York Cycle Works Road Race
Thanks to Chris Belsham for this ....Adding his name to the
prestigious list of former winners, Dean Downing (recycling.co.uk/MG
XPOWER) sprinted home ahead of team mate Robin Sharman and Mark Lovatt
(Planet-X/On-one) to win the York Cycleworks Road Race on Bank Holiday
Monday. The race had started with only a small field which led to the
race distance being reduced to five and a half laps of the hilly Sheriff
Hutton circuit near York, but whilst the field lacked quantity it certainly
had some quality riders.
The windy conditions and tough course meant the riders struggled to
make an attack stick until Downing and Sharman went clear after two
laps. However, they soon sat up when they realised they were not creating
a significant gap over the rapidly depleting chasing group whose speed
belied the lack of riders. Then with two laps to go Lovatt, who hasn’t
finished outside the top three in this event since 2001, attacked through
the finishing straight and was quickly joined by Downing and Sharman.
The trio rapidly built up a lead over the remaining chasing group of
nine and with Lovatt outnumbered, a sprint finish was the most likely
outcome.
Despite his best efforts on the final ascent of Bulmer Bank, Lovatt
was unable to shake off his breakaway companions and was forced to lead
into the finishing straight. With 200m to go Downing jumped down the
left hand gutter and neither Sharman nor Lovatt were able to respond
as Downing won by several lengths with Sharman beating Lovatt in a close
sprint for second. Two minutes later Mike Kiss (JE James RT) came in
to take fourth place after a late attack whilst Ben Greenwood rounded
off a good day for the recycling.co.uk/MG XPOWER team by winning the
sprint for fifth.
RESULTS
1. Dean Downing recycling.co.uk/MG XPOWER
2. Robin Sharman recycling.co.uk/MG XPOWER
3. Mark Lovatt Planet-X/On-one
4. Mike Kiss JE James Rt
5. Ben Greenwood recycling.co.uk/MG XPOWER
6. Chris Smart JF Wilson Cycles
7. Andrew Sedgewick Rutland CC
8. Alistair Kay York Cycleworks
9. Damian Smith GS Metro
10. Matthew Robinson Regal RT
11. David Shackleton Hull Thursday RC
12. Gareth Hewitt JE James RT
13. George Rose Ttriangle RT
