AN INCREDIBLE 6TH FOR LOVATT

Mark Lovatt (Life Repair/Litespeed) has won his 6th Tour of the Peaks and for many I spoke to afterwards, it was his best victory, with Mark describing it as the hardest! The race from what I know, not a lot as getting to see the Peaks is not easy by car, was a group of four (Julian Winn, Paul Manning, Mark Lovatt and Brian Kenneally) went clear early on. They stayed clear until around halfway when there were only two. Manning had broken a gear cable apparently while Winn dropped back to the peloton. Lovatt and Kenneally carried on with Lovatt going clear in the final miles while behind a chase group formed of Malcolm Elliot, Chris Newton, John Tanner and the other rider from Carrick Wheelers, Tim Barry.

Afterwards, despite having what would seem as one of his finest years with many glorious victories, Mark said it hurt -- a lot -- and that he had felt like he had all year, sluggish. But it was a far from sluggish performance, as he (and Kenneally) spent most of the race out front as he has done in previous events and finding no-one had an answer to his awesome ability to ride at speed and up hill, down dale. And on the flat if you can find any in this Derbyshire classic.

Talking about the moment the winning move went away on Chunell, Mark said "I had a job to get on Winny's wheel".

But get across he did and the three (Winn, Kenneally and Lovatt) were joined by National Pursuit Champion Paul Manning (VC St Rapheal) on Snake Pass and the four dominated the early proceedings despite the best efforts of riders like Matt Stephens (Sigam Sport) and others who tried to get across.

Once the leading break was reduced to two though, Mark feels Brian Kenneally was racing for second place and didn't really contest the finish.

One rider who was still in the peloton on the first lap but by the end, had managed to get away in a select group chasing the leaders was Chris Newton (Corima RT) (pictured right). Having spent much of the last few months on the track, it was a surprise to see him there but as he admitted, he didn't have the form he would have liked.

"I didn't do much work in the last 15 miles, I just had to save as much as I could. I was fine on the flat, and on the long climbs had a bit of power but the short steep ones were quite hard. I don't like to sit on for that length of time coming into the finish. It was good for morale though to get back in there and do quite well."

Havant Grand Prix winner, who finished 3rd in the Peaks and is a former winner 20 years ago was the ever green Malcolm Elliott (pictured left). Speaking afterwards he said "It kind of turned out as well I could have expected."

"I knew Mark was going to be the guy to watch today and prior to the break going, they (Lovatt and co) had just been in a move which we had just bridged up to it on the Chunnell climb. Just as we got to the prime, they went off again."

"It didn't look that dangerous as there was still a long way to go so in the end, they earnt it. I don't know how I would have felt had I been in that break because Julian Winn came back pretty sharpish."

"From then on there was no cohesive chase, it was just impossible. You'd get a few guys saying lets tap through, and you get maybe six or eight tap through and then they'd get p#?sed off because they still had fifty guys sitting behind them just watching."

Talking about the group of four that got away to chase in the final half of the race, Malcom explained "we were never going to catch them because John (Tanner, Lovatt's teammate) was there. John and I were really only riding for 3rd place and trying to stay clear of the bunch. The Irish guy (teammate to Kennealy) and Chris were not doing much at all although Chris had given it some big licks up Snake."

"The thing is, with Havant, I didn't expect to win that but it all turned out great. This race, not that I expected to win it, I did feet good for it which is probably the kiss of death. I usually go better when I feel like s#?t. So having felt good this week, I was focused for it but unfortunately it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to."

Whilst there, I also asked Malcolm about his trip to the United States. "I'm leaving on Wednesday for three weeks doing some races in Los Angles, San Francisco, and so on. There are one or two options I want to explore as regards next year and I'll perhaps get a few answers while I am out there. I would like to establish some sort of foothold back there again. Its a good scene with more money in the sport, more riders, more teams, and there's optimismn there."

RESULTS

1. Mark Lovatt Life Repair Litespeed 3:59:33
2. Brian Kenneally Carrick Whlrs - Cidona @0:19
3. Malcolm Elliott Pinarello RT @3:30
4. Chris Newton Corima Road Team
5. John Tanner Life Repair Litespeed @3:36
6. Tim Barry Carrick Whlrs - Cidona @3:46
7. Graham Briggs Life Repair Litespeed @4:28
8. James Flanagan Team MK -Phil Corley - Trek
9. Steven Kenny VS Briganti - Upex Properties
10. Martin Ford Arctic - Shorter Rochford RT
11. Tim Dunford BUSA
12. Mark Wordsworth Doncaster Whlrs - Don Valley Cycles
13. Matthew Stephens Sigma Sport - Giro
14. Andrew Roche Maestro - Fircroft Hotel - Nella
15. Roger Morgan Parrot Print TAL Stilton RT
16. Roy Chamberlain Team MK -Phil Corley - Trek
17. Matt Larner Team Lichfield - Solo Carpets
18. Mike Harrison Tunstall Whlrs - Brian Rourke
19. Rob Enslin PrestigeVC.com/VINER
20. Mat Watch Angliasport - Condor
21. Richard Cartland Team Synergy/Cycleweb
22. Richard Eastham primera-bournemouth.co.uk
23. Danny Axford Parrot Print TAL Stilton RT
24. Gareth Jones Wales
25. Alastair Kay York Cycleworks - Trek
26. John Charlesworth South Yorks Police RT
27. Jim Henderson Southport CC
28. Steve Lampier www.cyclelogic.co.uk @4:41
29. Ian Stott Blackburn & District CTC
30. Jeffrey Capper Sigma Sport - Giro
31. Andy Collis Team Lichfield - Solo Carpets
32. Adrian Bird Arctic - Shorter Rochford RT
33. Kevin Dawson Life Repair Litespeed @4:56
34. Dave Worthington PrestigeVC.com/VINER
35. James Cambridge Parrot Print TAL Stilton RT @7:14
36. Paul Watson Cycle Centre RT - Principia @7:38
37. Warrick Spence Bikepark/Cyclefit
38. John Hogan Carrick Whlrs - Cidona @9:19
39. Anthony Malarczyk Wales @11:20
40. Simon Henley Team MK -Phil Corley - Trek @12:10
41. Steve Thomas Bristol RC Fred Baker Cycles @17:43
42. Gareth Hewitt JE James RT - Giant @17:48
43. Greg Roche Energy Cycles @19:19
44. Adam Illingworth Team MK -Phil Corley - Trek @19:29
45. Daniel Alexander Matlock CC - Clarks Wards Shoes @39:27
46. Adrian Dalgleish Lune RCC
47. Ben Greenwood Life Repair Litespeed
48. Tim Bayley Arctic - Shorter Rochford RT
49. Richard Jones Energy Cycles
50. Luke Myers BUSA
51. Craig Cooke Wales @40:03

Best Under 23 Rider: Graham Briggs (Life Repair Litespeed)

King of the Mountains

Chinley
Lap 1 6 Russell Downing Life Repair Litespeed
Lap 2 1 Mark Lovatt Life Repair Litespeed

Chunal
Lap 1 6 Russell Downing Life Repair Litespeed
Lap 2 1 Mark Lovatt Life Repair Litespeed

Snake
Lap 1 1 Mark Lovatt Life Repair Litespeed
Lap 2 1 Mark Lovatt Life Repair Litespeed

Bradwell
Lap 1 1 Mark Lovatt Life Repair Litespeed
Lap 2 1 Mark Lovatt Life Repair Litespeed

Overall
1 Mark Lovatt Life Repair Litespeed