Junior Tour of Worcestershire 2007

 

12/13th of May, 2007
Pictures and report by Richard Robotham

 

Stage 2 Report

Mark McNally celebrates a stage victory.

 

The quiet country lanes around the quaint villages of Bishampton and Naunton Beauchamp were the setting for the second stage of the 2007 Junior Tour of Worcestershire.

 

The stage was run over 72km on a short circuit of five laps which saw a hectic pace and attacks from the start. The peloton reacted quickly to stop a four rider breakaway at the start of lap one. The peloton remained intact until second lap where the field of 51 riders split into two distinct groups with a growing gap of 50 seconds within the lap. The second group were unable to make any headway into the leading groups increasing lead throughout the remainder of the event and finally finished over five minutes down at the end of the stage.

 

 

Meanwhile by the end of the second lap Andrew Fenn (Liverpool Mercury) and Peter Kennaugh (Pinarello RT) had broken away (above)  from the leading group gaining a 30 second advantage.  They kept this advantage well into the third lap but the heavens opened making the riding conditions very unpleasant and by the end of the lap this attack was reeled back in.

 

Lap four saw yet another breakaway by Luke Rowe (Recycling.co.uk) and Mark McNally (Liverpool Mercury); this was clearly a more determined attempt as the gap increased steadily to 35 seconds between them and the chasing group despite the raised pace.

 

With the ringing of the bell the peloton stepped up the pace again and started to quickly chase down the two leading riders. With the chasing peloton bearing down on them in the final kilometre, Mark McNally (Liverpool Mercury) and Luke Rowe (Recycling.co.uk) held their nerves as they battled in the sprint to the finish line, with McNally taking the win.  With only two seconds behind the first and second places, Andrew Fenn (Liverpool Mercury) brought home the peloton to take third place from Edward Griffin (Bournemouth Arrow) who took fourth place.

 

REACTIONS

Mark McNally (Liverpool Mercury) was ecstatic at his win of this stage, “I managed to get away with a lap and half to go and I started to drill away with the help of Luke Rowe, it was a bit touch and go whether we would stay away, but we put our heads down and kept working to the finish where I just out galloped Luke to the line. It’s my first win of the season for the new team so I am really happy with the result."

 

Luke Rowe (Recycling.co.uk) – “It was a tough race, I got away with Mark McNally, but it was hard work with just the two of us. The Glendene team were working hard to get across and they almost caught us on the finish line.”

 

Sunday would see the final stage of the event over 87km which runs close to the edge of the Cotswolds rising up the little known hill called “Saintbury” which runs adjacent to the infamous Fish Hill out of Broadway. This would be a good test for the Riders after the first day’s hard racing.

 

Waiting for the race to start in a rolling start on stage 2.

 

Glendene with race leader Mark Christian second wheel, controlling the race.

 

Puncture for one of the Liverpool Mercury riders.

 

Andrew Griffiths leading a break of three.

 

Stage 2 Result
1. Mark McNally Liverpool Mercury  1:31:47
2. Luke Rowe Recycling.Co.Uk  st
3. Andrew Fenn Liverpool Mercury @ 2 secs
4. Edward Griffin Bournemouth Arrow
5. Tom Copeland In Gear Development
6. Andrew Williams Cwmcarn Paragon RC
7. Jonathon McEvoy Kinesis UK 0 0
8. Sam Freeman Team KLR 0 0
9. Richard Meadow Liverpool Mercury
10. Mark Christian Glendene/Bike Trax   5 secs
11. Joel Davison Bronte Wheelers
12. Douglas Dewey Team Tor 2000
13. Peter Kennaugh Pinarello RT
14. Sam Patrick I.team.co.uk
15. Sam Webster Glendene/Bike Trax
16. Ben Stockdale MJS Racing
17. Philip Graves Unattached
18. Matt Jones In Gear Development
19. Ben Roach Rugby Velo
20. Andrew Griffiths Glendene/Bike Trax
21. Erick Rowsell Team Corridori
22. Daniel Kogan Glendene/Bike Trax
23. Tom Martin CC Giro
24. Kieran Frend Torq Colnago
25. Dominic Jelfs MJS Racing
26. Adam Blythe SIS Trek
27. Rhys Lloyd Liverpool Mercury
28. Dexter Gardias Torq Colnago @ 14 secs
29. John Murphy Glendene/Bike Trax 1:32:04
30. Sam Redding I.team.co.uk
31. Daniel Stevens Liverpool Century RC
32. Vincent Cartwright Hull Thursday RC
33. Dane Percival Cardiff Ajax CC
34. Jake Eddy Bristol Cycling Development
35. Liam Demery Bush Healthcare
36. Mathew Hartley Sheffield Phoenix CC
37. Tom Snape In Gear Development
38. Oliver Graham Wyre Forest CRC
39. James Suter Cardiff Ajax CC
40. Fredrick Maier Go Sport Spex RT
41. Shane Leadley Whitby Endevour
42. Matt Zietz In Gear Development
43. Samuel Lawson www.Agiskoviner.com
44. Matthew Fostun Sherwood CC
45. David Williams CC Giro
46. Lewis Earthrowl-Gould In Gear Development
47. George Bate MJS Racing
48. Tom Hibberd Solihull CC

 

General Classification - After Stage 2
1. Mark Christian Glendene/Bike Trax 01:38:35
2. Mark McNally Liverpool Mercury 01:38:41
3. Douglas Dewey Team Tor 2000 01:38:42
4. Luke Rowe Recycling.Co.Uk 01:38:43
5. Andrew Fenn Liverpool Mercury 01:38:43
6. Peter Kennaugh Pinarello RT 01:38:45