Brite 1-2-3
By Martin Ayres for Snowdon Sports Editorial. Picture by Rob Lampard.

Team Brite made it eight Premier Calendar wins out of eight claiming the top three places in the four-day Tour of Lancashire, won by team captain Jonny Clay.

GOLDEN boy Jonny Clay (Team Brite) proved he still has the Midas touch with victory in the Travelwise Tour of Lancashire to add to his incredible tally of Premier Calendar wins this season.

Four days of racing through the hills and fells of the north-west ended with Clay leading a Team Brite clean sweep of the top three places overall.

Seeking his first overall victory in the event since 1992, Clay won the first stage, took the yellow jersey on stage two, and defended it through the time trial and criterium and Monday's final road leg to finish 1-04 clear of Chris Newton, with Matt Illingworth third at 1 -11.

Brite didn't have it all their own way, though. Brian Smith gave Scotland's Clarke Contracts team a stage win, while Joe Bayfield took the criterium for Harrods-Giant, and Gary Adamson was a popular last-stage winner for Team Travelwise - who are also the race's main sponsor.

Kevin Dawson (Team Ambrosia), who wore the first yellow jersey of the race thanks to sprint bonuses, took fourth place overall at 1-20. PDM Sports-WCU placed three men in the top eight - Julian Winn leading the way in fifth and also taking the climber's prize.

Although Brite have dominated this season's road race scene, Clay believes they can still improve. "We're all beginning to look in better shape - until now we've had different levels of form and fitness," he said.

"Rob Hayles has been a bit low, and Chris Newton and John Tanner have been a little up and down. But today they were faultless, and everything went perfectly.

"I would like to think I can hold this form into the Prutour. Obviously then the tables will be turned and we'll be the average team. We'll be looking to steal what we can. A stage win would be super, but we've got to accept we just don't have the preparation."

Unfortunately, the race ended on a sour note for organiser Gordon Harling when Lancashire police declined to provide an escort. The early road stages, in Greater Manchester, were given a full 14-man escort by the local force, but Monday's leg was in Lancashire, where the police promised just two men at a cost of £500. However, a senior officer then ruled they could not get involved, and the two motorbike police were reduced to the role of roadside observers.

"I'm very disappointed at the way they've reacted to our request, bearing in mind the incredible cooperation we've enjoyed over the last 12 years," Harling said.

The race was guided round the final stage by Lancashire County Council's team of advanced motor cycle instructors.

Stage one, Uppermill Circuit, 59.5m

Despite having the odds stacked against them, Team Brite still supplied the stage winner as Jonny Clay outsprinted six breakaway rivals to win at Uppermill, near Oldham, on Friday. "In a way I wish I hadn't won," he said, after crossing the line well clear of Mark McKay (Harrods-Giant) and Kevin Dawson (Team Ambrosia). "I don't like winning when I've been sitting in."

Clay had been the lone Brite rider in a move that went clear after 36 miles and, with PDM Sports and Harrods-Giant each placing two men in the break, he sat back and let the others do the driving.

Brite's manpower shortage in the break was due to a puncture bug which attacked Chris Walker twice in a couple of miles and then struck John Tanner.

With the Brites in temporary disarray Dawson, Harry Lodge (Terry Wright Cycles), Matt Stephens (Harrods-Giant) and David Rand (PDM Sports) launched an all-out attack Reinforcements quickly moved forward in the shape of McKay Simon Bray (PDM Sports), Jim Henderson (British Universities SA-Halifax), Ireland's Phil Cassidy (Navan-Avonmore) and Clay, to form the decisive nine-man break.

Clay's team-mates Walker, Tanner and Chris Newton responded by lining out on the front of the chasing group and staging a spectacular pursuit for two laps of the hilly, 8.5-mile circuit until team manager Keith Lambert moved forward and told his men to ease off.

In the meantime, Dawson had been picking off the lap sprints - each worth three seconds bonus - and collected a total of 12 seconds. The break lost two men when Lodge was dropped and Cassidy punctured.

Clay, doing a good, professional job, duly won the seven-up sprint from McKay, with Dawson snatching third place - worth another five seconds bonus. It left the Ambrosia man in the yellow jersey by just one second from Clay. His team manager, poker-faced Paul Curran, greeted him with mock horror. "What do you want to do a thing like that for?" he asked. "The rest of the lads will love you when they're defending tomorrow!"

Less than 60 miles of racing over heavy Pennine roads had wrought havoc, with no fewer than 13 of the 96 starters abandoning. The second group came in a minute down, while the day's losers included Rob Hayles, who lost 5-05, and Jeremy Hunt, Dan Smith and Colin Sturgess, who finished six minutes down.

