NEWS FOR JULY 2003

| NEWS CENTRE| RESULTS | PHOTOS | INTERVIEWS | FREE CLASSIFIEDS |

THE FAVOURITES (some of them at least!)

UNDER 23'S ROAD RACE CHAMPIONSHIP THIS WEEKEND

SUNDAY, 27TH JULY; OAKLEY (BUCKINGHAMSHIRE)

This weekend sees Doug Collins of the Twickenham CC presenting the National Espoirs (Under 23) Road Race championship held on a circuit which last year saw Jamie Alberts take the jersey and follow it up this year with a bronze medal in the senior title race at Celtic Manor. The number of riders in the field this year is down on last time but the quality is still there and the win won't come easy for any of the competitors doing battle in the Buckinghamshire hills around Brill.

One of the favourites is the leader of the Under 23 series, James Flanagan (Team Milton Keynes) who I spoke to last week. Click here to read that interview. James has finished 2nd twice in national series races this year and was fourth last weekend in Wales but the championships are on home ground for the Leighton Buzzard based rider and the hilly terain will also suit him. Flanagan is part of a strong Team Milton Keynes squad as well. Also riding in Team MK colours will be last years Junior National series winner and another rider at home on the hills, Adam Illingworth with the other two riders being Simon Henley who showed solid form in Wales last weekend and Martin Freeman.

But if any of them are to take home a gold medal they will have to overcome some expereinced and competitive opposition. Like Kierin Page (SP Systems/Wightlink) who providing he's not to tired from the Isle of Man events this week, should be there or thereabouts. He knows the circuit and showed in Wales last weekend, he's pretty quick at the end of a race finishing 2nd to the lone breakaway of Briggs. Another favourite will be Russell Anderson who has shown good form on the road in a number of road races and last weekend in Wales went very close to stealing the win from the rest after a lone break on a very tough course. And what about under 23 Cyclo Cross Champion Shaun Snodden? When asked, Flanagan names Snodden as one of his favourites and after a number of top drawer performances on the road, Shaun certainly seems well capable of making it a double with titles in Cyclo Cross and Road.

Another strong contender will be Andrew Stuart from Ashfield RC who rode very well last weekend in the Pedal Power Elite race and then there is the Life Repair equation. In Wales last weekend, Graham Briggs showed he his has excellent form by winning that event and being one of the quickest riders in a sprint, he's equally capable of winning alone or in a bunch sprint and with three other teammates, Life Repair will certainly be hoping Briggs earns them a champions jersey.

And what about dark horses. A look down the start sheet and there are quite a few like Mike Kiss, Ben Clark and James Williamson who are coming back from France and their form, good or bad, an unknown to their rivals. Then we have the Scottish rider Evan Oliphant (Velo Ecosse) who showed enough form in the Scottish round of the National Series to signal a warning to the others not to take him lightly. The rider he beat there, James Flanagan has certainly seen enough to know he's a dangerous competitor on the hills and in a sprint.

Or GB rider Tom White (VC Londres) who in his first season on the road has adapted very well and may well suprise the rest given an opportunity. And finally Mark Kelly, silver last year and recovered from a health scare a short while ago, we haven't as yet seen what he is capable of this year but after medals in a number of championships last year, if he's anywhere near top form, then the rest will have a battle on their hands taking the title from him as he looks to move up a place. Who ever wins though, they'll be a worthy champion because there are no easy wins on the Oakley circuit and I fully expect that the final medals will be decided by a small group of only around five riders. Here's a rider list for you to decide on your favourites:

