Women's Road & Circuit Series Images from Joolze Dymond
Hannah is Sutton Star
Sutton Town Centre Races
Including, British Cycling Women's Road & Circuit Race Series
Sunday 29th July 2007
Report and photographs by Joolze Dymond
The field lines up for the main event
Sutton Town centre was the venue of round 7 of the National Women's Road and Circuit series - the race was part of a whole day of exciting closed circuit racing, around the busy High St. Sutton CC have an extensive history of town centre racing at this venue, which unfortunately due to funding they have been unable to put on for a few years.
However all the stops were out for Sunday's racing which they secured funding from TFL to celebrate the end of the Tour De France and was run in conjunction with "Move it at the Manor," a Festival celebrating all modes of green travel, with live music, circus skills, a bicycle try-out area that featured British Cycling's Go- Ride skills tests, and radical demonstrations of cycling skills with Extreme Cycling. There was definitely something for everyone!
As the clock inched its way towards the start of the women's' race, spectators were treated to an assortment of street entertainers and their various interpretations of racing, involving unicycles, monkey bikes and just a rim?
Early stages of the race but already Hannah Mayho is pushing on
But then it was the turn of the women, lined up outside the massive yellow, Tour de France Grand Depart bus. Twenty-six riders were pre entered for this latest stage of the national series, but on the day due to international duties the race got underway with a small field of just 14 women. However the crowds were treaded to some impressive racing around the tight 0.85km course. Oh and for a change this summer it didn't rain!
Pre race favorite Janet Birkmyre, had a disastrous start as her saddle slipped on her first lap. Although she didn't lose much time, her official lap out to fix the problem, saw her rejoining the race just as Alex Greenfield had launched the first of many attacks of the race. With Greenfield out in front the race splintered behind. Hannah Mayho, fresh from her silver in the pursuit, at the junior Euro track champs, put her talents into action as she chased down ODP team mate Greenfield, a gold medalist at those same champs.
With these two strong girls out in front the onus was on the chasing pack to get back in contention. Soon Jessica Allen and Katie Colclough joined Greenfield and Mayho and the quartet pretty quickly lapped the field.
Katie Colclough leads the eventual winner Hannah Mayho
Then, Greenfield started to pay the price for her early pace and faded off the lead group leaving Mayho, Allen and Colclough to fight it out for the win. With 55 mins ridden it was down to the last 5 laps. Allen and Colclough familiar with Mayho's sprinting abilities attacked consistently at every opportunity, however Mayho hung on and on the last corner started her attack for the win, taking it comfortably. Allen took 2nd with Colclough picking up 3rd. Meanwhile Greenfield felt she had 4th in the bag and cruised to the line only to be pipped by Charlotte Blackman.
Next up was the sprint for 6th with Janet Birkmyre, Gaby Day and Alice Monger fighting it out. Birkmyre made up for her disastrous start with the consolation of the second sprint to take that 6th, with Monger picking up 7th and Day 8th.
For an hour the local population had their shopping trip punctuated with some cracking racing as the women fought it out between them, It was good to see the ODP youngsters fresh from their racing at the European track champs stamp their authority on the event. I wonder if any of the shoppers realized that they could be witnessing future Olympic stars in the making?
Hannah Mayho picked up the Women's Road series win and also the WCRA crit championships along with 2 of the 3 bonus sprints on the line, so all in all a good day out for the Team Chance rider. Katie Colclough picked up the 3rd bonus sprint of the day.
Podium time - local dignitaries with, from the left, Katie Colclough, winner Hannah Mayho and Jessica Allen
As the girls were presented with medals and flowers it was a quick dash of for a shower before they were heading off to Belgium for more racing, while the racing in the town centre carried on with the Elite men now charging round the tight bends, entertaining the crowds.
Rider comments:
Hannah Mayho
I couldn't have done that with out my mates, the ODP girls, it felt really good to be able to get away when I did and manage to get across to Alex. It was a good race to win. At the end I was on my knees and the girls were attacking but I managed to stay on the back and coming into the final sprint I was able to go for it.
Charlotte Blackman
It was a bit confusing at the finish they should have pulled me up 1/2 a lap earlier, I'd came through with girls that I'd dropped, but I got 4th after a good race and it was very emotional.