1. Jon Clay (Team Brite) 59.5m in 2-31-40
2. M. McKay (Harrods-Giant)
3. K. Dawson (Ambrosia)
4. D. Rand (PDM Sports)
5. J. Henderson (BUSAHalifax) all st
6. S. Bray (PDM Sports) at 3sec

Stage 2, Bolton-Holcombe circuit, 73.5m

A rejuvenated Brian Smith (Clarke Contracts) took the stage, while the yellow jersey passed to Jonny Clay (Team Brite) in a tactical stage over west Pennine roads.

"I'm back! It's great to be riding with a purpose again and in a good team set-up," said Smith, the former double national road champion.

Smith was out of the hunt for the yellow jersey, and the day's biggest gainer was Chris Newton (Brite), who crossed the uphill finish line a length down on Smith tq rise 16 places to third overall.

It was a day that could have ripped the field apart, but it did less damage than the previous day's short stint. Dominated by the climbs of Holcombe Hill and Haslingdon Grane, the 17.2-mile circuit also featured a vicious one-kilometre climb to the line.

Seven men were in contention as they hit the finish straight for the last time, with the next group - including yellow jersey Kevin Dawson - just over a minute down.

Joe Bayfield (Harrods-Giant) ripped into the attack before the climb. But then Smith made his move and wiped out Bayfield's advantage. Newton matched Smith, and together they opened a gap on Dave Williams (unattached). With the finish in sight, Smith kicked again and went clear, with Newton second and Williams third.

It was a deserved win for Smith, who had sparked the race-winning break with Julian Winn (PDM Sports) after 42 miles. Behind them the bunch split as Williams, Newton, Bayfield, Ian Gilkes (Ambrosia) and Colin Sturgess - guesting for AdidasSciCon - moved forward to join the two leaders.

Tactically, it was just the right combination - none of the breakaways had figured in the previous day's leading group - and the peloton allowed them around a minute's leeway for the rest of the stage.

Clay had already staked his claim on the leadership, thanks to a three-second Hot Spot sprint bonus on lap one. With overnight leader Dawson safely in the bunch, Clay was happy for the break to retain its lead and mop up the three remaining bonuses.

Congratulated on beating the formidable Newton, Smith explained: "That's what stage racing is about. Chris was riding for overall time, while I was riding for a win."

Mark McKay picked up just one second in Hot Spot bonuses, which kept him second overall in the same time as Newton.

1. Brian Smith (Clarke Contracts) 73.5m in 2-55-54
2. C. Newton (Brite) st
3. D. Williams (unatt) at 13sec
4. J. Winn (PDM Sports) at 16sec
5. C. Sturgess (Adidas-SciCon) at 22sec
6. J. Bayfield (Harrods-Giant) at 26sec

Stage 3, Cockerham time trial, 11.7m

Team Brite wiped out the last vestiges of resistance to their overall supremacy with a clean sweep of the top four placings in the time trial. Jonny Clay had to settle for third fastest time - but still stretched his leading margin to 1-07.

Chris Newton (fourth fastest) moved up one place to second overall, while Matt Illingworth (second fastest) jumped five places overall to third. But it was Rob Hayles, seemingly out of sorts and languishing 12 minutes down on GC, who provided the ride of the day. With winds gusting across Pilling Marsh, Hayles clocked a stunning 22-53 to take the stage by 10 seconds from Illingworth, with Clay at 18 seconds.

It was a very un-British time trial, featuring narrow lanes, twists and turns, potholes and following cars, although the result had a familiar appearance.

Had Hayles been saving himself for the test? "Not at all," he responded. "On the first day, I blew up and yesterday I got caught in the wrong group. But I've really been racing and contributing to the team effort."

The day's big loser was Mark McKay (Harrods-Giant), second on GC overnight, who was caught demoralisingly early by minute man Clay and finished with a 25-29 ride that relegated him to fifth overall.

Colin Sturgess - listed as Adidas-SciCon but clearly riding for Brite - emphasised his return to the top with fifth place on the stage, narrowly ahead of Kevin Dawson (Team Ambrosia). It left Dawson 1-23 down and the only non-Brite man still in the hunt for the yellow jersey.

1. Rob Hayles (Team Brite)............. 22 53
2. M. Illingworth (Brite) ............. . . . 23 03
3. J. Clay (Brite) ..................... 23 11
4. C. Newton (Brite) ................... 24 13
5. C. Sturgess (Adidas-SciCon) .......... 24 20
6. K. Dawson (Ambrosia) ............... 24 25
7. D. Williams (unatt). . . ............... 24 29
8. B. Kenneally (Navan-Avonmore) ........ 24 44
9. C. Walker (Brite) ................... 25 05
10. A. Naylor (Cannons)................. 25 05

Stage 4, Hyndburn Criterium (Accrington), 29.8m

A torrid last lap saw Joe Bayfield (Harrods-Giant) score a surprise victory after front runner Chris Walker (Brite) pulled his foot out of the pedal within sight of the line.

