2007 52nd Lincoln Grand Prix

 

13th of May, 2007; Lincoln
A British Cycling Premier Calendar Event

Report and photos by Larry Hickmott

 

Dean Downing -- King of the Castle!

 

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Report

The 52nd Lincoln GP, over 11 laps of a circuit which cuts through the historic heart of this great city, was won today by Dean Downing (Rapha Condor) who triumphed in the event ahead of Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven/Evans Cycles) and Russell Downing (Healthnet). Almost 180 riders assembled at the Yarborough Sports Centre on Sunday for the 86 wet and windy miles and by the end, the fight for victory was fought out by only two riders up the final cobbled climb of Michaelgate in the shadow of Lincoln Castle.

 

After an early break was brought back, the race saw rider after rider attacking until a group of around 16 riders got clear. Once settled and assured of victory, this group soon started to self destruct as riders took it in turns to attack. Dayus, Newton, McCauley, Russell Downing and others made their moves until the final dice was thrown by Gordon McCauley, keen not to be a sprint against Russell Downing, who broke clear to be joined by Dean Downing.

 

These two continued to make ground until it was the final climb of Michaelgate in the pouring rain, and despite cramping in the closing stages, with McCauley gaining with every stroke of his pedals, Dean Downing took the chequered flag first, breaking down in tears so much did this victory mean to the rider who leaves nearby.

 

'Nuff said I think! Dean Downing is estatic at winning the Lincoln Grand Prix.

 

"Unbelievable" was Dean Downings first reation. "I am lost for words. The last time up the climb was amazing. All the guys from Rotherham and everywhere shouting my name. I cramped with two laps to go and the last time up there but it worked out okay. Gordon and I worked so hard from the bottom of the climb. We hardly said a word to each other and on a climb like this you have to take it on don't you?"

 

"I am so, so, so happy! I want to thank everyone who supported me in the rain and my team was fantastic. I can't believe I have won the Lincoln Grand Prix. The rain made it very difficult and it was a hard race but quite negative early on and then that big group went and it stayed away. Everyone worked and before we knew it we had three minutes. Rob Hayles was going like a motorbike today."

"Then with four of five to go over the top of the climb, he kept going so hard and I was struggling at the back of the group and it was a hard hard chase all the time. Everyone was getting tired though and when Gordon attacked, I went after him and everybody sat up."

 

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Gordon McCauley, Dean Downing and Russell Downing.

 

Wayne Randle who was awarded the Jackson Building Centres special award for the most meritorious performance. The very experienced rider was at the front, driving the race along for much of the event.

 

 

Bell lap and Russell Downing and Jonathon Dayus lead the race alone.

 

180 riders roll out in the rain.

 

End of lap 1 and Alex Dowsett leads an early break.

 

Ian Wilkinson leads the break through on lap 2

 

Neil Swithenbank was in strong form today, seen here leading the race.

 

Matt Stephens yet again was driving the race along from the front.

 

Chris Newton too had many a go at getting away....

 

Former winner Russell Downing was looking very good on the cobbles today.

 

2007 Lincoln Grand Prix Lap by Lap
(thanks to organiser Ian Emmerson)

 

The race set off at 11.30am right on time. A field of one hundred and forty nine made the start on what was a slightly damp and breezy morning. The first lap saw several early retirements by way of mechanical failures and unfortunate punctures as the bunch took the decent into Burton village.

 

The first few laps saw the all the big names in the field fighting to take control of the race as it made it’s way out into the countryside and back through the heart of Lincoln. An attacking group of some thirteen riders went clear and gained a handful of seconds forcing their way to a lead of ten seconds, but no one was willing to work to establish the breakaway and it was pulled back into the chasing pack.

 

With nine laps to go the bunch was strung out with three or four minutes covering the full field. A large crowd of several hundred people watched as well know names such as Russell and Dean Downing, Wayne Randle, Malcolm Elliot, Chris Newton and amongst others Local Lincoln rider Richard Wilkinson fought hard to stay with the developing action at the front of the race.

 

The next couple of laps resulted in several failed attempts by the perhaps less tactically minded riders to make a bid for glory. Chris Newton a past G P winner made a lone breakaway attempt after twenty eight miles but his efforts came to nought as none of the other riders had the energy or inclination to join him, and he sat up and dropped back into the quickly moving bunch.

 

The rain started to fall slightly more heavily and gaps were beginning to appear, as the race now down to about hundred riders spilt into three groups. A leading group of  about twenty riders which seemed to change in size from one corner to the next swept up through Castle Square as the race passed the 35mile mark. The big names were in there watching and waiting, but one to miss the break was past winner Malcolm Elliot bidding to win the Grand Prix for a second time, some Twenty Four years since he last won it back in 1983.

 

The remains of the peleton formed a chasing pack of about sixty riders and they were chasing hard on the heels of the leaders, a slightly less enthusiastic group of about forty riders brought up the rear of the race, some or most perhaps just hoping to make it to the finish. The front runners had former a group of seventeen riders who split and reformed as first five then six riders jumped away from the group only to be pulled back in, too early in the race to be left to make a bid for the finish.

 

Always near the heart of the action was Wayne Randle, he fought hard every lap and towards the end of the race had perhaps done too much and was left to fight for his place in the second group to finish nearly seven minutes down. Wayne had done enough however to impress the judges and commissaires and took the Jackson Building Centres special award for the most meritorious ride.

