by Chris Maher | Jul 24, 2014
All images ©chrismaher.co.uk / CyclingShorts.cc
Round Eight in the Women’s Road Race Series – Ryedale Grand Prix incorporating the BC Junior Women’s National Road Race Championship.
Pre Race
Round Eight of the Women’s Road Series is the Ryedale Grand Prix, based around the Ampleforth Abbey Grounds, in North Yorkshire. The course has been used over the years for the National Championships and consists of two loops that pass through the grounds of the Sport College and the Start/ Finish area, allowing the spectators to follow the progression of the race as it develops.
This year’s edition incorporates the British Cycling Junior Women’s Road Race Championships with-in the senior race, and covers around thirty-nine miles.
Race
A nine-thirty start on a muggy, misty and slightly damp course saw the girls away safely up the switch-back climb in-front of the Abbey and onto the main road. A two kilometre neutralised zone got the girls through the town of Ampleforth where they swung left and onto the main climb across the Yearsley Moor to start the race. A high pace up the first ascent saw four or five girls dropped straight away. The course then turned to the right before Yearsley, and the girls headed out towards Oulston for the first of two large circuits.
It wasn’t long before a couple of minor falls split the peloton, and as the pace was kept high, the peloton once again fragmented.
Heading left at Gilling East and back through to the Sports Grounds at the Abbey for the first circuit, Series Leader Nicola Juniper made a small attack and gained four or five seconds lead. The peloton had strung-out on the approach to the Rugby Fields, but at the right, then left-hand pinch point, the slippery surface brought panic to the chasing girls as several slid across the surface and brought the group to an almost stand-still.
Chains un-tangled, and a quick brush-down, it was going to be a hard chase for the peloton to catch Juniper, who had ridden up through the start/ finish area un-aware of the hold-up behind her and to a lead of around sixty-seconds.
Looking back, further around the course, Juniper had realised that no-one was there, and decided to dig-in and time trial the rest of the race.
The peloton chased hard, but Juniper’s lead grew, and in the end, she rode to a solo victory.
Eyes were then on the sprint to the line and more importantly the first three Juniors, vying for the National Championships Jersey. It was no surprise to see Bethany Haywood, Matrix Fitness Vulpine glued to the wheels of Laura Massey, Epic Cycles who lead the bunch in for second place. Emma Grant rode in to forth, Elizabeth Holden in to fifth and Silver for the juniors. Amy Gornall, RST Racing rode in to eighth place to secure her Bronze Medal.
Race Results
- Nicola Juniper – Team Echelon Rotor
- Laura Massey – Epic Cycles Scott WRT
- Bethany Haywood – Matrix Fitness Vulpine (J)
- Emma Grant – Tibco To The Top
- Elizabeth Holden – RST Racing (J)
- Rebecca Womersley – Wyndymilla Reynolds
- Rebecca Rimmington – Merlin Cycles
- Amy Gornall – RST Racing (J)
- Jane Barr – Velocity 44 Stirling
- Jennifer Hudson – VC ST Raphael
- Elizabeth Malins – Fusion Development RT
- Ellie Campbell – Fusion RT Gearclub Bike Science
- Alexie Shaw – Epic Cycles Scott WRT
- Gabriella Nordin – Pedal Power RT
- Sophie Falkner – Fusion RT Gearclub Bike Science(J)
- Eve Dixon – Team 22
- Abigail Dentus – Team De Ver (J)
- Natalie Grinczer – Fusion RT Gearclub Bike Science
- Rebecca Nixon – Dundee Thistle CC
- Abby Mae Parkinson – RST Racing (J)
- Vanessa Whitfield – VC ST Raphael
- Karen Poole – GB Cycles
- Chloe Fraser – Deeside Thistle CC
- Cassie McGoldrick – Fusion RT Gearclub Bike Science
- Louise Burnie – Loughborough Students CC
- Maisie Duckworth – Wolverhampton Wheelers (J)
- Lauren Obrien – RST Racing (J)
- Iona Sewell – GB Cycles
- Nicola Soden – GB Cycles
- Helen McKay – Look Mum No Hands!
- Ashleigh Fraser – Deeside Thistle CC (J)
- Emily Middleditch – Deeside Thistle CC
- Clover Murray – Braintree Velo Cycle Racing Club
- Lucy Harper – Bike Pure LeMond Aspire (J)
- Alexandra Sheehan – Merlin Cycles (J)
British Cycling Junior Women’s National Road Race Championships
Gold: Bethany HaywoodMatrix Fitness Vulpine
Silver: Elizabeth HoldenRST Racing Team
Bronze: Amy GornallRST Racing Team
Women’s Road Race Standings after Round Eight
1 Nicola Juniper – 274 – Team Echelon
2 Gabriella Shaw – 140 – Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours International
3 Katie Archibald – 135 – Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours International
4 Dame Sarah Storey – 110 – Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours International
5 Laura Trott – 101 – Wiggle Honda
6 Molly Weaver – 96 – Epic Cycles – Scott WRT
7 Laura Massey – 93 – Epic Cycles – Scot WRT
8 Hannah Walker – 77 – Epic Cycles – Scott WRT
9 Bethany Hayward – 76 – Matrix Fitness Vulpine
10 Danielle King – 64 – Wiggle Honda
11 Gillian Taylor – 62 – Fusion RT Gearclub Bike Science
11 Rebecca Womersley – 62 – Wyndymilla Reynolds
13 Grace Garner – 58 – RST Racing Team
14 Alexie Shaw – 57 – Epic Cycles – Scott WRT
15 Elinor Barker – 55 – Wiggle Honda
15 Rebecca Rimmington – 55 – Velosport – Pasta Montegrappa
17 Lydia Boylan – 50 – Velosport – Pasta Montegrappa
17 Jessie Walker – 50 – Matrix Fitness – Vulpine
19 Elizabeth Holden – 48 – RST Racing Team
20 Abigail Dentus – 46 – Team de Ver
Nicola Juniper (Team Echelon) is the 2014 Women’s Road Race Series Champion.
Results by British Cycling
The final race in the current season is the Stafford GP and Kermesse, on Friday 1st – Saturday 2nd August.
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.
