Greenwood Wins Tour of the Reservoir

Tour of the Reservoir (Premier Calendar Series) | Sunday 26th March 2006

Edmundbuyers, Co. Durham | Promoted by Tyne Valley C.C.

Cycling.tv were at the event: Tour of the Reservoir transmission times:  - British Eurosport - 6 April pm  - Cycling.tv - on the channel on Tuesday 4th News Story Link:Premier Calendar on TV

Report and Pictures: Ian McVety

On a blustery but dry day at Edmundbyers, County Durham, Ben Greenwood (Recycling.co.uk), won his first Premier Calendar event after last week soloing away from the main group to win the Hugh Dornan Road Race.

Ben Greenwood crosses the line alone

The course over 140 kms of exposed roads with two main climbs was a tough test for everyone, particularly with a strong south westerly wind making the open roads on the north side of the Derwent Reservoir even more gruesome.

The race unfolded after a short neutralised section from the race headquarters at Endmundbuyers by a group of approximately 20 riders going clear only to be caught soon after. The first time up to Carrick corner (below) saw the peloton start to fragment.

By the time the riders had completed the first lap an 8 man group had formed consisting of Greenwood, Kristian House, (Recycling.co.uk), Matt Stephens (Sigma Sport), James Dobbin (Artic Shorter Rochford), Clayton Burrows and James Williamson, (Agisko) Alistair Kay (York Cycle Works and Ian Wilkinson (SIS).

The chasing group of 9 riders (above) included Kevin Dawson and Graeme Briggs (Agisko), McManus and Woodgate (SIS), Ben Hallam, (Glendene CC), Oldham (Hope Factory Racing), Polson (VC Azzurri), and Furness (Ride Beyond). McManus was later unfortunate in not being able to stay with the pace and slipped back in to the main peloton. In the main group Andy Collis (De Rosa) was unlucky, suffering from a fractured head tube).

The leaders built up a steady lead of 40 seconds to the chasing group with the main group some 1 min 40 sec's in deficit. Pigula (Sherwood CC) made a brave move around the north side of the reservoir, attempting to bridge across to the chasing group from the peloton, but on such a windy day he was destined to return to the fold.

With the 8 man break working well together the lead was increased to 50 sec's by lap 3 with the peloton now 2 min 40 sec's down. Clearly a combination of the high pace being set and the exposed windy conditions were having an effect and by lap 4 the front of the peloton was 3 min' down on the lead group and breaking up in to smaller groups 10 and 20 sec's apart.

With 2 Agisko team mates in the front group, the frustration was showing as Dawson reduced the gap to the lead group to 30 seconds at one point, but by lap 6 this had grown again to 1min' 20 sec's and the peloton ever tiring, being some 5min 30 sec's behind.

The penultimate time up the short climb past the finishing line saw Greenwood put in a small attack, testing his breakaway rivals gauging some measure of their strength. Once he and House had reached the prime hill by the Manor House pub they chose to attack and went clear, quickly gaining 26 sec's on the remainder of their breakaway compatriots with the pace too much for Wilkinson, seeing him relegated to no man's land.

The wind by now was rising, sufficiently to blow the steel crowd barriers by the finishing line across the road and making everyone work even harder on this tough and exposed course. The gap from the chasing group had now grown to 2 min's and at the last time check Greenwood and House were 1min 26 sec's clear of their chasers. House was by now starting to cramp and aware of his team mate's suffering Greenwood left it to the last bend before he kicked hard to soar across the finishing line 14 sec's clear of his Recycling colleague to earn himself a well deserved victory.

Kristian House (Recycling.co.uk) 2nd, Ben Greenwood (Recycling .co.uk) 1st, Matt Stephens (Sigma Sport) 3rd 

With the Archer Grand Prix only two weeks away and the remainder of the Recycling squad having returned from Commonwealth duties a full Recycling team of 6 riders will no doubt be aiming for their second win in the Premier Calendar.

Results (official)

1 B Greenwood Recycling.co.uk 3hrs 15min 10secs
2 K House Recycling.co.uk @ 0:14
3 M Stephens Sigma Sport @ 1:28
4 E Dobbin Artic Shorter Rochford @ 1:31
5 C Burrows Agisko @ 1:41
6 J Williamson Agisko @ 1:43
7 A Kay York Cycleworks @ 1:54
8 K Dawson Agisko @ 5:00
9 G Briggs Agisko @ same time
10 P Dixon SIS @ 5:54
11 H Furness Ride Beyond @ same time
12 J Woodgate SIS @ same time
13 S Polson VC Azzurri @ 5:56
14 I Wilkinson SIS @ 6:01
15 P Wilkes De Rosa @ 7:43
16 M McKay Specialised @ same time
17 G Roche Team Nippo KFS st
18 G Hand Agisko @ same time
19 A Weaver Don Valley Cycles st
20 J Copp Deeside Thistle @ same time
21 N Swithenbank MK Cycles @ 7:50
22 G Turnbull VC Briganti @ 8:32
23 B Pool Anderson's Racing @ 8:34
24 B Hallam Glendale CC @ 9:16
25 M Bottrill De Rosa @ 9:20
26 J McCarthy The Bicycle Works @ 10:55
27 N Jones Gateway RT @ same time
28 P Oldham Hope Factory Racing @ 11:13
29 S Yates In-Gear RT @ 11:19
30 D Coulson J E James RT @ 11:21
31 R Cartland Team Milton Keynes @ 11:28
32 S Gibson VC Briganti @ 11:31
33 M Wordsworth J E James RT @ 11:33
34 S Newington North Beach Hotel Dooley's @ 11:35
35 S McManus SIS @ same time
36 G Evans Private Member @ 11:38
37 J Sampson 3 Molinos-Murcia Turistica @ same time
38 B Pachee Rapha Condor @ same time
39 R King VC Briganti @ 13:34
40 S MacNally East Kilbride CC @ 13:40
41 S Kenney Kuota Biemme @ 16:29
42 C Belsham York Cycleworks @ 18:46
43 K Gilham Clifton CC @ 20:48
44 J James Stilton RT @ 21:30
45 C Ash NB Group Fox Racing @ same time
46 T Crouch Team Milton Keynes @ same time
47 P Holwell Rutland CC @ same time
48 T Pigula Sherwood CC @ 41:33
49 C Regis Sherwood CC @ 41:33
50 M Mallen GS Metro @ 1 lap

King of the Mountains
1 K House Recycling.co.uk 27 pts
2 B Greenwood Recycling.co.uk 13 pts
3 M Stephens Sigma Sport 9 pts

Second Cat Award
1 J McCarthy The Bicycle Works
2 S McManus SIS
3 S MacNally East Kilbride CC

North East Club Rider Award
1 S Polson VC Azzurri
2 G Turnbull VC Briganti
3 S Gibson VC Briganti
4 R King VC Briganti
5 C Ash NB Group Fox Racing
6 M Mallen GS Metro

Primes
1 K House Recycling.co.uk
2 K House Recycling.co.uk
3 K House Recycling.co.uk
4 I Wilkinson SIS
5 K House Recycling.co.uk
6 K House Recycling.co.uk
7 K House Recycling.co.uk
8 K House Recycling.co.uk
9 B Greenwood Recycling.co.uk
10 B Greenwood Recycling.co.uk