Newton’s ice-breaker
David Taylor reports for Snowdon Sports Editorial. Pictures by Phil O’Connor.

Chris Newton, the 1998 Premier Calendar winner whose big successes last year were against the clock, launched his new season in that vein with victory in the North Road Hardriders' classic

MAKING a winning debut in the event, f ormer Linda McCartney rider Chris Newton rode his Middridge CRT-Donohue Cycles colours to victory in the North Road CC Hardriders' time trial in Hertfordshire on Sunday.

The Teesside visitor triumphed after Gethin Butler, a winner of the early-season classic three times in the past five years, and fellow top-place candidate Michael Hutchinson had both fallen victim to punctures.

Newton, winner of both the RTTC 25-mile title and BCF National Time Trial Championship, as well as the Isle of Man Mountain time trial last year, again showed that he is equally at home on a sporting course as on a high-speed carriageway.

However, it could well have been a different story if Bio RT rider Hutchinson had not punctured in the closing stages of a 27.5-mile course - based on Brookmans Park, near Potters Bar - that twists and turns through the Hertfordshire lanes.

Hutchinson, overall winner of the RTTC Time Trial Series last year and fastest in the Ely and District CC Hardriders' event a week earlier, came to grief before the long climb of Essendon Hill with four miles to go, and waved goodbye to the £350 first prize as he bumped along on a flat back tyre.

Newton's winning 1-01-57 put him 1-48 clear of Hutchinson, while third-placed Paul Mill (EdwardesFineline Finishes) was a further 53 seconds off the pace.

Fourth place went to GS Stella Hilly winner Chris Birch (VC St Raphael), while Aaron McCaffrey (Heff's Bike Shop) improved two places on his 1999 performance to take fifth ahead of veteran Geoff Platts (Team Clean).

Gethin Butler, the Lancashirebased Londoner who was starting his new season in Preston Wheelers colours, had to settle for an unfamiliar ninth place, more than five minutes back, after losing up to four of those minutes when he punctured.

Icy conditions on the tricky circuit forced event secretary Don Gates to delay the start by an hour.

Aaron McCaffrey and Tim Bayley (Arctic 2000) provided the early excitement with a sprint that went to McCaffrey after he had caught his minute man virtually on the line.

Minutes later Paul Mill rode into the finish in Kentish Lane and his 1-04-38 put him top of the listings. But with 70 riders still to finish, including all the top seeds, it seemed unlikely that he would keep the top spot for too long.

Triathlete Tony Doyle (Stag Tri), off number 50, clocked 1-09-19 despite riding for 25 miles with a loose saddle. Number 60, Dominic Sweeney (Team Hed), was exactly a minute slower with a 30-second late start.

Then Newton, off number 80, entered the fray. Out on the course he was reported to be "going like a train" despite the tricky conditions, and his 1-01-57 confirmed the fact.

Ten minutes had elapsed since Newton finished and Hutchinson, off 90, had not appeared. It was 1-48 later that the former Cambridge University rider finished, his 1-03-45 putting him second to Newton.

The time ticked by as the spectators looked out for last-man-off Gethin Butler. But, like Hutchinson, a puncture had wrecked his chances and his 1-07-34 put him in a lowly ninth place.

Triathlete Tony Doyle - not to be confused with the former world pursuit champion - not only improved on his 16th place last year to finish 11th with 1-09-19 but also led Stag Tri colleagues Craig Simpson and James Parker, both competing in their first open time trials, to the team award.

Among the non-starters were top seeds Kevin Dawson and Julian Ramsbottom, both just back from warm-weather training in Spain.

1. Chris Newton (Middridge CRT-Donohue Cycles) . . 1 01 57
2. M. Hutchinson (Bio RT) ........... 1 03 45
3. P. Mill (Edwardes-Fineline Finishes)... 1 04 38
4. C. Birch (VC St Raphael) .......... 1 05 39
5. A. McCaffrey (Heff's Bike Shop) ..... 1 05 42
6. G. Platts (Team Clean) ............ 1 06 00
7. T. Bayley (Arctic 2000) ............ 1 06 43
8. R. English (Cambridge Univ CC) ..... 1 07 25
9. G. Butler (Preston Wh) ............ 1 07 34
10. M. Bruce (Alsys-Bradgate CRT) ..... 1 07 45
11. T. Doyle (Stag Tri) ............. . . . 1 09 19
12. A. Rowe (VC Londres) ............ 1 09 40
13. K. Chambers (APi Resprays)........ 1 09 58
14. A. Ryder (Camel Valley CC) ........ 1 10 00
15. D. Sweeney (Team Hed) ........... 1 10 19
16. D. Forrester (Race Scene) ......... 1 11 04
17. R. Pope (Finsbury Park CC) ........ 1 11 04
18. N. Warren (Team Welwyn) .......... 1 12 21
19. D. Staff (North Road CC) .......... 1 12 33
20. K. Adams (Twickenham CC) ........ 1 12 47

Team.- Stag Tri (Tony Doyle, Craig Simpson 113-21, James Parker 1-14-40) 3-37-20.
Veterans.- Geoff Platts.
Vets on standard.Tony Peachy (San Fairy Ann CC) (1-20-14) -1-54.
Women.- Maria Lawrence (Rockingham Forest Wh) 1-20-16.

What they said

FOLLOWING his departure from the Linda McCartney team, Chris Newton is hungry for victory.

"I was determined to do well today," he said. "I came down yesterday and stayed with Paul Curran's brother-in-law, almost on the course. "I went over the course, and knew what to expect. It would have been difficult to ride it today without doing that. The Essendon climb seemed to go on forever, and some of the corners were pretty hairy."

Newton, 26, is still smarting at his exclusion from the McCartney set-up: "We needed another year to adapt to racing abroad, but that's behind me now," he added. "I've done my usual winter training, steady miles through December followed by level three training in January with some long intervals thrown in.

"I've also been training on the track at Manchester - I'm going to have a go at every type of domestic racing. I'm back with the Middridge CRT, but I'm looking to get my own sponsor. I have people ready to help me with equipment, but the difficulty is finding someone with money to back me.

"I'll just have to see how the season develops. With everything going to the under-23s when it comes to the road, I'm having a serious look at the track, particularly the pursuit and team pursuit. That's where there seems to be a chance for selection."