It had looked so easy for Walker, who slipped away from the bunch with Julian Winn (PDM Sports) with 11 of the 42 laps covered. Walker, a winner at Welwyn two weeks previously, and Winn, fresh from seventh place overall in the Tour of Morocco, rapidly opened a 30-second gap.

There was no concerted reaction until, with a dozen laps of the threequarter-mile circuit to go, five riders formed a chasing group. Rob

Hayles, the morning's time trial winner, was there, together with Bryan Steel, guesting for AdidasSciCon, plus Phil Cassidy (NavanAvonmore), Drew Wilson (Clarke Contracts) and Joe Bayfield.

Walker and Winn saw their lead rapidly eroded as, working to team orders, Hayles and Steel did most of the pursuing. At the bell the escapees had just five seconds' advantage. Along the back straight the chasers were closing. Into the last 200 metres and Walker came off Winn's wheel all set to dive for the line. Then his foot and pedal parted company. The chasers were upon them, and B ayfield beat Wilson and Winn to claim Harrods' first stage of the race.

Would Walker have won without his mishap? "Who knows? Winn had just done a hard last halflap. He was going for points and was knackered, so I would have been close," a despondent Walker replied.

Winn, already wearing the KoM jersey, picked up sufficient Hot Spot points to share the sprints leadership with Kevin Dawson. The sprint and third-place bonuses also boosted the Welshman's overall standing from eighth to fifth.

1. Joe Bayfield (Harrods-Giant) 29.8m in 1-04-06
2. D. Wilson (Clarke Contracts)
3. J. Winn (PDM Sports) both st
4. C. Walker (Brite) at 4sec
5. R. Hayles (Brite)
6. B. Steel (Adidas-SciCon) at 6sec

Stage 5, Longridge Fell circuit, 87.5m

A jubilant Gary Adamson outsprinted a 57-strong group to give his team sponsor Travelwise - which also backs the Tour - a double publicity pay-off.

Adamson, who has gone close to victory in top company several times this season, was a clear winner from Steve Higgins (CC Giro) and Julian Winn (PDM Sports) after five laps of the tough Longridge Fell circuit.

It all ended in a bunch sprint despite the best efforts of Matt Stephens (Harrods-Giant), who attacked time and again only to be reeled in by a Brite-dominated bunch.

Finally, with 60 miles covered, a break was established. It was launched by Stephens, who was quickly joined by team-mate Joe Bayfield as well as Drew Wilson (Clarke Contracts) and Bryan Steel (Adidas- SciCon).

Their lead was never more than 45 seconds but, as the last lap progressed, it looked as though the quartet might stay clear, particularly as none of the escapees was in the top 20 overall.

As the race approached the Chaigley and Thornley primes, their lead shrank to 10 seconds. Stephens made one last despairing attack but then the bunch were on to him.

It was downhill all the way to Longridge, where Adamson made certain he was first round the final left-hander, and held his advantage all the way to the line.

Clay commented: "The break obviously did a good ride but it was inevitable they would be caught as the pace lifted towards the end. The only way they could have stayed clear would have been to raise their own speed. We were content to leave them out there and just rode to control the bunch."

1. Gary Adamson (Team Travelwise) 87.5 miles in 3-33-42
2. S. Higgins (CC Giro)
3. J. Winn (PDM Sports-WCU)
4. M. McKay (Harrods-Giant)
5. M. Illingworth (Brite)
6. C. Farrell (NavanAvonmore)

FINAL OVERALL

1. Jonny Clay (Team Brite) 10-29-48
2. Chris Newton (Brite) at 1-04
3. Matt Illingworth (Brite) at 1-11
4. K. Dawson (Ambrosia) at 1-20
5. J. Winn at 2-03
6. M. McKay (Harrods-Giant) at 2-23
7. S. Bray (PDM Sports) at 2-26
8. D. Rand (PDM Sports-WCU) at 2-37
9. B. Kenneally (Navan-Avon more) at 3-09
10. D. Williams (unatt) at 3-20
11. J. Wright (Edinburgh BC) at 3-27
12. R. Wooles (Cwmcarn Paragon) at 3-28
13. A. Naylor (Cannons) at 3-33
14. J. Tanner (Brite) at 3-39
15. R. Moore (Clarke Contracts) at 3-58
16. P. Cassidy (Navan-Avonmore) at 4-15
17. D. Cook (Northern Foils) at 4-47
18. B. Smith (Clarke Contracts) at 5-06
19. B. Steel (Adidas-SciCon) at 5-24
20. I. Gilkes (Ambrosia) at 5-26.

Alexa King of the Mountains.- Julian Winn 142pts; 2, M, McKay 100; 3, B. Smith 82.

Bolton Evening New Sprints.- Kevin Dawson 16pts; 2, J. Winn 13; eq 3, M. Illingworth, J. Bayfield (Harrods-Giant) 7.