Article and photos by Larry Hickmott

From the back of Derek's bike, my pilot for the Five Valleys Road Race, I followed the near 100 rider field out of the start area as the police outriders and national escort group stopped the traffic at roundabouts as the riders headed out of Neath. I then saw the non-stop activity in the neutralised zone for nature breaks (funniest thing I've seen in a bike race for while!), then the escape by three (then two) riders which kicked off the winning break. Rob Hayles started a lone chase, with Yanto Barker aslo doing the same and riders behind starting to form the chase group which would eventually escape and join the front of the race. Behind the leaders, I was able to watch as the 100 strong bunch, only 10 or so miles from the start, started to line out and then split into small groups as the wind took its toll.

The big highlight was watching them climbing the mountains, suddenly feeling the ice cold wind as we got to a certain point up each mountain and then being able to watch the riders climb up from the valley, around the hairpins and up the long slopes. Riders attacking in turns as they climbed until they came past us at speeds most of us can only dream of climbing at.

On the final climb, Chris Newton attacked and was joined by David McCann who punctured his rear tyre on the descent. Newton then had a 30km lone pursuit into the strong headwind before Robin Sharman managed to attack the chase group and cross to his teammate in next to no time. They very quickly stepped on the gass and opened up a big gap really quickly and crossed the line hands aloft, first Robin Sharman and then Chris Newton.

Special mention for Duncan Urqhart who was at the from the time the flag dropped and in typical style, attacked all day long and still finished in the chase group. Quite simply, just like the Lincoln GP has its own special charm, so does this race with its fantastic scenary, the sheep grazing on the size of the road at the top of chilled mountain tops as the riders attack to try and form the winning break.

At one point, with a long winding road spread out across a wind blown grass landscape littered with rocks and sheep in no particular order, we - - Phil Jones (organiser), Derek (motorbike pilot) and myself, watched as the race approached us, splitting to peices, lined out and Phil saying something approvingly (like 'that's a bike race') about how his race was looking on the road.

Post race reactions…. Chris Newton, who was pleased with the day's work, explained what was happening on the final climb where he got away with David McCann. "We had thinned it out on the climbs before and on that last climb, I was going quite a few times and I got away with Dave" Chris explained. "Then he punctured on the descent which was a bit unfortunate because it was hard for me then because it was a headwind all the way to the finishing circuit. I knew there would be two riders sat on the group behind so I just rode to the circuit, took it easy up the little click and then I could hear that Robin was jumping across. I saved a bit and then when he got across, started to drive it again and the gap went up. Robin did a fantastic job to get across on that climb, especially as John (Tanner) is going quite well and it worked really well."

On the subject of the nationals only two weeks away, as well as the Tour of Britain later in the year, Chris says "We'll see how it goes. I was going well in the RAS but I don't think I had sparkling form, I just think I had a good team around me and we rode well - with our heads as well as our legs. I think my form is turning the corner a bit now. I am still struggling a little bit - I still haven't got that bit of gas I would like and know I have got. So I'll continue to train and work at it. It's going to be tough at the end of the year but I am enjoying so we'll see."

Talking about the dominance of the Recycling team, he said "We knew we had to have strength in numbers up there because its too hard a race to be on your own. We had Rob Hayles and Robin up the road early on and Ben Greenwood and I got across later on. We knew we had to get up there because we knew Rob was no mountain goat."

Asked what was causing the splitting so early on when on the dual carriage way - the wind I offered? "Yeah a little bit. It was also quite fast and Rob Hayles was riding really well to get the group away because I think he knew he was going to get a hiding on the big climbs. Even after the first big one, he got back on and so everyone is working well. Like Ben giving me a wheel in the Ras … that could have been make or break for that race."

On the subject of how the race compares to others, I asked if the mountains make the event tougher than the rest? "They make it a good race. Its really good to be on the big circuit, a different terrain, wind direction, not as monotonous as on a circuit. The finishing circuit is also quite good although maybe only three laps as opposed to five!"

Finally, asked if felt the road racing was going well after the track worlds where he won a title in the Team Pursuit, he replied "I'm better now but I struggled for a long time. At the Lincoln, I was on my knees."

The winner of the race was Robin Sharman (above with Chris Newton), who was really pleased with the race and had some family there to see him ride and win. As he walked to the podium a little way down the road, I asked him about his race. "It went pretty early when it was splitting on the bypass and a move just slipped off the front that had all the right guys in it and no-one was seeming to react. So I tried to get across and luckily a load of other guys came with me and we managed to jump across which was lucky because it was going real fast."

