Brentwood Town Centre Circuit Races

 

June 10, 2007; Brentwood, Essex
Larry Hickmott report and photos

Brentwood Town Centre Races 2007 (home page)

 

Elite Circuit Series
Event sponsored by Crest Nicholson plc 

 

Russell Downing wins the main race of the day.

 

Rob Hayles, leader of the series at the start, gets to pose with the sponsors representative.

 

Before the riders got down to some hard and fast racing, there was time for a quick 'cuddle' as a VIP from the Sponsors Crest Nicholson plc got to pose for the cameras with series leader Rob Hayles. Then, after a briefing from the commissaire, the riders were off and racing and as they came into view up the long drag to the hairpin, it was national champion James Taylor who was leading a relaxed looking group of riders yet to put the hammer down. A lap or two later and the action was starting to hot up though as those seeking to break the race up started to make their moves.

 

A favourite place for this was the bottom corner where the riders exited onto the long drag to the top hairpin. Each lap, a different attack was shaking up the race. Dean Downing had a dig, then Tony Gibb also had a go off the front stringing out the group as he did so. Then a promising move when Russell Downing lead Tom Barras into the section at the bottom of the circuit and the next lap they had been joined by more including the likes of Gordon McCauley, Rob Hayles and others. Could this be the move.

 

Russell Downing and Tom Barras give the rest the slip early on.

 

No. A few laps of jumping about and then it was another Downing, Dean, who got away with Jon Mozley but that was short lived before James McCullum put some daylight between himself and the bunch. The pace was just like the sun, hot and as they passed, riders could be seen wiping the sweat away before it got in their eyes. Dave Clarke, off to do the Tour of Serbia soon, had a dig admitting later this wasn't his sort of racing really. More attacks were coming after Clarke was brought back. The young riders in the Recycling team were having a go as was Gordon McCauley. Still nothing stuck but the stream of riders retiring from the race was growing and the size of the peloton shrinking as more and more riders were shelled from the group.

 

Warwick Spence, despite saying later he was on the limit, was still finding the energy to have a dig off the front and was spotted in one break with Dean Downing. It was Russell Downing though that made the next move. Sprinting past Spence as he was brought back by the chasing bunch, 'Fonzy' took the prime and the start of a vital move was on. Downing and Spence were joined by another, Gordon McCauley making two Zealanders in the lead break of three.

 

Tom Barras saw the danger and tried to close it down but failed and was replaced by junior Adam Blythe who also tried to cross the gap. He too failed. Rob Hayles with Simon Gaywood were next to try but alas for them, nothing came of it. And then the ride of the day was launched as Simon Holt took flight. Others had tried and failed but this youngster who was third the year before in the Junior race, kept plugging away, cheered on by the crowd. The Recycling rider was committed to his task 110% and showed that it takes more than just power and speed but mental toughness as well to ride out the difficult patches and finish the job he started.

 

And he did what many thought would be impossible -- he caught three of the countries finest bike riders on the last lap! And far from giving up, he sprinted too, doing enough to get on the podium after finishing behind Russell Downing and Warwick Spence.

 

Simon Gaywood wins the sprint for 5th place.

 

Post Race reactions

 

Russell Downing: we started by talking about his sixth place the day before at Hillingdon and Russell explained that “I got to the finish and the free hub totally destroyed itself. I went to go in the sprint and had nothing and its unlike me to be like that. But I knew today was going to be a different story as it wasn’t my sort of race yesterday.”

 

“Today was good where I could attack them through the corners and going for the primes which I like to do. I think it all started when I went for a prime and when together, we all worked really well. Warwick was going strong through the bottom corners as he goes around corners like he’s on rails and that got us away a bit really. No-one ever missed turns and I guess Plowman thought they’d be happy with McCauley up there.”

 

“Early on, it was so fast that I think after 40 minutes everyone was out of gas so it was the perfect time to get away. I wouldn’t have liked to be sprinting into that final corner for the win as it was risky.”

 

“My plan was to get a sit on someone and get a smooth ride around the corner and jump him. Then Gordon came under me and went straight on and was probably in front of me as I wanted to turn right so eventually I turned right and went round it like a 50 pence piece and came out in the totally wrong gear as I was just about to go down a gear as he came up.”

 

“So I started sprinting, Warwick was trying to get over Holty and so he moved out and I went up the inside which was perfect.”

 

“We were aware that Simon was coming and we were working good. I said to them, if he gets on, he gets on, there was no point drilling ourselves any harder. I think Gordon was trying to get me to ride harder so I would be more tired at the finish! Simon did a brilliant ride as he was probably out there on his own chasing us for 10 laps.”

Talking about the problems he’s faced rejoining the Healtnet team in the US due to the States refusing him a working VISA, Russell admits that although its good to be home and winning races, he would rather be in the States racing there with his team. “I’m just trying to keep the morale high and hook up with the team as many times as possible. It seems to be the story of my life that these things happen but I am hoping to keep the morale until the end of the year and get back next year.”

 

“The States was definitely for me. I did two and half months and won a race and then had a series of 2nds, 3rds and 4ths, Green jerseys and all sorts and I really enjoyed it. It is though a good time to be home with the Premiers and Crits. The team are fine. There has been an oversight in the way we did things getting into America and that’s back fired. I have a 12 month contract and they are sticking to that.”

 

As a former national champion who proudly wears the British colours on his sleeve of the Healthnet jersey, he says of the British Road Race Championship on July 1 “Mark and Roger will be on brilliant form and whoever else comes across will also be on brilliant form and being a national champs, anything can happen. Last year I was going well but didn’t get in the last move and left a bit on the road early on. It will be hard as I will be a one man band but we’ll see how it goes.”

 

Russell sprints past Warwick Spence for a prime -- and kept going!

