Spring Success!
Courtesy of British Cycling and Larry Hickmott. Photos Andrew Kennedy (www.kennedyimages.co.uk).

The North of England road season got under way on Sunday with the Clayton Velo Spring Classic Road Race, held on the short version of the Bashall Eaves circuit near Clitheroe.

Race HQ had an exciting atmosphere as local club riders signed-on alongside world class cyclists in the form of Chris Newton, Kristian House and Dean Downing. In fact the whole of the newly formed Rapha/Condor/Recycling team were on the start sheet taking up the first 10 numbers.

This annual event is a handicap road race with a time gap of nearly 9 minutes between the Elites and 4th category riders with the early season calendar position usually meaning poor weather. Today was no exception and the riders rolled out to the start line under heavy rain sodden clouds and temperatures refusing to budge over 5c.

With twenty 4th cats and Juniors and a couple of female riders in the first group the starter told them they had nearly 9 minutes on ex World track Champion Chris Newton and his group. At the first corner the 4th cats were split apart as three riders raced around the 4 mile circuit in an attempt to get on the back of the scratch group and gain a lap. It was an audacious move for the lowly ranked riders and they nearly made it. The scratch group were about 300 metres up the road as they completed lap 1, but didn't manage to make contact.

With the majority of the 80 riders in the race wearing full winter riding kit and the roads wet and slippery it was going to be a sedate start until things warmed up.

The gaps between the four main groups on the road remained fairly static up until the half-way point. The three 4th category riders held onto a 3 minute lead and were sharing the work. Behind them the intermediate groups appeared to be waiting for the Elite train to come flying through, with a hope they might hitch a lift. At the back of the race the Elite riders were reluctant to take up the early pace and didn't appear to be closing the time gaps on the others.

With the rain reducing to a drizzle the Elite group started to remove their rain capes, the racing was about to begin. The Elite riders dramatically increased their pace and splits appeared at the back of the field. Two riders who were trailing off the back of the Elites were Dean Downing and Chris Newton, and some spectators were speculating Newton was tired from his exertions at the Revolution track meeting the previous night.

Within a couple of laps the intermediate groups had Rapha/Condor/Recycling riders swooping down on them, and with only 4 laps to go the Elites had taken control of the race. The 3 musketeers who had promised so much as they led the race now started to look tired, and they were soon down to 2, as they approached the line on the next lap it was all over for them.

The big boys had finally got warmed up and they started to fly around the 4 mile circuit. Rapha/Condor/Recycling were represented at the front by Graham Briggs, Dean Downing and Chris Newton. This group rode away from the splintered field in the company of James Sampson (Kinesis UK), Andrew Williams (Cwmcum Paragon), Darren Tiffen (MTS cyclesport/Inkland RT) and Matt Cronshaw (Kinesis UK). With a further group of Rapha riders chasing hard to get back up to the leaders.

The Newton, Briggs and Downing trio attacked again and with 1 lap to go they crossed the line with a lead of about 35 seconds. Sampson, Williams and Cronshaw were desperately trying to stay ahead of the chasing Rapha squad but as they started the final lap they'd been caught and it looked like total domination by the boys in black and pink.

With the chequered flag out the crowd were speculating how the team members would decide who was going to win. As the riders came into view at the top of the finishing straight it appeared they'd done it the old fashioned way and battered each other on the last lap. Chris Newton flew down towards the line glancing back to see Downing and Briggs fighting it out for 2nd and 3rd place. With Luke Rowe, Rob Partridge and Simon Holt taking the next three placings the Rapha/Condor/Recycling team had dominated the racing and also given the other riders and spectators a fabulous day out and a Spring Classic to remember.

Results

1st Chris Newton Rapha Condor Recycling in 2hrs 21mins 13 secs
2nd Dean Downing Rapha Condor Recycling
3rd Graham Briggs Rapha Condor Recycling
4th Luke Rowe Rapha Condor Recycling
5th Rob Partridge Rapha Condor Recycling
6th Simon Holt Rapha Condor Recycling
7th andrew Williams Cwmcum Paragon RC
8th James Sampson Kinesis UK
9th Matt Cronshaw Kinesis UK
10th Darren Tiffen MTS cycle Sport/Inkland RT