"As soon as the effort settled down, everyone worked really well and a few got shelled out as it started to roll. When we got to the longer climbs, everyone started to sit up a bit and the pace really dropped off. Chris made a load of efforts just to shake things up a bit and everyone was looking a bit tired to be honest. Chris ended up alone because McCann punctured and we didn't really want to leave him out there on his own because there were four chasing with Tanner, McCann and so on, and they were looking strong. So we tried to get me up there and luckily, it worked. I went on the climb first time, and got a gap. I didn't think they would let me go that easy but luckily they did."

"After that Chris and I rode real well and Chris was really strong and let me have the Premier Calendar points which I'm grateful for." When I put it to Robin that after his many years in France, the circuit seemed to suit him, he replied "definitely. I really wanted to do well here because it's a really hard race so it was good to be up there".

Duncan Urquhart (King of the Mountains winner). When you read reports from the RAS, or from the Tour of Britain last year, and going back even further, the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the name Duncan Urquhart stands out as he's a rider who's not afraid to have a go and attack early. He did it in the Five Valleys and it was the start of the winning move. He went away with a fellow Scot Evan Oliphant and a Bynea CC rider Ian Bendall who later went back to the group.

Right: Duncan attacks with two chasers, Yanto Barker and a Recycling rider on his wheel a few seconds back.

"As soon as it was de-neutralised, Evan and I managed to get a decent gap, it was over a minute at one point, and we heard that a group of 13 riders were coming across after the first KOM" Duncan explained. "So we eased up a bit and then it sorted itself out from there. I was little disappointed I didn't go with Chris on the climb -- I just missed it but that's the way it goes, you can't cover everything."

"On the first big climb, I managed to get away and they caught me over the top but on the second big climb, Chris kept attacking and I couldn't cover it all."

Doing the results each week as I do, I have seen Duncan seemingly getting better as each race goes by. His reasons for this are very professional as he said "I have had a lot of support from the team, Viner and Agisko. I am using the Agisko products which is helping I think because its all natural and the bikes of course are really good, really light which helps with the climbing. I also went across to Italy last weekend and was racing against Raimondos Rumsas and the likes of that, and hanging onto his wheel is bound to bring on some form. I think the team is going out there in July to do a couple of Fondo's and they are good races to get some form from." Asked what he had coming up on his program, he says "We are doing the Hillingdon Circuit Series race next Tuesday night and then the Yorkshire Classic, the national Crit champs and then the National Road Race championships. I'm aiming to qualify for the Commonwealth Games (which his ride in the Five Valleys didn't do surprisingly enough) and hopefully these results will tip the balance my way."

Talking about the strong Scottish presence, he says "Evan is a good sprinter and I tend to go from the gun, so if we can work together, and get a result between us, its good. I tried to help Evan today and kept attacking on the finishing circuits because I didn't want it to come to a sprint, and he managed to get it."

Thanks to Derek, Louise and Phil (and everyone else) at the event for making me so welcome and helping me during the event.

1. Rob Sharman Recycling 4.55.17
2. Chris Newton Recycling
3. Evan Oliphant Scotland 4.56.50
4. John Tanner Planet X
5. Yanto Barker DFL
6. David McCann Giant Asia 4.56.53
7. Duncan Urquhart Viner Bikes/Agisko 4.56.56
8. Ben Greenwood Recycling 4.57.00
9. Russell Downing Recycling 5.03.12
10. Julian Winn Pinarello 5.03.32
11. Kevin Dawson Planet X
12. Roy Chamberlain Team MK
13. Danny Axford Arctic - Shorter
14. Conor Murphy Ireland 5.04.05
15. Tommy Evans Planet X 5.04.14
16. Rob Hayles Recycling 5.05.03
17. Mark Lovett Planet X
18. Chris Anelay Traingle RT
19. Alex Higham Stilton RT
20. Liam Kileen Specialised

KOM
1. Duncan Urquhart Viner Bikes / Agisko
2. David McCann Giant Asia
3. Kevin Dawson Planet X
Evan Oliphant Scotland

Prime 1: Duncan Urquhart Viner Bikes / Agisko
Prime 2: Duncan Urquhart Viner Bikes / Agisko
Prime 3: Duncan Urquhart Viner Bikes / Agisko
Prime 4: Duncan Urquhart Viner Bikes / Agisko
Prime 5: Duncan Urquhart Viner Bikes / Agisko
Prime 6: David McCann Giant Asia

1st Under 23, Ben Greenwood, Recycling