 

Warwick Spence: One of two New Zealanders in the break (the other being Gordon McCauley), Warwick of the Cyclefit/Serotta team said of the result “I’m very happy with that. It’s better than I expected. I had cramp yesterday and was totally blown to bits when I finished. Today I was hanging but cornering better than the others and that helped although I was gapping them.”

 

“In the finish, they all jumped before the hairpin and I had nothing and was saving it for down here (the finish straight) and then they all went wide, so I jumped, got a twinge of cramp and jumped though it and kept going. I was under geared and then over geared but really happy with the result.”

 

On the class field that has assembled for the races in the South of the country, he said “yesterday, there was no chance of going anywhere. I can’t remember how the break came to be today as I was on the limit the whole time. But once we got going, it was quite smooth. This circuit suits me and even though I haven’t got the power I need --  which will come --  being in the break enabled me to conserve as much as I could like when choosing the lines for the corners.”

 

The biggest cheer of the day went to Simon Holt and his long chase to catch the leaders.

 

Simon Holt: Without a doubt, the ride by Simon Holt in crossing the gap between bunch and break on his own was the ride of the day and certainly one of the best many have seen from this first year senior. He certainly had the crowd on his side if the noise they made every time he came past was anything to go by and looking through my photos, he even seemed pretty pleased with himself as he passed by his Recycling.co.uk manager John Herety in the pits. Or, perhaps it was just a big big grimace as he dug deeper and deeper in an effort to catch the leaders.

 

It  was a remarkable ride and afterwards he said about the crowd cheering him on “its good to hear them when you’re making that kind of effort because it helps pick you up a bit. I could see most of the teams were up there and you have some strong riders like Russ up there, so I had to try and get across. I didn’t think I would as my legs were starting to tire though.”

 

He agreed that  since he joined Recycling.co.uk that he has stepped up a level from where he was last year when he was third in the Junior race. “Its been a massive motivation to be given the chance that John and Charlie (Jackson) have given me. Working alongside Chris (Newton) has given me a lot of good experience and hopefully I can take all this forward and win some races.”

 

RESULT

1. Russell Downing, Team Health Net/Maxxis, 01:10:03
2. Warrick Spence, Cyclefit/Serotta, same time
3. Simon Holt, Recycling.co.uk RT/Pinarello/Michelin, same time
4. Gordon McCauley, Plowman Craven - Evans Cycles RT/Leica, same time
5. Simon Gaywood, Plowman Craven - Evans Cycles RT/Leica, @23 secs
6. Rob Hayles, Team KLR -Parker International,  same time
7. Adam Blythe, Science in Sport/Trek/USE/Club La Santa,
8. Tom Barras, Merlin Racing Team/bikelab.co.uk/Pearl Izumi,
9. Graham Briggs, Recycling.co.uk RT/Pinarello/Michelin,
10. Tony Gibb, Plowman Craven - Evans Cycles RT/Leica,
11. Jon Mozley, Merlin Racing Team/bikelab.co.uk/Pearl Izumi,
12. Andy Tinsley, Bio-Racer/Oninpex/Billato/Museeuw,
13. Stephen Adams, Merlin Racing Team/bikelab.co.uk/Pearl Izumi
14. David Clarke, Unattached,
15. Ian Holt, Felt RT/Castelli
16. Martin Smith, AW Cycles.co.uk/Giant/Onefish Twofish
17. Liam Holoham, Merlin Racing Team/bikelab.co.u @27
18. Dean Downing, Rapha Condor RT
19. Geoff Beetham, Retrobike.com,
20. Dave Collins, Science in Sport/Trek/USE/Club La Santa,@31
21. Alex Dowsett, 100% ME, @34
22. Ryan Bonser, Recycling.co.uk RT/Pinarello/Michelin,
23. Tom Smith, AW Cycles.co.uk/Giant/Onefish Twofish, @36
24. Tom Diggle, Recycling.co.uk RT/Pinarello/Michelin,
25. Adam Bonser, Recycling.co.uk RT/Pinarello/Michelin,
26. Jamie Newall, Evans Cycles RT
27. James Taylor, Plowman Craven - Evans Cycles RT/Leica, @43

 

Points Primes,
1. Matt Talbot, Rapha Condor RT,
2. Gordon McCauley, Plowman Craven - Evans Cycles RT/Leica,
3. Simon Holt, Recycling.co.uk RT/Pinarello/Michelin,
4. Russell Downing, Team Health Net/Maxxis,

 

1. Gordon McCauley, Plowman Craven - Evans Cycles RT/Leica,
2. Warrick Spence, Cyclefit/Serotta,
3. Dave Collins, Science in Sport/Trek/USE/Club La Santa,
4. Simon Holt, Recycling.co.uk RT/Pinarello/Michelin,

 

 

Warwick Spence, Russell Downing and Simon Holt.

 

... race gets underway.

 

James Taylor, National Champion, leads them through on lap 1.

 

Dean Downing launches himself early on.

 

Then Tony Gibb attacks a lap later.

 

One of the promising looking moves that failed to stick.

 

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist James McCullum puts daylight between himself and the bunch.

 

The chase for McCullum lines the race out.

 

Gordon McCauley was, as always, attacking all race long.

 

Tom Barras chases after the leading trio.

 

The three that dominated the race, along with Simon Holt. Left to right, McCauley, Downing and Spence.

 

Left: Adam Blythe, a winner already that day, tries his luck in chasing down the break. Right, the cornering style of Dean Downing with Jon Mozely on his wheel.

 

Above and below: The left hand bend at the bottom of the finishing straight. How cool does 'Fonzy' look as he goes around the corner where the smell of burning rubber gives an indication of the breaking going on to get round the right angle corner.