Janet Birkmyre
Yes my first lap was a bit eventful, I took off and my saddle was pointing straight down that slowed me up a little bit! I took my lap out to get that fixed. People say that you lose your rhythm if you take a lap out, I've never had to do that before in a crit but it is quite difficult to get back into the thick of the action, the race had just been set alight - Alex had just gone off the front. It wasn't for me to jump back in there, I'd just come off the back of the lead group and it didn't feel right to just jump in a start chasing, but to be honest the way the lead girls rode today, they rode a fantastic race, it certainly wouldn't have been me that could have spoiled their show. My race finished with a sprint, which to me is no problem, it's the 55mins before that hurts!
Alex Greenfield
I felt really good to start with, so I started to attack got about half way round the race and blew and I was just hanging onto the group. I didn't realize Charlotte was catching me till she passed me on the line, a bit disappointing to lose out on 4th like that but that's racing.Jessica Allen
I really, really enjoyed the race today. To be honest I was glad to get away as the bends here are a bit sharp and it can be a bit panicky in a big group. We worked well together and that's what helped us get away, it was such a short course, which again helped us. We know each other quite well and that helped because we know what sections each of us is better at. Alex was feeling really strong and went up the road very early on, then Mayho jumped across then no one was really doing anything, so I thought I'd try and jump across and it all went from there. Yeah I really enjoyed it, it was a great race, I'm pleased.
Katie Colclough
I'd have liked to have done better in the sprint but I'm happy that a (ODP) team mate got it. I think I eased off to soon at the last corner and Mayho went from there. Me and Jessica were attacking each lap to try and get a gap, but she kept hanging in there and getting back to us on the back section. When I first did my warm up round here I was a bit apprehensive, I didn't think this was my sort of course at all, a bit tight on those corners, but when the racing started I quite enjoyed it.
Gaby Day
Yeah that was a little frustrating, as once the leading group lapped us we weren't allowed to get on the back and had to let a small gap open between us. I felt quite good then and it was really annoying, as they weren't actually going that much quicker than us. It's just frustrating, as you're not allowed to interfere with the leading group once you've been lapped.
It's my own fault really, I caught Alex, and then it seemed when I tried to go with one of the girls another would attack, I really could have done with some of my team mates here to help out, by then my legs gave out and they got away. It was a good little circuit, I really liked the uphill section, and I felt really strong, especially when I was in that little group. I'm just disappointed that I wasn't able to stay with that little group.
Results
Women's National Road & Circuit Series
1 Hannah MAYHO
2 Jessica ALLEN
3 Katie COLCLOUGH
4 Charlotte BLACKMAN
5 Alexandra GREENFIELD
6 Janet BIRKMYRE
7 Alice MONGER-GODFREY
8 GABRIELLA DAY
9 Rebecca THOMPSON
10 Gundula HENNIG
11 Rohan BATTISON
12 Stephania MAGRI
13 Louise MAHE
14 Kimberley KABATOFF
E/1/2 Race
1 Warrick SPENCE
2 Ross MUIR
3 Wouter SYBRANDY
4 Daniele SANTONI
5 Andy BYE
6 Ian HOLT
7 Chris TUNE
8 Dan DUGUID
9 Gavin RYAN
10 Guy PEARSON
11 Tim ELVERSON
12 Craig STEVENS
3/4 Cat Race
1 James WAKELIN
2 Tom HUMPHRYS
3 Huw WATKINS
4 Jake BUTLER
5 Carl HARRIS
6 Steve BROOMFIELD
7 Daiman LAW
8 Jonathan MAHER
9 Martin HOTTON
10 William PEARSON
Youth Races
Youth- Category 'A' (Under 16)
1 Tom HUMPHREYS
2 Joe NASH
3 Max WEBBER
Youth- Category 'B' (Under 14)
1 Conor BUNN
2 Dante CARPENTER
3 David SWAN
Youth- Category 'C' (Under 12)
1 Euan CATTERMOLE
2 Josh PARKIN
3 Ashley DENNIS
Youth- Category 'D' (Under 10)
1 Amy BARNES
2 Evie STANTON-STROUD
Youth- Category 'E' (Under 8)
1 Matthew McGOVERN
2 Laura DALLISON
3 Nathan EVES