Newton extends Premier lead
Courteousy of British Cycling, Larry Hickmott

The Blackpool Cycling Festival reached a thrilling climax on Sunday lunchtime when the massive bunch of 100 riders led by Paris-Roubaix winner Magnus Backstedt (Liquigas) stormed down the South Promenade to contest a sprint finish outside the Solaris Centre. After 140km of racing across the undulating Fylde countryside the race was won by sprint specialist Tony Gibb (PlowmanCraven-Evans), with Swedish national champion Backstedt edged into second place.

The Blackpool Festival elite races were dominated by the Plowman Craven team, with Friday night's circuit race won by Gibb's team mate Gordon McCauley.

The Blackpool Grand Prix is a new addition to the Premier Calendar series, and is the first event of the series to be held on an undulating circuit. The previous nine races have all included serious climbs preventing the crowd pleasing large bunch sprint. Organiser Ivor Armstrong and the CDNW team designed the course to make full use of the wide promenade finish at Blackpool and give the crowd an exhilarating spectacle.

Blackpool Council was delighted with the cycling festival weekend, with cycle racing and mass participation events at the resort looking promising for the future.

How the Blackpool Grand Prix unfolded

With Paris-Roubaix winner Magnus Backstedt (Liquigas) on the start sheet, the riders at Blackpool could be forgiven for thinking they might be racing for 2nd place. But the confidence of these young men has no limits, and 99 other riders on the start line outside the Imperial Hotel, Blackpool were sure today was going to be their big win of the season.

The flag was dropped and the riders were treated to a traffic free ride along the Promenade taking in fresh sea air and the world famous views of Blackpool Tower and the Golden Mile. With a rolling road closure provided by Lancashire Police and British Cycling's National Escort Group the race moved out towards the Fylde countryside passing through the seaside towns of St Annes and Lytham.

Fully recovered from the exertions of Friday evening New Zealand rider Gordon McCauley (PlowmanCraven-Evans) was the first to make a move. McCauley known for his early breaks attacked as soon as the race began and gained a lead of about 10 seconds. He was soon back in the bunch having done his job of lifting the pace to race speed.

The 140km route had the start and finish in Blackpool with a 16 mile outward section to the Treales race circuit, after 8 laps of the 6.4 mile circuit the race would retrace the route back to Blackpool Promenade and the finish.

The roads narrowed at Clifton and the big bunch was strung out in a long line as attacks started to fire off the front. The first major break of the day had Matt Stephens (SigmaSport RT) joined by Gordon McCauley, Adam Norris (PCA), Dave Clark (BC Private Member), Simon Gaywood (PCA), Graham Briggs (Recycling), Ben Price (Rapha-Condor), Rob Partridge (Recycling) and Kit Gilham (Clifton CC). This group gained an advantage of about 54 seconds. The reaction came from the main bunch in the shape of Magnus Backstedt (Liquigas) and Ben Greenwood (Bedogni Natalini Praga) who had prised themselves off the front with a gap of about 8 seconds back to the main field.

With 4 laps remaining of the small circuit the Matt Stephens group had extended their lead to a maximum of 2 minutes. Back in the bunch Backstedt was still trying to gather support to chase them down and as the leaders passed through the feed zone at the Hand and Dagger pub the bunch was 59 seconds behind and closing fast. The PCA and Recycling team cars were moved to the back of the main field as the gap quickly dropped to just over 30 seconds.

The impetus in the lead group had gone and the Recycling and PCA riders stopped working. The group was now led by Dave Clarke and Kit Gilham who both refused to let their efforts be wasted. With the two main teams in the break not working it was inevitable they would all be caught. The break that had looked so promising was doomed and the fast moving bunch caught them as they passed the Derby Arms pub in the village of Treales.

Advanced publicity by the organisers had the villagers on the circuit out with their deckchairs watching the race from the roadside, the Tour de France visiting London and the South-East last weekend helped to lift the profile of cycling in this country and these people were obviously enjoying the colourful spectacle passing their front gardens. The sun was out and the beautiful Lancashire countryside proved to be a perfect backdrop for the race.

With one lap of the small circuit remaining Magnus Backstedt joined by Neil Swithenbank (ABC Centreville), Graham Briggs (Recycling) and Ian Wilkinson (SIS-Trek) gained 10 seconds on the bunch. The tall powerful figure of Backstedt was an intimidating presence in the break and he was soon driving the group at Pro-Tour pace. He was trying to coax his breakaway companions into going through hard and all credit to them they did try. The Swede was clearly unhappy with the effort of the British riders but all three were working their butts off to keep the break clear. Graham Briggs was hanging back a little, but he may have been in the break to make sure Recycling had a presence. The Backstedt group gained a maximum of 30 seconds on the main field, but the Plowman Craven team had taken control of the chase and the front of the bunch was a wall of pink and blue.

Backstedt could see the lead was in danger and continued to drive the break at his own pace. Briggs and Swithenbank decided to cut their losses but Ian Wilkinson wasn't prepared to miss the opportunity of riding into Blackpool with a Paris-Roubaix winner on his wheel. The self-employed builder worked with Backstedt but their lead was dropping as the PCA team increased the pace at the front of the bunch.

With 68 miles covered Wilkinson and his new found friend were back in the bunch, the field were all together as they began the final part of the race returning to Blackpool. The narrow roads of Treales behind them the large bunch now echeloned across the road on the Freckleton by-pass. It was now looking as though the crowd on Blackpool Promenade would be treated to a large bunch finish.

