Junior Tour of Worcestershire 2007

 

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

 

A lone win for Kennaugh seals overall victory.

 

Stage 3

 

Before the start quotes:
Mark Christian (Yellow after 2 stages) - With only a 6 sec advantage what was today’s game plan? “The plan today is to cover any big moves as 6 seconds is not really an advantage on a road stage like this, so we are going to try to stop anyone getting a big gap.”  When asked about the Saintbury climb Mark said “The team checked it out yesterday and I think the hill will be the big sorting out of the day, I reckon the race will spread out from there.” 

 

Mark McNally (2nd Stage Winner) - As you are only 6 seconds behind the overall GC leader do you and the team have any plans for today’s race? “I think we will try to put pressure on the Glendene lads by putting one of ours up the front and try and take some of the pressure off me, I’ll try and make a move on the climb but it sounds a bit nasty".  

 

Peter Kennaugh (Current Series Leader) - Commenting on the Final Stage before the start Peter said “I’ve been out to see the hill, it’s big! So I’ll probably sit in the bunch and follow wheels ‘till the hill and just see what happens but I reckon there will be a few breaks before the hill, and hopefully pick the right break”

 

 

Final Stage action ...

Peter Kennaugh (Pinarello RT) extended his lead in the National Junior Road Race Series by securing first place on the final stage of the Junior Tour of Worcestershire to take first place overall on the General Classification.

 

The forecasted heavy downpours stayed away for the 88km early Sunday morning road stage. But with grey clouds looming in the distance, the race started with an attack from Jonathon McEvoy (Kinesis UK) just after the neutralised zone at Inkberrow.  He was soon chased down and joined by Keiran Frend (Torq Colagno), Philip Graves (Unattached), Tom Copeland (In Gear Development) and Erick Rowsell (Team Corridori), and together they built a lead of over 30 seconds from the Peleton.

 

Andrew Griffiths (Glendene/Bike Trax) and Rhys Lloyd (Liverpool Mercury) broke away from the peloton to bridge the gap to the leading five Riders just after the climb to the village of Hill. Even with the Glendene/Bike Trax Team driving the peloton the time gap to the leaders had increased to over a minute. It was at this point when Mark Christian (Glendene/Bike Trax) the winner of yesterdays Prologue suffered a mechanical problem with his bike, and teammate Sam Webster held back to help Mark regain the lost ground back to the peloton.

 

Jonathon McEvoy heads a small group early on.

 

The climb up Saintbury hill clearly had an impact on the race, the leaders charged up the hill, with Andrew Griffiths winning the KOM prime at the top but the peloton splintered and here Peter Kennaugh (Pinarello RT) powered up the hill ahead of the peloton in an attempt to bridge the gap to the leading Riders.

 

By the time the leaders had reached Honeybourne they had dropped four of the group  -- these being Copeland (In Gear Development), Erick Rowsell (Team Corridori) and Frend (Torq Colagno) and these three were soon swallowed up by a chasing group of 11 riders which included Mark McNally (Liverpool Mercury), yesterdays Stage 2 winner.

 

The lead group, now consisting of Griffiths (Glendene/Bike Trax), McEvoy (Kinesis UK), Graves (Unattached) and Lloyd (Liverpool Mercury), were now being chased down by a group of 14 Riders. The road conditions were becoming increasingly slippery as the weather conditions slowly deteriorated with light rain now falling. This clearly had an effect on the head of the race with the gap between them and the 14 chasing riders reducing rapidly and the catch happened at the Evesham bypass.

 

With the end of the race now in their sights, the pace lifted and 11 riders pulled away from the front of the race -- Peter Kennaugh (Pinarello RT), Andrew Williams (Cwmcarn Paragon RC), Edward Griffin (Bournemouth Arrow), Mark McNally (Liverpool Mercury), Philip Graves (Unattached), Andrew Griffiths (Glendene/Bike Trax), Luke Rowe (Recycling.co.uk), Jonathon McEvoy (Kinesis UK), Sam Webster (Glendene/Bike Trax), Adam Blythe (SISTrek and Rhys Lloyd (Liverpool Mercury), and were building a considerable lead to the bunch.

 

With only a hundred yards advantage Kennaugh slipped off the front of the leading group and maintained this small lead right to the finish line.

 

 

REACTIONS
Andrew Griffiths (KOM Winner (centre below)) - “I just followed the moves, and I was in a good group but we dropped a couple of riders, then McEvoy went, but a bit too early and I just sprinted around him for the win.  It was a good climb, different, we don’t have too many climbs in Junior races which is a good, but I enjoyed it, its been a good event.”

 

 

Peter Kennaugh (Final Stage and Overall GC Winner) - Commenting on his stage and GC win Peter said, “ I was a bit surprised, I didn’t expect to get GC today I just went out and raced hard, I was hoping to get away on my own and I managed to get away on the hill with a little break, then we were caught by a big group so we just drove it all the way to the leaders and when we caught those 3 riders we just tapped it then to the finish,  I attacked about ten times but Jonny McEvoy got away for quiet a long spell so I just sat back and tapped away until he was brought back and as soon as we caught him I attacked and managed to stay away then until the end.

 

 

Adam Blythe stretches the lead group near the end.

 

Puncture for Matt Jones.

 

The early break still clear.

