Isle of Man Youth/Junior Tour

 

4/5/6 May, 2007

British Cycling National Junior RR Series

Local Media: Report www.iomonline.co.im | Video www.iomtoday.co.im

Race Website: www.youthtour.co.uk

Pictures Andy Whitehouse, Reports by Richard Allen

 

REPORTS

 

Presentation picture of the Junior event with Peter Kennaugh in Yellow with Rhys Lloyd on the left and Luke Rowe on the right with a VIP of the race presenting the awards.

 

FINAL STAGE
Sheffield's Adam Blythe won this afternoon's Port Erin kermesse, the final stage of the Isle of Man Youth Tour sponsored by Sleepwell Hotels. Team Isle of Man's Peter Kennaugh was second in a bunch sprint and was the overall winner of the junior category from Rhys Lloyd (Liverpool Mercury/Dolan) and Luke Rowe (Wales).

 

On a fast, flat course none of the field was able to make a decisive breakaway despite a spirited effort by the three Welsh riders Luke Rowe, Andrew Williams and Mike Webb. They set the pace in the early laps but all the big hitters were matching their pace with Jetse Bol (Sinnigbouw Wielerteam/Sleepwell Hotels), Mark McNally (Liverpool Mercury/Dolan) and his team mate Rhys Lloyd all in the thick of the action.

 

Team Isle of Man's Mark Christian managed to get a gap of around 50 metres and held off the chasers for two laps before being caught. Then it was all down to the final sprint and Blythe latched on to Kennaugh's wheel on the last corner and had the speed to take the stage ahead of his GB Olympic Development Programme team mate.

 

For Blythe the win made up for him missing the Tour's decisive breakaway in the Peel road race and being edged out by Jetse Bol in last night's Douglas kermesse. "With four laps to go, Mark McNally was on the front trying to give give Rhys Lloyd a lead out I think," said Blythe, who won the junior Kuurne-Brussels--Kuurne Classic in Belgium earlier this year.

"With one to go, Mark Christian had Pete (Kennaugh) on his wheel and down the back straight I attacked and just got caught on the outside of Mark and just got onto onto Pete's wheel." Mark McNally (Liverpool Mercury/Dolan) was third in Port Erin.

 

For Kennaugh this win in the Youth Tour was far more significant than his previous victory two years ago. "With there being Dutch riders here this time and the race being part of the Buckley series I'm obviously delighted to win" he said.

 

Caroline O'Neill clinched the overall race win in the junior girl's category after winning this afternoon's kermesse.

 

Halesowen's Josh Papworth made it a hat-trick of victories in the Youth B Boys category with his win in Port Erin adding to his two in yesterday's stages. Papworth said he was delighted to win after finishing second in the IoM Youth Tour last year. He has been on good form this season having won the first round of the national road series in Sunderland and the youth omnium at Newport last week.

 

 

After the race the 14-year-old said he aimed to continue racing on road and track preferringnot to specialize in one discipline. There was disappointment for Team Isle of Man's Chris Whorral who had gone into today's race in yellow but only one second ahead of Dutchman Jasper Bovenhuis, who won today's stage and the overall. The Dutch rider, who spends the winter speed skating, had won Friday's prologue but lost the jersey in Saturday afternoon's road race which Whorral won.

 

"Me and Jaspar weren't really doing any work because we knew it would come down to me and him" said a disappointed Whorral after the Port Erin race. "I went for it on the last lap and was first into the final corner but Jaspar had the gallop on me and that was it, I led him out really."

 

Note: British Cycling will have gallery of pictures from Andy Whitehouse in the coming days...

 

Full Results >>> Isle of Man Youth Tour Result Sheet (all stages)

 

 

Green jersey Andrew Griffiths and yellow jersey Josh Papworth.

 

 

Stage 3

Adam Blythe, a member of the Great Britain Cycling Team Olympic Development Programme, riding the Youth Tour for Science in Sport/Trek, went on the attack from the gun. He was quickly joined by Dutchman Jetse Bol (Sinnigebouw Wielerteam/Sleepwell Hotels) and Kennaugh who was fired up after losing the maillot jaune. His Isle of Man team mate Mark Christian put in an impressive show of grit and determination in trying to latch on to the leading trio but just couldn't cross the gap.

