GBR, Twickenham CC
9) Lydia Boylan, GBR, Velosport – Pasta Montegrappa
10) Jo Tindley, GBR, Matrix Fitness – Vulpine
Round Five Sprint Winner: Helen Wyman, GBR, Matrix Fitness – Vulpine
Round Five Team Winner: Starley Primal Pro Cycling
Final Overall Individual Standings, post-Round Five
1) Eileen Roe, GBR, Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 104pts
2) Charline Joiner, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, 91pts
3) Amy Roberts, GBR, Wiggle Honda, 69pts
4) Katie Curtis, GBR, Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 69pts
5) Helen Wyman, GBR, Matrix Fitness – Vulpine, 69pts
Final Overall Sprint Standings, post-Round Five
1) Helen Wyman, GBR, Matrix Fitness – Vulpine, 30pts
2) Katie Archibald, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, 20pts
3) Katie Curtis, GBR, Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 18pts
Final Overall Team Standings, post-Round Five
1) Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, 227pts
2) Matrix Fitness – Vulpine, 169pts
3) Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 136pts
4) Team MuleBar Girl – Sigma Sport, 88pts
5) Velosport – Pasta Montegrappa, 73pts
6) RST Racing Team, 64pts
7) Epic Cycles – Scott WRT, 49pts
8) WyndyMilla Reynolds, 46pts
9) GBcycles.co.uk, 3pts
by Anna Magrath | May 25, 2014
Katie Archibald today (Sunday 25 May) claimed victory in this year’s elite women’s Milk Race whilst Graham Briggs claimed the 1st prize in the elite men’s race.
Riding around the city centre course in Nottingham for team Pearl Izumi Sports Tour International, the second year running that the legendary event has been held in the city, Katie beat two of the stars of the Wiggle Honda team, Laura Trott and Charlotte Becker into second and third place. Meanwhile, in the men’s race Graham Briggs of Rapha Condor JLT was victorious over Raleigh’s Mathew Boulo and Velosure-Giordana’s Matt Cronshaw, who came in second and third respectively.
The women’s top five finishers were as follows:
1. Katie Archibald, Pearl Izumi Sports Tour International
2. Laura Trott, Wiggle Honda
3. Charlotte Becker, Wiggle Honda
4. Elinor Barker, Wiggle Honda
5. Katie Curtis, Starley Primal Pro Cycling
Speaking after her triumphant win, Katie said: “It’s great to win such a prestigious event 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:
1. Graham Briggs, Rapha Condor JLT
2. Mathew Boulo, Team Raleigh
3. Matt Cronshaw, Velosure-Giordana RT
4. Ed Clancy, Rapha Condor JLT
5. Felix English, Rapha Condor JLT
Following his victory, Graham said: “It’s great to be of an event like The Milk Race. It’s probably the best event in England for the amount of support there is from the crowd and it’s super motivating to hear them shouting your name!”
The Milk Race, which initially ran between 1958 and 1993 until the Milk Marketing Board was disbanded, was resurrected last year by industry bodies The Dairy Council and the Milk Marketing Forum. In 2014, the elite races formed part of a festival of cycling in Nottingham city centre, which included a community ride, a family ride, and a ride for advanced cyclists. 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 to Katie and Graham, 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.”
by Anna Magrath | May 21, 2014
Eileen Roe takes Series lead with victory in Peterborough
Eileen Roe moved into the lead of the Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series with victory in Round Two at Peterborough, ensuring she will wear the leader’s jersey on home roads in Scotland at Round Three.
Roe now heads a Scottish 1-2 ahead of Charline Joiner as the women’s Series heads to Scotland for the first time, with Edinburgh hosting Round Three on Thursday 29th May.
In the absence of opening round winner and leader Katie Archibald, Roe had pulled on the red and white Matrix Fitness jersey in Peterborough as the leading rider racing, and did the jersey proud, firstly attacking and then ultimately winning the final sprint ahead of Nicola Juniper and Harriet Owen.
Victory was Roe’s second in the Series, having won the Colchester event in heavy rain in 2012, but this time victory means she takes control of the Series, with a 11-point lead over Joiner.
Freshly back from a long-term injury lay-off, Joiner took sixth, helping her Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International team to a second successive team win, and to extend their series lead.
Second placed Juniper, sixth placed Joiner and Lauren Creamer in eighth secured the points for the team of Dame Sarah Storey, with a fourth black and purple rider, Gabriella Shaw, also in the top ten.
Third on the night was Harriet Owen, on the circuit where she took victory in 2012 the last time the Series visited, while fourth place was Italian Jasmine Diotti, in only her second outing in the Matrix Fitness GP Series.
Roe took the Sprint win on the night, while Louise Mahe took over the Sprints Jersey with the overall lead for Team Mule Bar Girl – Sigma Sport, and Nicola Juniper the evening’s combativity prize, after several aggressive moves in the first half of the race.
In addition to the Scottish 1-2 at the top of the standings, riders from north of the border have won both of the opening two rounds, and will be hoping to make it three from three as the women’s Series heads to Scotland for the first time next week.
Edinburgh’s tough Grassmarket circuit, featuring the cobbled climb of Victoria Street, hosts men and women’s events on the afternoon and evening of Thursday 29th May.
Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series
Tuesday 20 May 2014
Round Two, Peterborough
Race Result
1) Eileen Roe, GBR, Starley Primal Pro Cycling
2) Nicola Juniper, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
3) Harriet Owen, GBR, Matrix Fitness – Vulpine
4) Jasmine Diotti, ITA, Velosport – Pasta Montegrappa
5) Hannah Walker, GBR, Epic Cycles – Scott WRT
6) Charline Joiner, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
7) Clemence Copie, GBR, Team Mule Bar Girl – Sigma Sport
8) Lauren Creamer, IRL, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
9) Sigrid Jochems, NED, Matrix Fitness – Vulpine
10) Gabriella Shaw, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
Round Two Sprint Winner: Louise Mahe, Team Mule Bar Girl – Sigma Sport
Round Two Team Winner: Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
Overall Individual Standings, post-Round Two
1) Eileen Roe, GBR, Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 39pts
2) Charline Joiner, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, 28pts
3) Hannah Walker, GBR, Epic Cycles – Scott WRT, 24pts
4) Natalie Creswick, GBR, Team Mule Bar Girl – Sigma Sport, 23pts
5) Harriet Owen, GBR, Matrix Fitness – Vulpine, 21pts
Overall Sprint Standings, post-Round Two
1) Louise Mahe, GBR, Team MuleBar Girl – Sigma Sport, 12pts
2) Katie Archibald, GBR, Pearl Izumi Sports Tour International, 10pts
3) Katie Curtis, GBR, Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 7pts
4) Eileen Roe, GBR, Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 6pts
5) Clemence Copie, GBR, Team MuleBar Girl Sigma Sport, 5pts
Overall Team Standings, post-Round Two
1) Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, 98pts
2) Matrix Fitness – Vulpine, 79pts
3) Starley Primal Pro Cycling 56pts
4) Team Mule Bar Girl – Sigma Sport, 49pts
5) Epic Cycles Scott WRT, 42pts
6) Velosport – Pasta Montegrappa, 36pts
7) RST Racing Team, 5pts
8) WyndyMilla Reynolds, 4pts
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