PHOTOS BY LARRY HICKMOTT
PHOTOS FROM BELINDA SINCLAIR
Brentwood Town Centre Circuit Races
June 10, 2007; Brentwood, Essex
Larry Hickmott report and photos
Brentwood Town Centre Races 2007 (home page)
Reynolds/Michelin Junior Road Race Series
Event sponsored by The Bay Tree Centre
Adam Blythe wins it convincingly.
On the start line was a much smaller field than is normally seen for these National Series races but it was certainly a quality field with all the Great Britain Cycling Team Olympic Development riders in action and many of the countries best eager to beat them and impress the national coach Darren Tudor who was there. The race began fast but smooth and the peloton remained intact for a long time with only a few riders dropping off the back from time to time.
Right: Luke Rowe is presented with the leaders jersey by the sponsor of the Brentwood race. Middle: Adam Blythe having a dig early on and not relying totally on his sprint. Right: World Junior champion Peter Kennaugh leads the race on his way to fourth.
After 15 minutes or so though, the attacks started to come from the main players. Adam Blythe was keen to split it up and after him, Rhys Lloyd spent a lot of time off the front trying to get a move going. As he was caught, his Liverpool Mercury teammate Mark McNally had a dig and got away at the bottom end of the circuit as the road starts the long drag up to the top hairpin.
The Glendene riders did what they could to try and bring him back but no-one was making much of an impression. Youth rider Joe Perrett went off on his own to chase him down but that came to nothing and McNally continued on racing alone out front for lap after lap.
After the Glendene counters attacks ceased as they recovered from all their efforts, three riders got away, World Junior Champion Peter Kennaugh, Adam Blythe and Luke Rowe. Three of the best, World Class juniors, and they soon started to eat into McNally’s lead. The leader was only too happy for them to come up to him as his legs were starting to tire and once together, they were never in danger of being caught.
The hairpin came at the top of the course and out of it, the riders had 150 metres before the finish.
Behind, chases would come and go and the time they lost when everyone would sit and watch the other to see who would be next to chase, proved too costly and the gap grew to big to bridge. The chasers however never gave up attacking each other and Rhys Lloyd managed to draw clear of his Glendene rival and teammate Andrew Fenn and put his head down for fifth place.
At the front, it was always going to be a difficult one to predict as all of them can sprint but Blythe was in a class of his own, seemingly doing everything right and having plenty of time to raise his arms in victory with McNally in 2nd, series leader Luke Rowe in third and Peter Kennaugh still recovering from his illness recently, in fourth.
Mark McNally, Adam Blythe and Luke Rowe.
Post Race Reactions
Adam Blythe “I think we all wanted to get away and so we all had a go at jumping away during the race. Eventually we got away and worked hard to keep our lead to the end. I was quite confident over the final few laps of my sprint from yesterday and knew if I got into that final hairpin first, I’d be in with a good chance. We all agreed to race to the last lap which made it better.”
Mark McNally: The rider who started the winning break was Mark McNally who got away on his own before being joined by a select group of riders who stayed away to the end. “I was tiring towards the end of my break and just waiting for the lads to come across really. Because the course is out and back, I could see them coming up to me and so it was a case of riding tempo until they got across. I had some ‘sports beans’ when they got to me and had a breather. Then with a few laps to go, was thinking about the sprint.”
“The last corner was where it was won or lost. Luke went into it a bit too hot and I come up the inside of him. I had probably the wrong gear coming out of the bend like but Adam was just too strong in the end. It wasn’t too bad a day to finish second.”
Luke Rowe (1st yearjunior): “Having the series leaders jersey put a little pressure on me and with Macca in second place, I had to chase him down and keep my eye on him. It went okay in the end. I’m not the best crit rider so happy to get a podium.”
At one point in the race he appeared to be struggling, six or seven lengths off the back but Luke explained, it was mistake not a lack of speed that caused him problems. “On the bottom bend, I overcooked it a bit and hit Mac’s back wheel and so had to unclip. I lost a few meters but got back on.”
Knowing full well Adam, Peter Kennaugh (4th) and McNally had decent sprints, he says “I had a dig with two to go because I knew in a sprint I wouldn’t be the one who would win but it didn’t pay off so I thought, right, keep it tight and hopefully I’ll get a podium. Adam led into the final hairpin and I was on his wheel but I was a big eager and overshot it and before I knew it, Macca was up the inside.”
Was he worried at all by the size of the group before it split in the final half of the race? “I wanted to get away as a bunch sprint doesn’t suit me down to the ground so I was riding quite aggressively and going with the moves and eventually we got away and stayed away.”
Finally, the leader’s jersey – his thoughts on having it for the Junior National Series? “Its nice to be wearing it and a good achievement for me. Its for the best Junior in Britain and I’m in it so I’m chuffed with that.”
RESULTS
1. Adam Blythe, Science in Sport/Trek, 01:10:05
2. Mark McNally, Liverpool Mercury/Dolan,
3. Luke Rowe, Recycling.co.uk RT/Pinarello/Michelin,
4. Peter Kennaugh, Pinarello RT/Rudy Project/DMT/Corima
5. Rhys Lloyd, Liverpool Mercury/Dolan @33
6. Andrew Fenn, Liverpool Mercury/Dolan @42
7. Andrew Griffiths, Glendene CC/Bike Trax/Specialized
8. Andrew Williams, Cwmcarn Paragon RC,
9. Tom Skubala, J E James RT, @1:05
10. Mike Webb, Cardiff Ajax CC, 1:23
11. Erick Rowsell, Team Corridori
Points Prime 1
1. Luke Rowe, Recycling.co.uk RT/Pinarello/Michelin
2. Erick Rowsell, Team Corridori
3. Andrew Fenn, Liverpool Mercury/Dolan
4. Andrew Griffiths, Glendene CC/Bike Trax/Specialized/Bio-Racer/Maxim
Points Prime 2
1. Mark McNally, Liverpool Mercury/Dolan
2. Adam Blythe, Science in Sport/Trek
3. Peter Kennaugh, Pinarello RT/Rudy Project/DMT/Corima/Continental
4. Luke Rowe, Recycling.co.uk RT/Pinarello/Michelin
PHOTOS
Junior riders set off for their race.
First year Junior Andrew Fenn gives it some stick as Erick Rowsell and Luke Rowe chase him down.
Rhys Lloyd having been told before the start to go out and attack the race did just that and is pictured off the front of a bunch still deciding who will chase.
After Rhys, came his teammate Mak McNally.
Youth rider Joe Perrett chases McNally as Luke Rowe tries to close down the counter attack.
The final roll of the dice in shaping the race is made as Kennaugh leads Rowe and Blythe in the chase after McNally.
There was confusion behind as to who would chase as Andrew Griffths attacks down their right.
Left: Luke Rowe showing off the new series leaders jersey. Right: Problem for Tom Skubala as he gets a wheel change.
Left: Peter Kennaugh takes a drink as the four leaders smoothly make their way round the course having made the race theirs. Right: Rhys Lloyd tries to get rid of Andrew Griffiths.
Lloyd attacking Griffiths as Lloyd's teammate Andrew Fenn is about to make contact.