 

Right: The Isle of Man's Chris Whorrall who was impressive in the afternoon's road race was outpaced in the evening's Douglas kermesse which was won by Team Lorini's Trijmen Eising. Whorrall was fourth.

 

Rowe was also riding strongly but looked to have paid for his efforts in the long breakaway in this morning's stage. Kennaugh then crashed on a corner with around five laps to go but was quickly back on his bike. Bol took the win a handful of seconds clear of Blythe who finished a few bike lengths ahead of Kennaugh.

 

The five second time bonus for third plus the time gap between him and Rowe on the road was enough to give him back the leader's jersey and the perfect way to make up for being deprived of riding in yellow around the streets of the Island's capital. 'Someone said today go and let your legs do the talking and that's pretty much what I did tonight,' said Kennaugh.

 

Earlier in the day, Kennaugh had won this morning's road race in Peel but lost the yellow jersey after being docked 10 seconds for taking a wrong turn around a roundabout. The 17-year-old junior world champion was chasing across to three leaders and went between the roundabout and a police car parked to block the short cut which would only have saved him a fraction of a second. Kennaugh appealed against the decision but officials stood by their verdict and handed the yellow jersey to Luke Rowe (Wales) going into tonight's kermesse stage around Douglas.

 

In the Youth A category Whorrall was in impressive form riding away from the field in the last 2kms to the uphill finish in Saturday afternoon's road race at Marown. He finished seven seconds ahead of George Atkins (BC East Midlands) and 10 clear of Holland's Jasper Bovenhuis (Team Lorini) who had held the overnight lead. But Whorral was outpaced in this evening's Douglas kermesse which was won by Team Lorini's Trijmen Eising. Whorrall was fourth.

 

Full Results >>> Isle of Man Youth Tour Result Sheet (all stages)

 

 

Stage 2 (Peel), 65 Miles (Juniors)
Peter Kennaugh made it two wins out of two today in the Isle of Man Youth Tour. The teenager won the hilly 65-mile road race near Peel on the west of the Island after sprinting clear from a breakaway of four riders. "I brought Johnny McEvoy (Kinesis) with me to start off with, then I looked behind and he wasn't there so I was left on my own" said Kennaugh.

"I was gaining on the breakaway in the headwind so I just gave it everything to get across and Luke Rowe held back a bit on the hill to wait for me."

 

The breakaway began on the first of the 11 laps with Rhys Lloyd (Liverpool Mercury) attacking and he was joined by Luke Rowe (Wales) and Andy Griffiths (Glendene CC/Bike Trax). They had gained a lead of more than a minute when Kennaugh decided that the move was a serious threat to his yellow jersey.

 

By the end of lap three Kennaugh had made it across the gap and the four worked hard to build on their lead. There were reactions from the peloton and with five laps to go Adam Blythe (Science in Sport/Trek), Mark McNally (Liverpool Mercury/Dolan), Johnny McEvoy (Kinesis UK) and Sam Redding ((i-Team.co.uk) broke clear and attempted to join the leaders.

But their effort was thwarted by strong winds on the coast road back to Peel and the peloton regrouped with the Kennaughbreakaway still looking strong.

 

Going into the last lap up the Switchback climb the leaders had built up a lead of 2mins 18secs. They stayed together as they approached the hill for the final time and Kennaugh showed his climbing ability sprinting clear to win by four seconds ahead of Rowe, Lloyd and Griffiths.

The junior race continues this evening with a kermesse in Douglas town centre.

 

Full Results >>> Isle of Man Youth Tour Result Sheet (all stages)

 

 

Prologue

Two of the country's most talented young riders took the honours in the prologue of the Isle of Man Youth Tour. Just 3 seconds separated the top ten riders after the short Time Trial, with Peter Kennaugh gladdening the hearts of locals by just getting the verdict over Adam Blyth. Toby Meadows and Jetse Bol were just a second behind them, with three more riders another second back.

 

After the race Kennaugh said he was pleased with the win but still believed that the decisive stage would be tommorrow's (Saturday's) 65-mile road race on the Switchback course near Peel. 'It was just a quick blast, I just got everything out and didn't hold anything back,' said the 17-year-old. 'I think a few breaks will go in the road race tomorrow, we just have to make sure we have a Manx rider in them.'

 

 

Full Results >>> Isle of Man Youth Tour Result Sheet (all stages)