HOUSE PARTY

AFTER five hard days of racing, Kristian House (Great Britain A) emerged in the final yellow jersey in the Evans Cycles Surrey League Revolutions stage race as GB riders won all six stages - and the mountains and points jerseys, too.

There was plenty to celebrate for the nominated Great Britain teams as Kristian House, back to his best after an ankle injury, led a clean sweep of the top awards in the Surrey League five-day

The addition of another six GB riders, including Bradley Wiggins, to the six already entered - due to a race cancellation in Spain - was bound to have a powerful effect on the race pattern and tactics.

However, the team had some strong opposition among the elite and first-category riders, although none had an answer to the strength in depth of John Herety's men.

OVERALL winner Kristian House had enjoyed his five days in Sussex. "It was a good race,„ he said. "I had a lot of help from the team, who rode really well."

It was House's first race win since September of last year.

"I'm happy with my form," he added. "It was getting pretty good in the Isle of Man, and I think I can still make some improvements.

"I still feel that I'm not as strong as when I was racing in Belgium and it may be because I was doing a lot of jumping around in the kermesses, but the focus is different now and we are doing a different kind of racing."

House was complimentary about Chris Newton's support when he took the yellow jersey. "Chris is just an awesome rider," he said. "When he decides to go he really goes for it, and doesn't waste energy jumping around. In France he is the guy we are normally working for, and you can learn a lot racing with him."

House believed the Surrey League event was five days well spent "I thought it was a really good race. We had a few problems with traffic, but you can't help that without closed roads. The circuits were excellent and very tough.

"We are off to Germany to ride the Hessen-Rundfahrt stage race starting on September 4, and I am looking forward to that. I will also be doing some track racing as I am getting back into that, too."

The unique stage race promoted by Keith Butler and his Surrey League team used three or four different circular routes each day - thus the `Revolutions' in the title. It attracted two teams from Ireland, and the inclusion of Emile Abraham, of Trinidad and Tobago, added a further international flavour.

STAGE 1 HERMSMONCEUX

As temperatures soared into the eighties, Chris Newton (GB B) triumphed in the 100.3-mile opening stage.

It had been Tom Southam (GB A) who took the first prime, with Rob Hurd (Peloton) firmly fixed to his wheel, and these two kept their effort going to gain a maximum 1-42 lead on a chasing group, with the bunch at six minutes.

A six-strong group made the junction to the two leaders on the smaller circuit. Rowan Horner (VC St Raphael) had lived up to his reputation of aggressive riding by slipping away, with Rory Wyley (London Irish), Newton, Emile Abraham (Stoelmakerke), Wiggins and Andy Lyons (Parrot Print RT) taking up the challenge. Southam fell behind after his earlier efforts to leave just seven.

As Bradley Wiggins took the next full quota of KoM points, climbing up to the prime at the village of Rushlake the leaders had a minute's advantage over GB riders Kristian House and Steve Cummings.

Last year's winner Paddy Moriarty (London Irish) was a marked man throughout the race and was caught in a group minutes back. He eventually retired on stage two with a torn muscle.

With three laps of a small finishing circuit to go, it was the sprint points on offer for crossing the finishing line that prompted the race-winning move.

°'I saw Rob [Hurd] go for the sprint with Abraham, and I knew it was going to go," said Newton, who had previously ridden the event with the Linda McCartney team. "The finishing circuit was not as hard as I thought, really. There was a tailwind on the climb and then we had a descent and the hardest part was the road into the finish. It was a tough sprint uphill but I chose my gear from three laps out. Rob was in a bigger gear, and I had the jump on him at the drag and held out to the finish."

1. Chris Newton (GB B) 100.3m in 4-12-20
2. E. Abraham (Stoelmakerke)
3. R. Hurd (Peloton) all same time
4. B. Wiggins (GB B) at 1- 15
5. A. Lyons (Parrot Print RT)
6. R. Wyley (London Irish) all st

STAGE TWO HANDCROSS

Kristian House (GB A) took the second stage - and with it the overall leader's jersey which he was to hold for the remainder of the race - when he sprinted in ahead of breakaway rival Danny Axford (Parrot Print RT) at the end of a 94-mile leg at Handcross.

