Report: Day 2 -- Women's Bedford Two Day

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 Monday, May 3, 2010; by Larry Hickmott

Horizon Fitness rider Sarah Storey has won the Bedford Two Day after a very strong ride on the final stage where she was third behind teammate Dani King who won the hilly road race on the awesome Millbrook circuit from Catherine Williamson (Rapha Condor).

Stage 3 - Time Trial (4 miles)
The morning stage at the Millbrook Vehicle Testing centre in Bedfordshire saw the riders in the Bedford Two Day tackle two laps of the speed bowl in a race against the clock. Starting in reverse order on General Classification, the riders had more than just this wide open speed bowl as a challenge. The weather was changing from bright sunshine one minute, to rain or hail the next and all with a strong wind blowing.

The winner unsurprisingly was Paralympic champion Sarah Storey who extended her lead on the overall. Afterwards she said it was the biggest velodrome she’s ever competed on! The wind was certainly making a difference and into the wind her speed was down to 35kph whilst with the wind, the speed rose to more than 50k an hour. “It was interesting out there. It is a bit like doing a pursuit except you never get to see the person in front. It is a fabulous facility and I can’t wait to get out and see what the road circuit is like.”

Above: Slideshow from the Time Trial

Result (4 miles TT)

1  Sarah Storey Horizon Fitness Racing Team 09:06
2  Emma Grant AW Cycles.co.uk 09:19
3  Corinne Hall Twickenham CC 09:32
4  Bernadette Hards Max Gear RT 09:34
5  Dani King Horizon Fitness Racing Team 09:36
6  Claire Galloway PSUK CRT/Gigawave 09:38
7  Hannah Barnes Motorpoint/Marshalls Pasta 09:44
8  Maryka Sennema Surrey Cycle Racing League 09:45
9  Anna Fischer Max Gear RT 09:48
10  Mathilde Matthijsse Bedfordshire Road Cycling Club 09:50

Overall
1. Sarah Storey
2. Dani King @31 secs
3. Hannah Rich @2.11

Stage 4

Dani King sprints to victory on stage 4 ahead of Catherine Williamson whilst Sarah Storey celebrates an overall victory behind.

On what has to be one of the toughest circuits in the country, Dani King won her second stage of the event when she beat Catherine Williamson and teammate Sarah Storey after 80 very lumpy kilometres on the closed circuit at Millbrook.

The final stage was a tough one around a vey hilly closed circuit within the grounds of the Millbrook Vehicle Testing centre. The climb, featured in a James Bond film apparently, was not only twisty but long and steep and the descent equally so. The wind had also got stronger which would make the long road stage even tougher. Leading her teammate Dani King by over 30 seconds, Sarah Storey looked odds on for the overall win having dominated the time trial.

Above: Slideshow from the Road Race

The race began with the field en mass racing around the Millbrook bowl before hitting the first ascent of the main climb on the circuit. Straight away, riders were being shelled out the back of the peloton which was unsurprising considering the difference in abilities between the 90 or so riders. The front of the race didn’t really light up until lap two when two riders, soon to become three (Anna Fischer, Clare Galloway and Catherine Williamson), got away and quickly established a gap.

The early break is formed on the main climb.

The leaders continued to increase their lead whilst behind, the peloton, bit by bit started to explode. Race leader Sarah Storey was being left to do a lot of the work to chase the break but with only three laps to go, the race really did get tasty. Whilst the three leaders had looked likely to stay away, Sarah Storey was getting fed up by now at the lack of help she was getting with the chase and she upped the pace which split her group.

Storey and teammate Dani King along with a few others, very quickly closed the break down and they came through with two to go unchallenged by their rivals behind. Storey wanted more and continued to keep the pace high and with one lap to go, there were only four leaders including Storey and her teammate King.

By the time they came into sight for the sprint, another rider had been distanced and there were only three left. Whilst Storey celebrated her overall victory, Dani King and Catherine Williamson  battled it out for the stage with King conquering her rival’s challenge to take her second stage.

The riders and supporters would also like to thank Millbrook for their support in providing the circuit for the day and also helping lay out the course with the hundreds of cones required. It was a fantastic day for all concerned.