 

Final Stage Result
1. Peter Kennaugh Pinarello RT 2:12:05
2. Mark McNally Liverpool Mercury 2:12:13
3. Andrew Griffiths Glendene/Bike Trax 2:12:13
4. Luke Rowe Recycling.Co.Uk  2:12:13
5. Adam Blythe SIS Trek  2:12:13
6. Jonathon McEvoy Kinesis UK 2:12:13
7. Rhys Lloyd Liverpool Mercury 2:12:13
8. Philip Graves Unattached 2:12:13
9. Andrew Williams Cwmcarn Paragon RC  2:12:13
10. Edward Griffin Bournemouth Arrow  2:13:07
11. Sam Webster Glendene/Bike Trax  2:14:37
12. Sam Redding I.team.co.uk  2:15:25
13. Erick Rowsell Team Corridori 2:15:25
14. Kieran Frend Torq Colnago  2:15:25
15. Daniel Kogan Glendene/Bike Trax  2:15:29
16. Ben Stockdale MJS Racing  2:15:30
17. Tom Copeland In Gear Development2:16:41
18. Andrew Fenn Liverpool Mercury  2:19:40
19. Dominic Jelfs MJS Racing  2:19:41
20. Sam Freeman Team KLR  2:19:44
21. Daniel Stevens Liverpool Century RC  2:19:44
22. Oliver Graham Wyre Forest CRC  2:19:44
23. Tom Martin CC Giro  2:19:44
24. Mark Christian Glendene/Bike Trax  2:19:49
25. Ben Roach Rugby Velo  2:20:00
26. Jack Kirk Wyre Forest CRC  2:23:20
27. Joel Davison Bronte Wheelers  2:23:40
28. Sam Allen I.team.co.uk  2:23:53
29. John Murphy Glendene/Bike Trax  2:23:53
30. Mathew Hartley Sheffield Phoenix CC  2:23:53
31. Dexter Gardias Torq Colnago  2:23:53
32. Dane Percival Cardiff Ajax CC  2:23:53
33. Fredrick Maier Go Sport Spex RT  2:23:53
34. Matt Zietz In Gear Development  2:23:53
35. Vincent Cartwright Hull Thursday RC  2:23:53
36. Jake Eddy Bristol Cycling Development  2:23:53
37. David Williams CC Giro  2:23:53
38. Douglas Dewey Team Tor 2000  2:23:53
39. Liam Demery Bush Healthcare  2:23:53
40. Sam Patrick I.team.co.uk  2:23:58
41. Samuel Lawson www.Agiskoviner.com  2:24:27
42. Tom Snape In Gear Development  2:38:05
43. James Suter Cardiff Ajax CC  2:38:05
44. Lewis Earthrowl-Gould In Gear Development  2:38:07

 

Final General Classification
1. Peter Kennaugh Pinarello RT  3:50:47
2. Mark McNally Liverpool Mercury  3:50:52
3. Luke Rowe Recycling.Co.Uk  3:50:56
4. Andrew Griffiths Glendene/Bike Trax  3:51:03
5. Philip Graves Unattached  3:51:06
6. Jonathon McEvoy Kinesis UK  3:51:09
7. Rhys Lloyd Liverpool Mercury  3:51:23
8. Adam Blythe SIS Trek  3:51:27
9. Andrew Williams Cwmcarn Paragon RC 3:51:28
10. Edward Griffin Bournemouth Arrow  3:52:32
11. Sam Webster Glendene/Bike Trax 3:53:35
12. Erick Rowsell Team Corridori  3:54:12
13. Sam Redding I.team.co.uk  3:54:48
14. Ben Stockdale MJS Racing  3:54:52
15. Daniel Kogan Glendene/Bike Trax 3:54:56
16. Kieran Frend Torq Colnago  3:54:58
17. Tom Copeland In Gear Development 3:56:01
18. Andrew Fenn Liverpool Mercury  3:58:23
19. Mark Christian Glendene/Bike Trax  3:58:24
20. Sam Freeman Team KLR 3:58:56
21. Dominic Jelfs MJS Racing  3:59:02
22. Tom Martin CC Giro  3:59:04
23. Ben Roach Rugby Velo  3:59:42
24. Douglas Dewey Team Tor  4:02:35
25. Joel Davison Bronte Wheelers  4:03:08
26. Sam Patrick I.team.co.uk  4:03:09
27. Dexter Gardias Torq Colnago 4:03:25
28. John Murphy Glendene/Bike Trax 4:03:43
29. Daniel Stevens Liverpool Century RC 4:05:28
30. Oliver Graham Wyre Forest CRC  4:05:33
31. Jake Eddy Bristol Cycling Developmen 4:09:46
32. Liam Demery Bush Healthcare  4:09:57
33. Mathew Hartley Sheffield Phoenix CC 4:10:01
34. Dane Percival Cardiff Ajax CC  4:10:12
35. Fredrick Maier Go Sport Spex RT  4:10:16
36. Vincent Cartwright Hull Thursday RC 4:10:17
37. Matt Zietz In Gear Development  4:18:33
38. Samuel Lawson www.Agiskoviner.com 4:19:41
39. David Williams CC Giro  4:23:12
40. James Suter Cardiff Ajax CC  4:24:45
41. Tom Snape In Gear Development  4:25:02
42. Lewis Earthrowl-Gould In Gear Development 04:39:02
43. Sam Allen I.team.co.uk4:43:52
44. Jack Kirk Wyre Forest CRC 6:31:15