The race was travelling in excess of 30mph and as they crossed the roundabouts in Warton a daring group of four riders took their chance to steal victory from the sprinters. Tom Murray (Kinesis), Rick King (Inkland MTS), Lee Davis (Pinarello RT) and Ashley Brown (Sportscover-PlanetX) gained a gap of about 10 seconds. Lee Davis was doing most of the work and the other three were hanging onto his wheel. The move was doomed to failure as the Plowman Craven team again moved to the front to chase them down. As the race passed the windmill at Lytham St Annes Matthew Stephens (Sigmasport) moved clear of the bunch. The long flat straight roads offered little advantage for a lone breakaway and the Cheshire Police Officer was soon back in the main field.
Lee Davis (Pinarello RT) takes Murray, King and Brown clear of the fast moving bunch at Warton

The Plowman Craven team had worked hard to counter every move of the day and they looked as though they were attempting to set up their big sprinter Tony Gibb for the win. Magnus Backstedt suffered a puncture with four miles to go but after receiving neutral service was soon back at the front of the fast moving bunch.

The wide Promenade outside the Solaris Centre on Blackpool's South Shore was packed with a large crowd waiting for the race to appear. BBC commentator Hugh Porter kept a close eye on the horizon for signs of the race approaching and was soon telling the crowd that the whole field were about 500 metres from the line.

At 200 metres Backstedt was front and centre of the heaving bunch and looked as though he was going to take the win from the home boys. Chris Newton (Recycling) appeared on the outside with the Downing brothers charging up the inside, next to Backstedt the tall figure of Tony Gibb could be seen with his head buried in his handlebars and screaming with effort. At the line track sprinter Gibb snatched the victory, with Backstedt 2nd and Premier Calendar leader Chris Newton taking 3rd to extend his lead in the series. Russell Downing (Health-Net-Maxxis) was clearly disappointed as he crossed the line and commented later that the finish area was not marked and there were no 1km to go signs visible.

Interview

The PlowmanCraven-Evans Cycles team were jubilant at the finish and I managed to speak to winner Tony Gibb about his team's efforts throughout the day:

"I deserve about 180 metres credit for that race and the team deserve the rest. The plan was for the boys to lead me out if the race stayed together. They worked superbly getting in the early breaks then covering the moves. On the run in the PCA boys took it up with about 12 km to go, there were a few attacks but they were just carrots out there deterring everyone else."

This is the first flat Premier Calendar of the season has it affected the result for you?

"I don't really need to answer that, of course it has, if there had been a massive hill in it I probably wouldn't have ridden, knowing it was flat made it one of my targets for the year. PCA have had a great time in Blackpool, we cleaned up and tonight we're going to celebrate".

1 Tony Gibb Plowman Craven / Evans Cycles
2 Magnus Backstedt Liquigas
3 Chris Newton Recycling.co.uk
4 Russell Downing Team Healthnet
5 Dean Downing Rapha Condor R.T.
6 Jonathan Mozley Merlin R.T.
7 Ian Wilkinson Scienceinsport-Trek
8 Matthew Kipling Inkland/MTS
9 Tom Smith Merlin R.T.
10 John Tanner Sportscover-Planet X
11 Graham Briggs Recycling.co.uk
12 Gary Adamson FP Mailing
13 Simon Holt Recycling.co.uk
14 Mike Harrison Sigma Sport
15 Paul Oldham Hope Factory Racing
16 Matthew Stephens Sigma Sport
17 Martin Ford P&O / Thule
18 Andy Roche Pinarello R.T.
19 Mark Wordsworth J.E.James R.T.
20 Matthew Higgins Team Corley Cycles
21 Stephen Adams Merlin R.T.
22 Simon Wilson Arctic Shorter Rochford R.T.
23 Daniel Shand KW Heist Zuiderkempen
24 Andy Collis Pinarello R.T.
25 Niels Kempenaars KW Heist Zuiderkempen
26 Jason Allen Plowman Craven / Evans Cycles
27 Alastair Kay York Cycleworks
28 Tom Last Evans Cycles
29 Richard Hepworth Wakefield C.C. / Exponential Sys.
30 Kay Leyssens KW Heist Zuiderkempen
31 Pete? Williams Kinesis U.K
32 David Clarke Private Member
33 Ian Field Trek UK
34 Jon-Kris Mason Merlin R.T.
35 Richard Kent Scienceinsport-Trek
36 James Stewart KFS Special Vehicles / Sunday Bicycles
37 Daniel Davies KW Heist Zuiderkempen
38 Neil Swithenbank ABC Centreville
39 Lee Davis Pinarello R.T.
40 Roy Chamberlain Team Corley Cycles
41 Liam Holoham Merlin R.T.
42 Adam Bonser Recycling.co.uk
43 Robin Sharman KFS Special Vehicles / Sunday Bicycles
44 Malcolm Elliott Pinarello R.T.
45 Wim Cretskens KW Heist Zuiderkempen
46 Adrian Bird Echelon-cycles.co.uk
47 Wayne Randle Sportscover-Planet X
48 Daniel Duguid Sigma Sport
49 Matthew Cronshaw Scienceinsport-Trek
50 Richard Wilkinson Rapha Condor R.T.