While the top three overnight - Newton, Abraham and Hurd - watched each other closely, House climbed the final hill ahead of Axford, finishing 3-41 up on the yellow jersey group to move into an overall lead of 56 seconds over Rowan Horner.

Southam continued to mop up mountains points from the outset and figured strongly throughout.

Eight riders had a 50-second lead after 40 miles. Southam, Phil West (GB A), Horner, Dave Worthington (Prestige VC), Morgan, Axford, Sam Gardner (Evans RT) and Gary Dodd (Sigma Sport RT) worked together and, as the lead grew to over a minute, a chasing group of four started to move across.

House closed the gap with Timmy Barry (Munster), Ben Clarke (GB A) and Peter Murdoch (Avenir Cyclisme 23). As the race reached the final circuit House, Barry, Axford, Murdoch and Southam moved clear by 1-20 with Newton way back at 3-45.

On the final lap, Axford attacked with House on his wheel and, on the final ascent, the pair had 10 seconds in hand. Such was the severity of the climb after 90 miles that the first five were spread over 1-24 at the end, but House was clearly the strongest.

"It was a hard day," said House. "The move we got in just slipped away, and I didn't think it was going to stick. On the final lap Axford attacked and I went with him. We just worked a little bit and then I upped the tempo slightly and he popped. That was it."

GB manager John Herety explained the team tactics: "It was down to the other contenders to chase the break. What we've done is to put Kristian in yellow and we now have two GB riders in contention. I want our boys to learn tactics, and they can do it in an event like this, but I'm also conscious that I don't want to spoil the race by dominating it."

1. House (GB A) 94.5m in 3-34-14
2. D. Axford (GB A) at 45 sec
3. T. Southam (GB) at 45 sec
4. P Murdoch (avenir Cyclisme 23) at 58 sec
5. T Barry (Team Munster) at 1:24
6. D. Worthington (Prestige VC) st.

STAGE 3A GOODWOOD TT

Chris Newton repeated his stage one win when he flew around the Goodwood motor racing circuit, covering the 2.4 miles in an impressive 4-31 to beat runner-up Kristian House by nine seconds.

Andy Lyons (Parrot Print RT) led the 'independent' challenge in third spot with a time of 4-51 that would have been fast enough for the stage win in 2001.

The only major change to the overall saw Newton replace Horner in second place. Many of the riders - Bradley Wiggins finished 38th, at 53 seconds - appeared to be taking it easy in preparation for the afternoon's stage.

1. Chris Newton (GB B) 4-31
2. K. House 4-40
3. A. Lyons 4-51
4. T Southam 4-54
5. J. Louter (In Gear RT) 4-56
6. R. Hurd 4-56

STAGE 3B GOODWOOD

The bunch split even before the race had finished its parade laps around the motorracing circuit and headed out on to the open road on the 84.3-mile afternoon stage.

Tony Gibb (GB A) attacked at the exit, and a 12-strong group eventually formed in twos and threes containing Wiggins, Newton, Abraham, Peter Murdoch and Irish internationals Timmy Barry and Martin O'Loughlin (Munster).

With the gap growing, House jumped clear of the bunch with team-mates Bryan Steel and Steve Cummings, as well as Gary Dodd and Rory Wyley, the latter anxious to improve on his sixth place on GC.

A number of escape attempts had been made but the leaders were all together for five final laps of the Goodwood circuit. With three to go Wiggins attacked, taking Cummings, Andy Lyons and Steve Gowar (Festival RC) along for company. Wiggins got the verdict in the sprint, fine preparation for the forthcoming Tour de FAvenir.

Wyley had taken time out of some of his rivals, moving up to fourth on GC, and Abraham was proving his ability against quality opposition in third place overall and second in the points jersey.