 

As the race came toward the last few laps, over thirty riders were pulled out from the race in order allow the traffic to get past between laps and for the overall management of the race. These riders were a given finish time based on the number of completed laps and their position in the race. The rest of the riders slogged on with a now stable lead group established at some four minutes in front of the tired and tattered Peleton. One rider making his international start in the Lincoln Grand Prix was Aussie Peter McDonald who seemed to like the rain and he strove hard to keep pace with the leaders. By now the front group had an unassailable lead and the peleton dropped back to over five minutes.

 

Back at the front of the race, two strong men had come together and were working well to keep clear of the rest of the pack by just over ten seconds. Dean Downing who was third two years ago was joined by New Zealander, Gordon McCauley. The two riders eked their lead out a few seconds at a time over the still strong chasing group which by now was down to eight or nine riders, many of whom were finding it hard going, up the by now slippery and rain drenched Michaelgate climb.

 

With one lap to go and the bell sounding in their ears, the two escapees kept their heads down and made for the finish. Both seemed evenly matched but experience might give one of them the edge they needed and indeed on the last climb of Michaelgate, Dean Downing had got his wheel in front and hung on to win by a couple of lengths from the hard working and strong Kiwi.  The full result was a reversal of fortune for Dean with him finishing first on this occasion and his brother Russell with a fantastic last lap performance taking the third spot, two years ago it had been the other way around.

 

Nearly ninety riders finished the race this year and can be proud of themselves for doing so, it was as tough an event as ever under the conditions and Dean turned out a worthy winner. When asked about the race, Dean said he was delighted to have won and thanked the sponsors, Lincoln City Council the race organisers and of course the crowd  who every year help make this the most popular one day bike race in the country.

 

 

Result (to be amended) --

86 miles @ average speed 25.42 mph (race time was just 19 seconds slower than last year).

 

  1. Downing, Dean         RCO  3:22:56
  2. McCauley, Gordon     PCA 
  3. Downing, Russell      THM @ 35 secs
  4. Newton, Chris          RCY 
  5. Dayus, Jonathan      ASR 
  6. McDonald, Peter       FRF  @2:50
  7. Wilkinson, Ian          STR 
  8. Talbot, Matt             RCO  @2:54
  9. Hayles, Rob             KLR
 10. Dowsett, Alex        1ME
 11. Roche, Andrew        PIN
 12. Stephens, Matt       SIG
 13. Holoham, Liam        MER
 14. Sharman, Robin      KFS
 15. Randle, Wayne       SPX
 16. Wilkinson, Richard   RCO @6:51
 17. Tanner, John           SPX
 18. Richard Kent           STR
 19. Holt, Simon             RCY
 20. Wordsworth, Mark  JEJ
 21. Davis, Lee              PIN
 22. Duguid, Daniel       SIG @7:30
 23. Johansson, Freddy  PCA
 24. Jones, Neil             UNA
 25. Creegan, David      VCM
 26. Williams, Peter       KIN
 27. Higgins, Matthew   TCO
 28. Alexander, Daniel    ACE
 29. Stewart, Joel          AGI 
 30. Oldham, Paul         HOP    "                    "

 31. Gamble, Scott        ASH @8:23
 32. Bayton, Grant        GWR
 33. Spiers, Isaac         M&G
 34. Roche, Greg          KFS
 35. Stuart, Andrew      ASH
 36. Harrison, Michael   SIG
 37. Furniss, Henry       BRL
 38. Axe, Philip              ZIP
 39. Tesselaar, Jody      RDA 
 40. Chamberlain, Roy   ARC
 41. Murray, Tom           KIN
 42. Wilson, Simon        ASR
 43. Dylan, Dafydd        KFS
 44. Holmes, Matthew   ASR
 45. Hegert, Jason        FRF
 46. Holt, Ian                FLT
 47. Sykes-Popham, Richar GLE
 48. Brooks, Brendan   FRF
 49. Wright, Paul         GSS 
 50. Freeman, Karl      TCO @10:41
 51. Moriarty, Aidan     MYH
 52. Carr, Alastair       FLT
 53. Pochee, Ben        BRL
 54. Brown, Ashley      SPX
 55. Swithenbank, Neil  ABC
 56. Collis, Andy         PIN
 57. Gilman, Kit          CCC @18:41
 58. Herzig, Peter        FRF
 59. Downs, Christian     GLE 
 60. Lovatt, Mark         SPX
 61. Hand, Gary           KFS
 62. McLean, David        HER
 63. Guy, Andrew          KBS
 64. Doherty, John        VSC
 65. Jory, Chris          FRF
 66. Sijm, Hugo           RDA
 67. Sampson, James       KIN
 68. Kirk, Tom            TCO
 69. Prebble, Richard     PIN 
 70. Cooper, Ian          DWH
 71. Burke, Derek         M&G
 72. O'Sullivan, Stephen  MYH
 73. Jennings, Matt       WCY
 74. Dawson, Kevin        PIN
 75. Beasley, Neil        ASH
 76. Spaargarden, Sjors   RDA
 77. Kench, Peter         GWR
 78. Armitage, Mathew     VSC
 79. Whatling, James      TSY 
 80. Guymer, Steven       TSA
 81. Byrne, LLewellyn     SIS
 82. Van Wel, Ruud        RDA
 83. Rowe, Matt           RCY
 84. Bonser, Adam         RCY

 

 

RELATED LINKS

Preview: Lincoln Grand Prix