RIDERS

 1. James Flanagan       Team Milton Keynes-Abbeygate Dev
 2. Adam Illingworth     Team Milton Keynes-Abbeygate Dev
 3. Simon Henley         Team Milton Keynes-Abbeygate Dev
 4. Martin Freeman       Team Milton Keynes-Abbeygate Dev
 5. James Cartwright     Royal Sutton CC
 6. Tom Kirk             Royal Sutton CC  
 7. Philip Pearson       Royal Sutton CC
 8. Chris Yates          Royal Sutton CC
 9. Matt Wood            Royal Sutton CC
10. Stefan Wilson        Life Repair CRT-Litespeed/
11. Ben Greenwood        Life Repair CRT-Litespeed/
12. Michael Jolley       Life Repair CRT-Litespeed/
13. Graham Briggs        Life Repair CRT-Litespeed/
14. Martin Seal          JE James/Giant/Michelin
15. Shaun Snodden	 JE James RT-SAPIN/Michelin
16. Mark Kelly           Dataphonics RT/United Rental
17. Ben Hallam           Dataphonics RT/United Rental
18. Owen Wallace         scienceinsport.com
19. James Davies         scienceinsport.com
20. Alex Coutts          Teamendurasport.com
21. Neil Coleman         Teamendurasport.com 
22. Michael Merrals      API Bikes.com/Specialised
23. James Millard        API Bikes.com/Specialised
24. Tom White            VC Londres
25. John Scripps         VC Londres
26. Jon Locke            Mid Devon/Colin Lewis
27. Alex Fitzgerald      Mid Devon/Colin Lewis
28. Mike Kiss            VC Cevenol
29. Ben Clark            VC Cholet
30. James Williamson	 Cycle Olympique Chamalierois
31. Christopher Daddy    Heirros Aguera
32. Jack Hill            Leigh Premier
33. Meirion Rhys         Cwmcarn Paragon/Dudleys 
34. James Shaw           Pembrokeshire Velo
35. Joseph Andrews       Loughborough Students CC
36. William Smythe       Halfords Bikehut
37. Steve Lampier        Cyclelogic.co.uk/giant
38. Christian Varley     Maestro Nella/Ambrosia
39. Tristan Natolie      Freerider Cycles
40. Gary Hand            Pedal Power R.T (SCU)-/Sibcas/
41. Ryan Connor          Ballymena RC-Scott Roof Tiles
42. Andrew Peat          Solihull CC
43. Luke Kubicki         Rockingham Forest Wheelers
44. David Warriner       VC York/Sanyo
45. Adrian Gammage       Team Synergy/Landrover/Bianchi
46. Tom Crouch           High Wycombe CC-Cycle Lane Ltd
47. Andrew Murphy        Kingdom RT
48. David Shackleton     Hull Thursday
49. Mark Izycki          Lea Valley
50. Nicky Docherty       Glasgow Wheelers
51. Robert Hunt          EVR/Bianchi UK
52. Stuart Reid          Wheelbase
53. Richard Sutcliff     York Cycleworks
54. Evan Oliphant        Team Velo Ecosse
55. Leigh Cowell         Ribble Valley CRC
56. Andrew Stuart        Ashfield RC
57. Jonathon Pain        Leisure Lakes
58. Russell Anderson     Classic Walls CRT
59. Robert Scott         Classic Walls CRT
60. Mark Baker           SG Bollington
61. Richard Whitehorne   Glendene CC/Bike Trax
62. Keiran Page          SP Systems Wightlink-Mobile 
63. Layton Wilkes        Penzance Wheelers CC
64. Chris Dransfield     Race Scene CC
65. Chris Doel           Team Quest/The Bike Shop

THE COURSE
Race starts at 11.30 from the Oakley Village Hall. The riders then proceed to the 10.3 mile circuit based around the villages of Chilton, Chearsley, Ashendon, and Dorton (near Brill) with the finish at the top of the climb a few miles outside of Dorton (next to a farm). The course has a number of long climbs, three in all not counting the odd rise and dips in between the big hills and also a very quick narrow (straight road) descent from Ashendon. The riders cover 9 laps for a total distance of 93 miles or 155 kilometres.

LAST YEARS PHOTO GALLERIES | PAUL J WRIGHT | LARRY HICKMOTT |

---