Blackpool Grand Prix – Elite Men’s Circuit Race

 

Round of British Cycling’s Circuit Series
Friday 13th July 2007
Report and photographs by Andrew Kennedy for British Cycling

The Blackpool Cycling Festival got off to an exciting start on Friday evening when British Cycling’s Elite Circuit Series took over the world famous Blackpool Promenade.

Gordon McCauley, an impressive winner of the Blackpool GP

Gordon McCauley (PlowmanCraven-Evans) took control of the race with 8 laps to go and moved ahead of the splintered main field. The New Zealand rider was never seriously challenged and was able to time trial along the windswept North Shore promenade at Blackpool, and takes his first Elite Circuit Race win of the season.

The 3 day festival which also includes the Grand Prix des Dames and Youth circuit races on Saturday, and the Premier Calendar Blackpool Grand on Sunday is being promoted by Cycling Development North West, with support from Blackpool Council, and British Cycling.

Graham Briggs (Recycling) suffers in the wind and rain, swept in across the sea wall during the Elite race

Heavy rain may have dampened the spirits of the holiday crowd in Blackpool on this summer Friday evening, but the riders and their supporters were in great form as they congregated for the signing on at Race HQ, The Imperial Hotel.

Chris Newton and his young Recycling.co.uk team were on home turf, the Recycling business empire of Charlie Jackson is based in the North West, and the team were hopeful of a good showing in the circuit race. Also Team Recycling was hoping for Newton to maintain and possibly extend his lead in the Premier Calendar road series on Sunday. A team of Belgian riders were on the start list for the circuit race, we wondered what they thought about the British summer weather and the hazards of racing on the exposed promenade of Blackpool. The Plowman Craven team with newly crowned National Circuit Champion James McCallum were out in force at Blackpool, and they fully intended showing off the National Champs jersey on the winner’s podium.

How the racing unfolded.

The evening’s entertainment kicked off with a senior support race. Which was won by Tim Baldwin (Paul Milnes Cycles) The 19 year old rider from Bingley, West Yorkshire, attacked the senior race after two laps and powered away from the field. University student Baldwin kept his head down and pushed a huge gear along the Lower Walk section of the Blackpool Prom, to take the first win of his cycling career.

The conditions were far from ideal

The 1.5 mile circuit starting on the promenade opposite the Imperial Hotel took the riders along the North Shore, dropping down the tight left-hand hairpin onto the Lower Walk, with a flat and fast section along the sea wall with Blackpool Tower in the riders sights, the race at an estimated 30 mph then hit the concrete ramp to climb to another left-hand hairpin, with a final fast and furious 750 metres tailwind assisted section to the finish line.

 

The Elite riders lined up in pouring rain as the Mayor of Blackpool dropped the Union Jack to start the race. The spectators had mostly disappeared to find shelter from the driving wind and rain as the main field came into view at the end of the first lap.

 

With the 1.5 mile circuit awash with water, sand and debris puncture victims were soon appearing in the bunch. A controversial decision by the BC commissaries not to allow laps out for mechanical problems meant riders suffering punctures had no chance of re-joining the race and being in contention for a win or placing.

 

National Circuit Race Champion James McCallum (PlowmanCraven-Evans) was an early victim, but was quickly given a bike by team mate Simon Gaywood and got back into the race.

Pre race favourites Chris Newton and James McCallum stuck in the bunch, with McCauley up the road.

 

As the elite riders battled against the elements attacks were going off the front of the race, without much success. At the halfway point a group of about 20 riders moved clear and opened up a gap of about 20 seconds. Paul Oldham (Hope Factory Racing) was driving the break clear as they raced along the Lower Walk sea wall, in atrocious conditions, closely followed by Dean Downing (Rapha-Condor) and Graham Briggs (Recycling).

 

Over the next two laps different riders chanced their luck with attacks off the front of the breakaway group, none were successful until Gordon McCauley decided to have a go. With most of his Plowman Craven team out of contention with punctures it was left to McCauley to ride away without any immediate assistance from his team. Paul Oldham and Tom Barras (Merlin RT) and Graham Briggs (Recycling) were making valiant attempts to bridge the gap but McCauley was proving too strong. He kept his cool and with specific time-trialling training under his belt for the New Zealand Worlds team increased his lead to a maximum of 45 seconds.

McCauley surges along oblivious to the weather and his chasers

 

Local boy Tom Diggle (Recycling) from nearby Southport had lots of vocal support in the rain drenched crowd and decided to try bridge the gap to McCauley. Paul Oldham hooked onto the back of Diggle and together they started to close the gap. They were joined by Matthew Kipling (Inkland/MTS) with James Stewart (KFS Special Vehicles) trying to get across to the three chasers. Dean Downing and Tom Murray (Kinesis) were leading what was left of the main field.

