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INTERNATIONAL WIN FOR CAVENDISH IN WARWICKSHIRE ROAD RACE
SUNDAY 7TH, SOLIHULL CC JUNIOR ROAD RACE (BRITISH CYCLING NATIONAL SERIES EVENT)

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PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE RACE -- CLICK A BUTTON ABOVE

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Mark Cavendish riding for Dataphonics made no mistake in the sprint beating Peter Williams from Ellan Vannin and Cavendish's club teammate, Bruce Edgar.

After getting a drenching at the National Time Trial championships on the Saturday, it was a great to find that Sunday morning was dry and sunny for the Solihull CC National Junior series event in Warwickshire. At the start, aside from all the top juniors in the UK were teams from Germany, Holland, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Isle of Man along with division teams from within the UK. And bringing those teams here were many household names from the world cycling such as Heiko Salzwedel, and Stuart Hallam to name but two. This was certainly a junior road race to be taken very seriously and it didn't take long for the action to start.

The riders, still in the neutralised section, pass by some of the picturesque cottages on the course. The Dutch are already getting itchy feet and ready to attack.

First time through the finish with 8 laps to do, there was a break forming with around 7 riders split into small groups with the first group of five containing two Dutch riders, an Irish rider and Ben Crawforth from Evans Cycles. Chasing was Mark Cavendish with a Dutch passenger and then a couple more a few seconds back. The bunch was being led by the Welsh team.

Half a lap later, and we had a leading group of seven, three Dutch (Maartern Mandemakers was one I got a number for), an Irish rider (Barry Woods), one for the German Hessen team (Phillip Seubert), Mark Cavendish and Ben Crawforth (Evans). They were all working well together when we saw them although as Mark Cavendish admitted later, the Dutch were ruffling a few feathers by taking all the primes. Behind, it was Edward Whitehorne on the front of the bunch.

This was how the race stayed for a lap or so and behind, the bunch, although chasing at this point, it wasn't exactly being lined out and the break were making ground although the gap was still crossable by many of the riders in the bunch.

With over the half the race stil to do, next time we saw thebreak, one of the Dutch riders was alone and behind, the break seemingly wasn't interest and although riders like Cavendish had a dig, they generally found they were being marked by another Dutchman.

The break that lead the race for much of the event lead by one of three Dutch riders in it, Ben Crawforth and eventual winner, Mark Cavendish.

The chase behind saw a small group get away with Matthew Garthwaite, Fraser Duncan, Willem-Jan Smits, Mortiz Uhrig and Sean Newington among them. Behind was another small chase group with Mark Cassidy, Sebastian Day and David Evans from the host club among them a few seconds off the front of the peloton. Another few miles down the road and the lone leader (Roy de Waal) had become two as he was joined by a Dutch teammate, Mararten Mandemakers. The rest of the break were still clear and chasing hard only half a minute or so behind. Next through was a group of three lead by Edward Whitehorne leading one the Hessen riders and Fraser Duncan from Ireland. The rest of the chasers had been caught by the peloton.

At the next sighting, the two Dutch riders were still clear but the chasers with Whitehorne and co had caught the break so we had two Dutch riders leading, two Germans from the Hessen club in the chase group, two Irish, another Dutchman, Cavendish, Whitehorne, and Crawforth. Meanwhile, the bunch was cruising, riders looking at each other and even at this point with the gap crossable, it appeared they had sat up.

The bunch seemingly uninterested in racing as the break and a chase group get further and further up the road.

Back in the car and off to another part of the circuit and we found the Dutch riders were still clear after two laps of freedom but as Cavendish told me afterwards, at no time was he worried about them not coming back, as most in the break were working although no one was really driving it. There faces certainly had the look of pain on them whilst the riders in the bunch came into view on the tops and certainly not in racing mode.

With over half race distance covered, the break came together at the front but a chase group had formed and was making inroads into the leaders advantage. In the chasers were Bruce Edgar, Peter Williams, Richard Kent and Rob Partridge. Behind them, another two, Adam Gascoigne and Geriant Thomas a few seconds clear of the bunch in single file being stretched out by Tim Wallis followed by a rider resplendent in his National Champions jersey, Matt Brammeier.

Two Dutch riders lead the race for almost two laps before the break said enough was enough and quickly reeled them in.

Back at the front four miles further down the road, Fraser Duncan had attacked and was leading the race alone a few seconds clear of the break while the Bruce Edgar lead chase group, were still making inroads into the lead of the break. In the bunch, Matt Brammeier was having a dig but the bunch whilst not willing to mount a concerted chase on the break up front, were not letting the British champion get away as well.

