Glendene CC/Biketrax
Brentwood Town Centre Criteriums
Sunday, 4th of June;
Sponsored by Crest Nicholson plc | Brentwood Town Centre Partnership |
| GKN Chep | Brentwood Leisure Trust |
JUNIOR NATIONAL SERIES CIRCUIT RACE
Rider assemble behind the flag with the National Champion, Russell Hampton leading the way.
It wasn't long into the race that two riders escaped, Peter Kennaugh from the host club and Simon Holt of Merlin. After 15 minutes or so, Peter went clear of his breakaway companion but then as he hit a bad patch, waited and they stated together until Peter's teammate Jonny Bellis crossed the gap on his own to join them.
The moment Bellis went -- just after the finish line and approaching the hairpin turn. The bunch never saw him again until he lapped them.
Bellis drives the break along in the second half of the race ahead of Kennaugh and Holt.
National Champion Russell Hampton goes clear chased by Stephen Adams.
Russell Hampton encourages teammate Andrew Griffiths to come through.
Griffiths rode an interesting race. First he tries to take Adams off the back, attacking him as he does so ...
... before they get caught by the bunch....
... and then Griffiths goes again watched by club coach Bob Downs.
Towards the end of the hour plus five, Bellis and Kennaugh drop Holt and the two of them drive it hard to the finish where ...
.. where Kennaugh, a first year junior, gets the win.
Jonny Bellis, Peter Kennaugh and Simon Holt with the VIPS.
POST RACE REACTIONS
Peter Kennaugh (1st): "that was very hard. In the middle of the race I wasn't too sure. I got away with Simon Holt and left him after a few laps. Then, after some time on my own, I started to tire and that was my bad patch for me. He got back up to me which in some ways was a good thing because Merlin wouldn't be chasing."
"Then I saw my teammate Jonny getting across and took it easy until he got across and then we all worked well together. Then Jonny and I decided one of us was going to have start jumping him (Holt) so I said I'd jump him on the bottom corner which worked out fine. Jonny then got across to me on his own and we decided we'd work all the way to the finish. I found myself in the right place at the finish with Jonny on the front so I just jumped him."
The win was the culmination of a hard week for Peter, Jonny and the other riders on the Olympic Development Programme who were riding there at Brentwood. "We were having fairly easy rides on the road but hard team pursuit work on the track every day."
Peter's goal is to represent Great Britain at the European Junior Championships and World Junior Championships and I asked him how his form is coming with those events not that far away now? "Every race I feel stronger and stronger and I don't know what races I'll be doing yet but we have some pre European camps coming up where the team gets selected, so I just hope I have good form for them so I make the teams."
Finally, I asked him had he got over the disappointment of winning the bronze medal the week before in the Road championships? "No!" "I'm not going to forget it but the only way you can move on is to get a win and that's what I have done here."
Jonny Bellis (2nd): One of the countries top junior riders who did so well a few weeks ago in a high ranking (highest) Junior World Cup in Holland where he was fourth, came second in Brentwood. "I was pleased with that. Before the race I was hoping to get on the podium and see if the form was still there with Switzerland (Junior stage race) coming up next week. So I am relatively pleased."
And his attack to chase a teammate? "Everyone seemed to be looking at each other so I thought I'm not going to get on the front and tow everyone up, I'll jump them and if no-one comes with me, so be it. Once I got across, we worked well and it paid off."
The course at Brentwood was a total change from the weekend before where there was 16 miles or so of climbing in the road race championship. But like Peter and the other juniors, they all handled it well. Now this week, Jonny is part of a five man (with Russell Hampton, Alex Dowsett, Mark McNally, and Jonathan McEvoy) group going to Switzerland Tour de Pays de Vaud Stage Race.
After his ride in Holland, where on the last stage he had planned to jump over the third placed rider and get on the podium, he did that only to find the sixth placed rider had got up the road in a break and took his third place. "It was one of those things when I didn't know he was up the road (no rider radios in Junior races) which is disappointing but I still held fourth place which is good."
"It will be interesting to see how I go in Switzerland because its different to the Dutch race which was flat and cobbled where as Switzerland has long climbs. It should be good though and I'll be looking to get a result and if that doesn't happen, get some good quality training and get in the best possible condition for the Europeans."
JUNIORS
1. Peter Kennaugh, Glendene CC/Bike Trax
2. Jonny Bellis, Glendene CC/Bike Trax
3. Simon Holt, Merlin Development
4. Russell Hampton, Glendene CC/Bike Trax
5. Andrew Griffiths,Glendene CC/Bike Trax
6. Steven Burke, Le Coq Sportif-Dolan-SIS
7. Mark McNally, Le Coq Sportif-Dolan-SIS
8. Darren Tiffen, :Private Member BC
9. Matt Rowe, Glendene CC/Bike Trax
10. Rhys Lloyd, Merlin Development
11. Stephen Adams, Sherwood CC
12. Jamie Lewing, Ipswich BC
13. Matthew Jones, Team Keyne/Trek
14. Alistair Carr, Wolverhampton whlrs
15. Mike Smith, Team Keyne/Trek
16. Scott Thwaites, Merlin Development
17. Simon Lewis, VC Londres
18. James Lord Glendene CC/Bike Trax
19. Kieran Frend CC Giro
20. Adam Tranter Merlin Development
21. Jake Elston Cycle Club Ashwell
22. Luke Marlow Lutterworth CC
23. Adam Bon Le Coq Sportif-Dolan-SIS
24. Peter Hargreaves VC Norwich/F H Signs
25. Thomas Ison Melton Olympic
26. Nathan May Team Quest
27. Kirk Jenns PCA Ciclos Uno