Sarah Storey: “The break went away and we just wanted to let that go for a bit and we were left to control the peloton. That meant I was sat on the front for a few laps before I launched one with Dani. By this time, our other teammates had been dropped from the peloton so I attacked to try and break it up. We closed the gap down pretty quick.”

“The last lap was just about protecting Dani and saving myself for the 60k an hour lead out. I’m really pleased with the overall win. I’m so chuffed the team took it on so well on Sunday with victory in both the stages. Today, this course is so good. We had the roads to ourselves and it’s such a fabulous circuit. It has been a really well organised event. Even yesterday on roads that were not closed, the marshals were brilliant.”

Dani King “I’m really pleased with how things have gone. We have worked so well as a team. It is the first time we have all been together in a stage race and I’m really pleased with how it has gone. I’ve been working on my climbing the past year and got a lot better and was flying up them. Sarah also gave me the best lead out I have ever had.”

Catherine Williamson “The climb on this circuit was a little bit long for me as I prefer them shorter and steeper. My prime aim today was to go for the sprints jersey as I was joint first with that. So when the break went on the hill I thought I had better get in it. The girls I was with were so strong and we worked really well together. It felt like we were away for ever.”

“By the time the chasers were coming across, I’d got the sprint award and it was a matter of hanging on. I have been away in South Africa for three months and a lot of the races there end in sprints so I have been working on that. Women’s racing in the UK has in the past been a bit negative but this and Cheshire, I don’t think there are many European races I have worked this hard in. This was very much like the nationals last year, it was brilliant.”  

The break that went away on lap 2 and dominated the race.

The race altogether on the speed bowl at the start of the race.

Sarah Storey drives the lead break along as they catch and lap some back markers

The chase group four laps out before Sarah Storey pressed harder on the pedals and caused the group to explode!

Provisional Results

Stage Result
1.  Dani King Horizon Fitness Racing Team 2:02:40 @ 00:00
2.  Catherine Williamson Rapha/Condor CC 2:02:40 @ 00:00
3.  Sarah Storey Horizon Fitness Racing Team 2:02:40 @ 00:00
4.  Alli Holland Max Gear RT 2:02:46 @ 0:06
5.  Emma Grant AW Cycles.co.uk 2:04:20 @ 1:40
6.  Claire Galloway PSUK CRT/Gigawave 2:04:20 @ 1:40
7.  Natalie Creswick Twickenham CC 2:05:22 @ 2:42
8.  Mathilde Matthijsse Bedfordshire Road Cycling Club 2:05:25 @ 2:45
9.  Marianne Britten Max Gear RT 2:05:25 @ 2:45
10.  Nikki Juniper Eastern Region 2:05:40 @ 3:00

