Perfs Pedal Race (Hampshire)
13-Feb-2005

Chris Newton Wins British Cycling Road Season Opener
Courtesy of British Cycling. Photos by Larry Hickmott

2004 Olympic Silver medallist and 2002 World Points Champion, Chris Newton, who in a months time will be looking to add another World Title to his collection, showed his form is on the up as he dominated the 40th running of the Perfs Pedal in Hampshire.

Run in February, you expect the weather at the Perfs Pedal to be cold and over the years, a fair number of events have seen snow but today, it had everything before the start, Wind, Rain, Snow and Hail.

Thankfully however, once the race was under way, the weather was kind and the sun shone brightly for the event over the next few hours. Organised by Mick Waite, long time sponsor of the promoting Club, VC St Raphael, it wasn't just a big field of riders who lined up outside the Robin Hood pub in Rowland's Castle. There was quite a gathering of on lookers as well including a very fit looking Ian Hallam.

Around 11am, more than sixty riders eager to get their season under way were flagged away and with the cold, many of the riders were keen to get warmed up so it was no surprise when they came around the first time lead by Julian Winn (Pinarello RT) with Paul Manning (Recycling.co.uk/MG XPower) and Chris Birch (Evans Cycles) in close attendance, the gaps were opening up (picture below).

Whilst the bunch went on their merry way into the strong wind, I carried on the other way and saw them half a lap later and the race was starting to take shape with Rob Hayles (Recycling.co.uk/MG XPower) away on his own chased by Neil Coleman (CycleEurope-Bianchi) and a London Dynamo rider (Iain Paine).

Just off the front of the bunch was Rowan Horner and as the group passed me, right on cue, Julian Winn launched an attack from to go off and chase Hayles. What happened next was that a group of four formed at the front of the race and within half a lap when I caught up with them again, the lead was already sizeable.

Leading the race were Paul Manning, Chris Newton, Rob Hayles and Julian Winn - three from Recycling.co.uk/MG Xpower and one from Pinarello/Afford Rent-a-Car -- Julian yet again up against a strong team, something he is no stranger to. The gap opened up so quickly, I was starting to think the leaders were going to walk the race, but the chasers never gave up and with two laps to go, with Chris Newton taking flight on his own, the bunch were still in touch.

In touch yes, but even the soft pedalling from Newton's team mates wasn't enough for the bunch to bring the chasers back. Come the Bell lap, and Newton was increasing his lead over his two team mates and Winn whilst the bunch, who were lead over the line with one to go by Stuart Blunt, were never going to bring them back but were neither disgraced either considering the four leaders had just come back from doing a 10 day pro stage race (Tour of Langkawi).

With the sun streaming through the trees and straight down my camera lens, it was a lone Chris Newton who does what he likes most, winning, and arms aloft from a long way out, he saluted the large crowd lining the road. A minute or so later, there was however an even bigger cheer as Portsmouth boy Rob Hayles came into sight, alone, and he crossed the line in second place.

Twenty seconds later after the one-two for Recycling.co.uk/MG Xpower, Julian Winn made sure it wasn't a clean sweep as he out sprinted Paul Manning for third with Chris Birch winning the bunch sprint.

POST RACE INTERVIEWS: Not far away with the team car that had been following him all day, I caught up with Chris Newton. I started by asking why attack with two laps to go? "There were four of us and I suspected Julian was keeping a bit under the pedals as he was out numbered so I thought if I go with two to go, he might have to chase and then another lad like Rob or Paul can counter him." As it turned out though, Julian realised he was onto a hiding from the Recycling team and didn't chase Chris who went onto add "once I got away, I just wanted to judge my effort, so I was giving it when I needed to and it turned out to be a good solid ride. I was pleased with myself."

Asked if he came out of Langkawi with good form, he replied "I think so. I made a shrewd move to abandon with a day to go as I was getting ill and hopefully I nipped that straight in the bud and I think I have come out on the right side of things. I enjoyed today and I felt I had something to prove. In my new team I feel like a kid with lots of new toys and its always refreshing to win like that."

Asked about the team backup, Chris was keen to praise his new team: "They're a good bunch of lads and I have good back up which is nice but its also nice to bring this down to such a long established event. It's the first time I've been here and I'm pleased that I won here."

Asked about the race itself, Chris said "I went straight from the gun because I was cold so I just was quite riding fast and hard to keep warm. Then I sat back a bit and when I went back to the front, I couldn't see Rob and thought he must have punctured. Then I saw him up the road. We had a word beforehand that we needed to work together to get a work out. It was a good race for us but then we do have the Worlds soon so we are a bit ahead of everyone else."

Finally, asked about his goals for the coming season, Chris replied "the Team Pursuit and the Points race at the Worlds to begin with. I'm fortunate this year that there's a day between the Points race and the Team Pursuit and that's good for me. Then I'm looking forward to getting a solid road season in and doing well in the Tour of Britain. Not only would that be good for the sponsors, if we can pull some more big sponsors in that would be great for the sport here. A couple of years ago, we had a few big teams and it was about to turn but then it kind of fizzled out and I would like to see it keep going. I've probably only got a few years left up to Beijing but I'd like to see it go on long after that."

Finally, Chris praised the other riders saying "all credit to the guys who came out to race today in these conditions, they gave their Sunday to come and race and the spectators as well. They haven't got the back up we have but they still come out and support the race which is fantastic."

Standing a few feet away and the centre of attention for a lot of people who know him well, runner up Rob Hayles was pleased with the ride. "This is home for me" he said, adding "I know these roads better than I know my own house at the moment. I have spent more years here than anywhere."