National Circuit Champion James McCallum suffers a puncture, his team mate Simon Gaywood came to the rescue with his bike and McCallum was quickly back in the race

 

Russell Downing (Team HealthNet-Maxxis) - pictured below - had a look of dejection on his face as he suffered a puncture in the closing laps. The Rotherham rider walked up the sea wall with his bike across his shoulder, with a face that said his trip to Blackpool had been a complete waste of time and effort.

The Blackpool circuit was awash with puncture victims and the next to suffer was breakaway rider Matthew Kipling. With two laps remaining he rolled into the near redundant pit area, changed his wheel and luckily got back into the main field.

 

At the bell McCauley had a lead of over 30 seconds over Tom Diggle and Paul Oldham, with the main field led by Dean Downing a further 25 seconds behind. The visiting Belgian team did not feature in any of the moves of the evening, and were probably already in the showers.

 

With McCauley’s partner Pammy in Blackpool having travelled from New Zealand, McCauley had a big grin on his face as he crossed the finish line. The crowd had returned for the finish and the Kiwi rider was given a great reception as he took the chequered flag.

Diggle and Oldham battle on after McCauley

 

The young Recycling rider Tom Diggle took a deserved 2nd place, with his breakaway mate Paul Oldham taking the third and final podium position.

From the left, Oldham, McCauley, Diggle and Anita and Hugh Porter, commentating

 

Gordon lets the bubbly flow

 

The start to the Blackpool Festival had been a dampened by the rain and wind, but the forecast was showing slightly better weather for the remainder of the weekend. Organiser Ivor Armstrong and his team had managed to pull off a great race in very difficult conditions, lets see how the Blackpool Festival shapes up, with a bit of warm and bright weather this venue would be very difficult to beat.

 

After the race, Andrew Kennedy spoke to Gordon McCauley and asked him about his win:

“the plan tonight was for me to work for Simon Gaywood as the guys had worked for me at Guildford earlier this week when I won. Tonight I was in the front group with Tony Gibb when the split came and I told Tony to sit on as he is the better sprinter. Then a whole lot of attacks came, I covered one and went over the top of them. I looked around and had a gap of about 100 metres. The group behind looked as though they’d sat up. I got my head down and carried on. I could see Paul Oldham was trying to get across, then with 4 to go there were four chasing. I decided to make it hard for them and realised I was taking time out of them. I’ve been doing specific training for the World Time Trial Champs and felt very strong on the long exposed sections, even into the headwind”

After congratulating McCauley on a superb performance I asked him what his plan was for the Blackpool Grand Prix Premier Calendar race on Sunday, his reply confirmed his confidence and current form, “To win”

Results

1 Gordon McCauley Plowman Craven / Evans Cycles 
2 Tom Diggle Recycling.co.uk 
3 Paul Oldham Hope Factory Racing 
4 Tony Gibb Plowman Craven / Evans Cycles 
5 Graham Briggs Recycling.co.uk 
6 James? Stewart KFS Special Vehicles 
7 Dean Downing Rapha Condor R.T. 
8 James McCallum Plowman Craven / Evans Cycles 
9 Jonathan Mozley Merlin R.T. 
10 Tom Murray Kinesis U.K 
11 Matthew Cronshaw Scienceinsport-Trek 
12 Ryan Bonser Recycling.co.uk 
13 Richard Wilkinson Rapha Condor R.T. 
14 Simon Gaywood Plowman Craven / Evans Cycles 
15 Jason Allen Plowman Craven / Evans Cycles 
16 Tom Smith AW Cycles 
17 Wim Cretskens KW Heist Zuiderkempen 
18 James? Moss Inkland MTS Cyclesport 
19 Andy Tinsley Onimpex/Bioracer R.T. 
20 Mark Thwaites Kinesis U.K. 
21 Kay Leyssens KW Heist Zuiderkempen 
22 Stuart Reid Wheelbase / Gore 
23 Adam Bonser Recycling.co.uk 
24 Stephen Adams Merlin R.T. 
25 Tom Last Evans Cycles 
26 Liam Holoham Merlin R.T. 
27 Richard Kent Scienceinsport-Trek 
28 John Wager V.C. Meudon 
29 Niels Kempenaars KW Heist Zuiderkempen 
30 Daniel Shand KW Heist Zuiderkempen 
31 Jef Torfs KW Heist Zuiderkempen 
32 Jon-Kris Mason Merlin R.T. 
33 Simon Holt Recycling.co.uk 
34 Brian Biggs Plowman Craven / Evans Cycles 
35 Chris Newton Recycling.co.uk 
36 Daniel Davies KW Heist Zuiderkempen 
37 Martin Freeman Team Corley Cycles