NEWTON JUST CHAMPION
Copyright Snowdon Sports Editorial & Cycling Weekly

CONTINUING his impressive early-season form in domestic events, Chris Newton (Corima RT) outsprinted breakaway rival Mark Lovatt (Life Repair CRT) to win the Derwent Reservoir road race over a 100-kilometre course based on Edmundbyers, Co Durham.

Half a minute behind, Lovatt's teammate John Tanner suffered a similar fate when comeback rider Malcolm Elliott (Pinarello RT) took a sprint for third place as the rest of the field trailed in seven minutes and more off the pace. Race commissaire Maureen Bain's final warning to the riders was: "We don't want any one riding on the right. Don't cross over the line to see what's happening - get up to the front!"

Newton obeyed Maureen Bain's instructions and created a gap of between 10 and 15 seconds throughout the first of five laps. He was joined first by Tanner, and then by Lovatt and Elliott.

"We looked at each other and decided to put our heads down and see what would happen", said Elliott. "We were on about 90 to 95 per cent effort from then until the penultimate lap."

A following group of seven riders stayed together throughout most of the race, with Chris Young (Team Marie Curie), Alastair Kay (York Cycleworks) and Hamish Hutchison (Midlothian RT) being prominent. The remaining riders in the field were far behind and struggling.

The leading group of four was split on the penultimate lap when Newton appeared to be going for a prime to
make sure of the King of the Mountains title. But he continued to ride strongly and Lovatt, seeing the danger, went with him.

Both Lovatt and John Tanner seemed to be waiting for the other riders to do something. Both would have preferred to race as a foursome until the final lap and then dictate the tactics.

Chris Newton made the most of a difficult ascent followed by a short sprint to the finish. The contest for third place could have descended into farce. The finish line was not distinct and spectators were obscuring the chequered flag. Elliott slowed, thinking he had finished, and then had to turn the speed back on. He took third place by inches.

Hutchison's fifth place was well earned. A difficult hairpin incline had tested the field throughout the race. On the final lap the young Midlothian RT rider chose that point to burst away from the group and he soon had a 30second gap which he kept to the line despite admitting to 'heavy legs' after the previous day's Scottish CU Grand Prix Series event.

Mark Wordsworth (Doncaster Wheelers) led in the remnants of the field.

98km, Elite/1/2/3; Edmundbyers

RESULTS

1. Chris Newton Corima RT
2. Mark Lovatt Life Repair RT, st
3. Malcolm Elliott GS Pinarello @ 30sec
4. John Tanner Life Repair RT, st
5. M Hutchinson Mid Lothian RT @ 7-30
6. M Wordsworth Doncaster @ 8-00
7. G Hewitt JE James Cycles
8. Dave Coulson JE James Cycles
9. Alistair Kay York Cycle Works
10. Ben Greenwood Life Repair RT