FINAL OVERALL (Full Result Spreadsheet)
1  Sarah Storey Horizon Fitness Racing Team     @ 0:00:00
2  Dani King Horizon Fitness Racing Team     @ 0:00:37
3  Catherine Williamson Rapha/Condor CC     @ 0:02:36
4  Alli Holland Max Gear RT     @ 0:02:46
5  Emma Grant AW Cycles.co.uk     @ 0:05:53
6  Anna Fischer Max Gear RT     @ 0:06:08
7  Jessica Booth Halesowen A&CC     @ 0:06:52
8  Tamina Oliver Squadra Donne     @ 0:07:10
9  Mathilde Matthijsse Bedfordshire Road Cycling Club     @ 0:07:12
10  Natalie Creswick Twickenham CC     @ 0:07:27
11  Corinne Hall Twickenham CC     @ 0:07:32
12  Claire Galloway PSUK CRT/Gigawave     @ 0:07:40
13  Charlotte Colclough Wannabies     @ 0:08:21
14  Hannah Barnes Motorpoint/Marshalls Pasta J    @ 0:09:57
15  Bernadette Hards Max Gear RT     @ 0:10:04
16  Maryka Sennema Surrey Cycle Racing League     @ 0:10:48
17  Hannah Shenton Motorpoint/Marshalls Pasta J    @ 0:10:53
18  Hannah Walker Motorpoint/Marshalls Pasta J    @ 0:11:16
19  Nikki Juniper Eastern Region     @ 0:11:37
20  Sarah King Wannabies J    @ 0:12:53
21  Hannah Rich Horizon Fitness Racing Team     @ 0:12:58
22  Iona Sewell Squadra Donne     @ 0:14:43
23  Hannah Manley Motorpoint/Marshalls Pasta J    @ 0:14:58
24  Ella Hopkins Halesowen A&CC     @ 0:15:29
25  Marianne Britten Max Gear RT     @ 0:16:01
26  Rachel Armitage London Dynamo     @ 0:16:25
27  Sarah Byrne Wannabies     @ 0:17:26
28  Rebecca Curley Rapha/Condor CC     @ 0:20:38
29  Lowri Bunn Army Cycling Union Women’s Road Racing Team     @ 0:20:52
30  Louise Eden SW Ladies/Champion Systems     @ 0:23:35
31  Rachel Turner London Dynamo      @ 0:23:40
32  Claire Beaumont Rapha/Condor CC     @ 0:23:45
33  Maxine Filby Motorpoint/Marshalls Pasta     @ 0:25:11
33  Monica Eden Wannabies     @ 0:25:11
35  Jackie Garner Max Gear RT     @ 0:25:12
36  Leona Kadir Surrey Cycle Racing League     @ 0:25:12
37  Gillian Taylor Bad-Tri/Fred Baker Cycles     @ 0:25:13
38  Fiona Duncan PSUK CRT/Gigawave     @ 0:26:23
39  Lauren Whitmore London Dynamo     @ 0:30:14
40  Ruth Bradbook Bad-Tri/Fred Baker Cycles     @ 0:30:37
41  Rachel Pryzbylski Surrey Cycle Racing League     @ 0:30:57
42  Harriet Owen Motorpoint/Marshalls Pasta J    @ 0:31:50
43  Miriam Freemantle Squadra Donne     @ 0:32:12
44  Tracey Fletcher Wannabies     @ 0:32:31
45  Emily Bagnall Surrey Cycle Racing League     @ 0:33:26
46  Gail Aspden Squadra Donne     @ 0:33:51
47  Stephania Magri Squadra Donne     @ 0:33:52
48  Nicky Russell Bad-Tri/Fred Baker Cycles     @ 0:39:55
49  Gabriella Shaw Wannabies J    @ 0:40:57
50  Fiona Spotswood Bad-Tri/Fred Baker Cycles     @ 0:42:08
51  Jennifer Milsom PSUK CRT/Gigawave     @ 0:42:43
52  Claire Leonard Surrey Cycle Racing League     @ 0:44:02
53  Monica da Polenza AW Cycles.co.uk     @ 0:46:45
54  Ellinor Jones Halesowen A&CC     @ 0:48:42
55  Solveig Findley Twickenham CC     @ 0:50:02
56  Amy Hutchinson Bedfordshire Road Cycling Club     @ 0:51:01
57  Kat Zolkiewicz Bad-Tri/Fred Baker Cycles     @ 0:51:47
58  Clare Simon Bedfordshire Road Cycling Club     @ 0:51:57
59  Lizzie Leake Bedfordshire Road Cycling Club     @ 0:52:23
60  Claire Fraser SW Ladies/Champion Systems     @ 0:55:58
61  Wiesia Kuczaj Twickenham CC     @ 0:56:08
62  Nicci Meadows AW Cycles.co.uk     @ 0:57:09
63  Susan Wood Eastern Region     @ 0:57:45
64  Tracey Corbett Rapha/Condor CC     @ 1:01:07
65  Angela Lewry Bedfordshire Road Cycling Club     @ 1:04:46
66  Jenny Lake Bedfordshire Road Cycling Club J    @ 1:19:01
67  Rhiannon Smallworth SW Ladies/Champion Systems J    @ 1:27:27
68  Sophie Waters Army Cycling Union Women’s Road Racing Team     @ 1:32:03
69  Hayley Notton Army Cycling Union Women’s Road Racing Team     @ 1:36:44

Points: Catherine Williamson
KOM Stage 4: Anna Fischer
Team: Horizon Fitness
First Junior: Hannah Barnes