Asked about the dig he had on the second lap, Rob said "I was trying to keep warm. I hate to say it but these are all training rides for the Worlds and that was one of the reasons I went near the end, plus I didn't want to sprint against Julian up hill and into a wind. I'm really happy with that ride."

Having seen Rob go ever so close to a Gold medal at last years Worlds in what was a edge of the seat ride for all of us watching, I asked him how his form was? "Ever so good" he replied. "I'm really really pleased. I was on the track on Friday doing six minute effort, pace judgement kind of thing, and going pretty quick. I was going that well, that Simon (Jones) made me do an extra effort!"

Finally, he explained that he came down to Hampshire with wife Vickie the day before and went out for an hour with Keith Jarrett, one of the local riders from when he was a kid and he admitted he felt really really good. And then he added, surprisingly for a rider who has just won two Olympic medals, that he was nervous!

"I really really wanted to win and although I am glad Chris won, and one of the team won, I have never won this race. When Mick (Waite, organiser), sent me the start sheet, he wrote on the top 'glad you're coming, about time you won this race'". Rob then admitted that despite being a local boy, it was only the third time he had ridden it and ha had been second before…" Still, there's always next year ….

One rider who has won the event, 2004 in fact, is Pinarello's Julian Winn. The day started off in a bit of a rush and never slowed down really. Driving his Afford-rent-a-car, Julian turned up just in time to sign on and promised to talk afterwards. Which we did.

After completing the Tour of Langkawi, I fully expected Julian to be competitive but then in the Perfs event were a number of other riders who had also done Langkawi and so it proved with all four of them getting away from the rest early on in the race.

Unfortunately for Julian, with him in that break were three riders from the same team and it was never going to be easy to beat those odds. Its been done, I remember seeing Bartoli do it in the Belgium classic Leige-Bastogne-Leige but the Perfs does not have that type of climb which would have suited Julian.

Still, Julian was philosophical about it all as he came out of the village hall after handing his numbers back. "I predicted it on the way down when I said to Nikki, I can see what's going to happen here and that I'm going to have my work cut out for the win today. When Chris went, I didn't even bother attempting to chase because another one would have gone over the top of me so I let Chris go hoping I could get second or third."

Asked was he surprised when Rob attacked on the last lap, Julian replied "yes but then we're paid to win bike races. It's his job like it is mine. He went on a down hill and after thinking about it too long, I started to chase but he wasn't coming back so I had to settle for a sprint for third."

RESULT

1. Chris NEWTON Recycling.co.uk/MG Xpower/Litespeed 70kmin 1-49-50
2. Rob HAYLE Recycling.co.uk/MG Xpower/Litespeed @ 1-20
3. Julian WINN Pinarello/Assos/Corima/Rudy Project @ 1-40
4. Paul MANNING Recycling.co.uk / MG Xpower / Litespeed st
5. Chris BIRCH Evans Cycles RT @ 2-35
6. Rob ENSLIN Viner Bikes/Askiso Sports Nutrition/Mar
7. Stuart BLUNT Team Edwards
8. Grant BAYTON Angliasport/Condor/Campagnolo/Dedacciai/Continental
9. Chris McNAMARA Ewhurst Controls / Wildside / T W RC
10. Rowan HORNER VC St Raphaël / Waite Contracts / Hewitt Cycles @ 3-05
11. Jason STREATHER VC St Raphaël / Waite Contracts / Hewitt Cycles
12. Steve LAMPIER www.cyclelogic.co.uk / Giant / Prendasciclosmo
13. Henry FURNISS Ride Beyond
14. Neil COLEMAN Cycleurope-Bianchi
15. Simon Mc NAMARA Ewhurst Controls / Wildside / T W RC
16. Mark SCOULAR British Cycling Private Member - South
17. Ashley HOLDING Ewhurst Controls / Wildside / T W RC
18. Jonathan JAMES Ewhurst Controls / Wildside / T W RC
19. Tom SMITH Viner Bikes/Askiso Sports Nutrition/Mar Services/Maxxis
20. Ed PERRY SP Systems - Wightlink RT
21. Graeme LACKFORD Cycleurope-Bianchi
22. Simon SAUNDERS SP Systems - Wightlink RT
23. Richard HEATHCOTETeam Rochelle/ Maestro/Ciocc
24. Karl HINE Somer Valley CC
25. Simon BROOKS VC St Raphaël / Waite Contracts / Hewitt Cycles
26. Mark McKAY Alpha Road Club / Phil Corley Cycles / HWS
27. Brian CURTIS Team Corridori
28. Rob CRANSTONE VC Meudon / Evolution / Cycle Kingdom / Colbournes / HFC
29. Mike MOSS Cottingham Coureurs - Healthy Office.co.uk/Horncastle
30. Toby NEAVE Liphook Cycles RT / Liphook Cycles
31. Duncan URQUHART Viner Bikes/Askiso Sports Nutrition/Mar Services/Maxxis
32. Keith JARRETT i-team / wheel2wheel4bikes.com / OnEleven
33. Anthony DYMENT North Hampshire Road Club
34. Ian PAINE London Dynamo / Cyclefit
35. Andrew GOUGH Portswood Cycles RT
36. Richard ASTRIDGELiphook Cycles RT / Liphook Cycles
37. Ian O'HARA Sydenham Wheelers
38. Jago EHLERS De Rosa RT / De Rosa / Jim Walker
39. Paul FOREMAN Alpha Road Club / Phil Corley Cycles / HWS
40. Nicholas GEORGE Team Economic Energy / Economic Energy
41. Pete SCOTT Comedy Super Team / Eddie Griffin Light Haulage
42. Glenn SYDER Portsmouth North End CC
43. Kevin BLANN Team Luciano / Look
44. Nick ADNITT Andover Wheelers
45. Brian SMITH North Hampshire Road Club


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