1. Bradley Wiggins (GB B) 84.3m in 3-12-55
2. S. Cummings (GB B)
3. A. Lyons
4. S. Gowar (Festival RQ all st
5. C. Newton at 15 sec
6. Abraham st

STAGE 4 ALFORD

The longest stage of the race went to Steve Cummings after more than four hours in the saddle, and as many in the field realised the futility of fighting two teams of fulltime bike riders.

French-based John Dempsey (Munster) went on an early reconnaissance mission after two miles. Tim Barry, Vinnie Gleeson (Munster), Horner and Southam were among the 15 riders who created a lead of four and a half minutes over the bunch containing the yellow jersey.

A small chase group had developed, too, and the bunch was idling down to 14mph on occasions. Then all hell let loose as the GB riders emulated the Australian road team at the Commonwealth Games, with eight riders team time trialling the bunch back to the leaders.

With around 15 miles to go, Cummings initiated a move that split the bunch approaching the village of Plaistow. Wyley, Abraham, House and Newton had missed the move, and the unfortunate Abraham was taking a drink from the service car when Newton dragged House away from the bunch. When he got to the front the duo had gone. Cummings broke clear to solo in 20 seconds clear of team-mate Phil West, with Peter Murdoch third.

1. Steve Cummings (GB B) 105.4m in 4-08-52
2. P West (GB A) at 24sec
3. G, Dodd (Sigma Sport RT) at 32sec
4. K. House st
5. C. Newton at 43sec

STAGE 5 ASHDOWN FOREST

It was fitting that the toughest stage was saved for the final day, and Tom Southam helped to provide GB team manager John Herety with a clean sweep of stage wins, jerseys and the top four overall when he won the stage.

Herety's men were in all of the moves and seemingly unafraid of time gaps up to two minutes.

A quality group eventually formed at the front and Newton attacked the bunch, with House in tow again, at the climb to Crowborough to join the leaders in less than five miles. He created havoc in his wake.

Seven leading riders started the first ascent of the 'wall' and Axford, House, Newton, Southam and Gardner emerged together at the top while Matt Melville (VC St Raphael) and Owyn Wallace (GB A) had dropped off the pace.

On the second ascent Southam attacked from the back, almost in slow motion, but Axford failed to react and was destined not to repeat his stage five win from 2001.

Axford kept the pressure on and Gardner lost the wheel on a small drag on the back of the circuit. Southam crossed the line 1-12 clear and Axford held off Newton and House to take a well-deserved second.

Southam was pleased with the day's racing. "I planned to attack a lap later than I did, but Danny [Axford] was sitting off the back bluffing so I thought I would test him out and got the gap. I was feeling alright, so I went."

1. Tom Southam (GB A) 72.4m in 3-12-45
2. D. Axford at 1- 12
3. K. House at 1-16
4. C. Newton at 1-27
5. S. Gardner at 3-37
6. S. Cummings at 4-59.

Final overall
1. Kristian House (GB A) 18-30-05
2. Chris Newton at 1-38
3. Tom Southam at 5-28
4. S. Cummings at 6-48
5. R. Morgan at 10-13
6. S, Gardner at 10-23
7. P Murdoch at 11-45
8. G. Dodd at 12-30
9. E. Abraham at 12-37
10. R. Wyley at 13-07
11. S, Gowar at 19-31
12. A. Lyons at 20-09
13. R. Homer at 20-13
14. D. Worthington at 24-49
15. J. Veness (Twickenham CC) at 30-45
16. M. OLoughlin (Munster) at 31-05
17. R. Cartland (Team Cycle web) at 34-46
18. M, Melville (VC St Raphael) at 37-15
19. C. Spence (Caesarean CC, Jersey) at 38-07
20. B. Clarke (GB A) at 38-24

KOM
1. Tom Southam 197 pts
2. S Gardner 94
3. D. Axford 81.

Points
1. Tom Southam 73 pts
2. K. House 44
3. E. Abraham 41.