Clayton Velo Spring Classic
26-Feb-1995
| TAKING the honours for a second successive year, Chris Newton - who a week earlier had partnered Pete Longbottom to team time trial success - carried his new North Wirral VeloKodak colours to an outstanding individual victory in Sunday's Clayton Velo Spring Classic. Newton outsprinted Wayne Randle (Optimum Performance RT) after the pair had left their three breakaway companions on the climb at East Marton with some eight miles to go in the North's opening road race of the season over a 55-mile course at Barnoldswick, Lancashire. Randle's team-mate Kevin Dawson had paved the way for the final move, attacking alone on the approach to the climb but dropping back when Chris Newton reacted and swept by with Randle on his wheel. Rick Clough (Stretford Wheelers) and national amateur criterium champion Dave Williams (RT Italia) were also left gasping by Newton's speed. Williams, Dawson and Clough joined forces again to fill the next three places, but there was no way they were going to catch Newton and Randle. Dawson explained: ' Wayne was up the road, so I'd done my bit. `I attacked before the climb to give Wayne a chance. That was the only way we could have beaten Chris, the way he was going today.' Dawson, just back from two weeks' training in Majorca, had in fact been in every move in the race, and shared a two-man break with Dave Williams for almost two laps. They were caught by Newton, Randle and Clough just before they started their final 11-mile lap. A bright, sunny morning had encouraged fast go-all-the way racing and, after Williams had led the field up East Marton Hill for the first time, Dawson took a group of five riders clear. When this break grew to nine men, it looked as though the race pattern might have been set. But with riders of the calibre of Newton among the chasers, the leaders were soon joined by another nine men, making 18 at the front to decide the race. It was from this big group that Dawson attacked with Williams, the pair staying clear for almost 20 miles while the remaining 16 fragmented, leaving just Newton, Clough and Randle to catch the two leaders. Williams had been agreeably surprised by his form, explaining that he had been able to train for only three weeks following a bout of flu. `I don't think Wayne was sprinting as well as he could,' said winner Newton after beating his breakaway rival by a length at the line. Randle explained: `I think I led out on too big a gear. I had the 12 in and perhaps it should have been a 14. Mind, Chris was going well. He was doing all the damage on the hills.' `It was quite nervy, with groups going away all the time,' reported Newton. `With two Optimum riders there on the last lap, I had to make sure I got away with one of them.' Was he happy with his new team? `Yes, I'm happy now. I was a bit nervous to start with, with all that might be expected of me. But it was a good result today.' 1. Chris Newton (North Wirral Velo-Kodak) 55m in 2-20-00 |