Right: Matt Brammeier, Life Repair's National Road Race Champion who had added the Time Trial title to that the day before the Solihull RR, hamming it up for the camera as the bunch pass by the HQ.

At the finish line next lap, the break had been joined by the chase group and a new chase group of around 8 riders had taken up the challenge, with Daniel Martin, Richard Wakor, Adam Biggs, Matthew Gartwaite, Sean Newington and Bruce Wallis being some of the riders in the group.

Also there were riders from Ireland and Germany. This was the last chance saloon for the riders who wanted to be in at the kill and the bunch looked well beaten when they came though with two laps to go. On that lap, the chasers got across to give us 22 riders in the lead.

Daniel Martin (far right) leads a chase group which in a lap, crossed to the leaders.

Bell lap and it was Peter Williams who came though, trying to get away with Bruce Edgar and Daniel Martin not far away and the rest of the break staying close. The bunch had lost more time and although a few riders had clipped off the front to give chase, it way too late for those who had any ideas on winning the race. It looked like being a sprint was going to decide the race and although I was told Daniel Martin had a dig approaching the finish, the 22 riders were near enough all together for Cavendish, a rider known for his sprint here and abroad, who did the business, winning by a length and a half from Williams and well pleased with as he should.

Thanks to everyone at Solihull CC for their help and also to race sponsors Somerfield Supermarkets, 24-7 Recruitment, Exel plc, Greenstone Automation, and Mike Kowal Cycles.

RESULT

 1. Mark Cavendish           Dataphonics RT                2.47.49
 2. Peter Williams           Ellan Vannin CC
 3. Bruce Edgar              Dataphonics RT
 4. Paul Brady               Irish Cycling Federation
 5. Philipp Seubert          Hessen Cycling Federation
 6. Frazer Duncan            Irish Cycling Federation
 7. Roy de Wall              Tempo BMV
 8. Jochem-Alexander Ponten  Tempo BMV The Netherlands
 9. Ben Crawforth            Evans RT
10. Lenard Wengenroth        Hessen Cycling Federation
11. Edward Whitehorn         Glendene CC
12. Rob Partridge            WCU
13. Adam Biggs               Team Bradgate
14. Daniel Martin            CC Giro
15. Richard Wakor            CC Basingstoke
16. Theo Hardwick            Irish Cycling Federation
17. Matthew Garthwaite       West Midlands A
18. Richard Kent             Oldham Ruffyeds CC
19. David Smith              Scottish Cycling Union
20. Sean Newington           Scottish Cycling Union        @ 3 secs
21. Maarten Mandemakers      Tempo BMV The Netherlands     @ 10 
22. Moritz Uhrig             Hessen Cycling Federation     @1.31
23. Dan Davies               Welsh Cycling Union           @1.52
24. Bruce Wallis             Scottish Cycling Union        @2.55
25. James Aubry              Evans Cycles RT               @2.56
26. Charles Tennick          Scunthorpe Poly               @3.09
27. David Eaves              Solihull CC                   @3.12 
28. Sebastian Day            VC Lincoln                    
29. Gareth Williams          West Midlands A               @3.21
30. Sam Reed                 Chadwick Wheelers             @3.30
31. Stuart McManus           Glasgow Wheelers
32. Tim Wallis               Solihill CC
33. Peter Sargent            West Midlands B
34. Andrew Gough             Portswood CRT                 @3.31
35. Sam Barrett              Bournemouth Arrow              
36. Euan Adams               West Midlands A               
37. Richard Bowen            Liverpol Century  
38. William-Jan Smits        Tempo BMV
39. Ryan Bonser              GS Surosa 
40. Chris Gould              Welsh Cycling Union
41. Boris Hermann            Hessen Cycling Federation    @3.36
42. Adam Gascoigne           AngliaSport/Condor
43. James Denslow            Chadwick Wheelers
44. Joe Spooor               Berwick Wheelers
45. James Sampson            Race Scene 
46. Ben Simmons              Welsh Cycling Union
47. Neil Cooper              Reading CC
48. Mark Cassidy             Irish Cycling Federation
49. Phil Taylor              West Midlands A             @3.44
50. Mark Jackson             Solihull CC                 @3.46
51. Scott Choucino           Team Bradgate

Primes:
Roy de Waal (2)
Maarten Mandemakers (2)
Fraser Duncan (2)
Peter Williams

Most Aggressive Rider:
Roy de Waal

Best Overseas Rider:
Paul Brady

Team:
The Netherlands

Best Young Riders (note change to that announced in 
Race Prize Presentation:
1.    Peter Willaims
2.    Phillip Seubert
3.    Ben Crawforth
4.    Adam Biggs
5.    Daniel Martin