2007 Elite Women’s British Road Race Championship

 

19th of August, 2007, Saffron Walden

Report & Pictures by Larry Hickmott

 

 

The 2007 Elite Women’s British Road Race championship was held today in Essex near Saffron Walden and after an eventful 70 miles around the picturesque villages on the course, the victor yet again for the 8th time was Nicole Cooke (Raleigh/Lifeforce) who crossed the line alone ahead of Rachel Heal  (Webcor) and Helen Wyman  (Global). Winner of the Under 23 title was Nikki Harris (Global ahead of Lizzie Armitstead and Alice Monger-Godfrey (Glendene  CC).

 

After attacking the break of around seven riders that formed halfway through the race, Nicole Cooke escaped on the final 13 mile lap and won the race on her own whilst Rachel Heal was fastest of the break to clinch silver with Helen Wyman in third. 

 

The start in the rain.

Report

 

Tanja Slater leads the peloton through Littlebury for the first time.

The day started wet, very wet for the riders in the British championships but it was a really strong field and it was going to be interesting to see how the up and coming talent was going to try and stop Nicole Cooke winning an 8th title. Viewing the race twice a lap doesn’t give much of a picture of what is happening but other than some digs by the Global RT riders early on, the bunch remained intact until lap 3.

 

One of the breaks we got to see was by Katie Curtis and another rider tucked tight on her wheel. Their lead, on the start of lap three, was only seconds but moreaction was to come. The road after Ickleton dragged up for three or so miles and was narrow as well and the pressure on lap three saw a group of eight go clear.

 

In that break were Nicole Cooke, Rachel Heal, Lizzie Armitstead, Helen Wyman, Emma Pooley, Nikki Harris and Catherine Hare. Also in there was Jo Rowsell but a puncture and then a long wait for the vehicle with spares which was behind the bunch, meant her chance of a medal to follow up her Under 23 win last year was out of the window.

 

The race started to dry up a bit as the laps slipped by. The break here is led by Rachel Heal and Nikki Harris.

 

Chasing the break only seconds adrift was Beverley Harper who was having her first race in the UK after moving to the US in the early 90’s. The gap proved too much for her and her chasing partners and they went back to the bunch which had lost all of its fire power with all the favourites up the road. One of those, Tanja Slater, was out after two punctures ruined her race and she made do by doing some work for Nicole Cooke and then taking to the dry of the car to watch the race with husband Peter.

 

And that was it until the final lap (5th). With a 13 mile lap to go, the leaders were still all together and looking comfortable but when we picked them up with only a third of the final lap to go, Nicole Cooke was moving along like a motorbike as she attacked and started to put time into the break which didn’t appear to be chasing with any great urgency when they went past us.

 

Perhaps this was because the chase had initially split the break with Emma Pooley driving it along, with one of the riders saying afterwards saying Emma was clearly the strongest in the chase group. Once all together though, the chasers seemed to have settled for 2nd place. Before that was decided, Nicole had climbed the final hill to receive the applause of those who lined the barriers to see her win her 8th British Elite Women's Road Race title.

 

In the sprint for second, it was Rachel Heal who had the best sprint up the long long drag from the main road and she took the Silver ahead of a great ride by Helen Wyman who took the bronze, showing she has made great improvements on the road. Catherine Hare was fourth and in fifth place and first Under 23 was Nikki Harris who is starting to find her form of old.

 

In sixth was Emma Pooley who admitted later she didn’t time the finish right whilst in 7th was Lizzie Armitstead who also made some tactical errors with her gears. After them there was quite a large gap until the bunch came in 9 minutes later lead in by Leanne Thompson.

 

Alice Monger-Godfrey leads the bunch chasing the break on lap 3.

 

Rider Reactions
Nicole Cooke: “Fantastic” was  Nicole’s reaction. The World Cup leader no less had added yet another Champions jersey to her collection and will continue to represent Britain proud by wearing said jersey in the top races around the world. “I put in some attacks on the climbs (out of Ickleton) because it was a good chance to see if it would break it up or not and I must admit I was a bit surprised to get a gap. I felt the other riders were riding well and I wasn't under estimating them at all.”

 

Talking about the long drags which formed much of the climbing, Nicole explained that “on lap 3, when I was trying to break it up, it was like attacking on the flat so it felt a bit silly because there wasn’t even a wind or anything but we did manage to get a group away and everyone was working.”

 

Nicole really flew past us as she chases her 8th title.

 

“Then at the end (on the same roads), the distance was taking its toll and I was able to get a gap and I thought I haven’t planned on going solo but I’ll give it a go and gradually pulled away. I was happy with how I rode and finished.”

 

“I am looking forward to building up nicely now all the way to the Worlds and I want to be in top form then. The World Championships is the thing I really want to go for but if I can do the World Cup along the way, that would be amazing.”

Rachel Heal – Fifth Silver! If there is one rider who has not been helped by Britain having one of, if not the leading rider in the World up against her at the Nationals, it’s Rachel Heal. She was smiling afterwards though. Rachel raced the event with her parents in attendance and also a teammate in Beverley Harper. “Very hard” was  the reply when asked how the race was.

 

Rachel battles with Helen Wyman.

 

“It was a difficult race because the legs really were not there today so I had to dig deep a lot and had to play the ‘I’ve been second before so its some else’s job to do the chasing’ card. There were six of us, including three Global and Emma (Pooley) and Emma did the majority of the work. It was kind of disappointing that Global had three there and weren’t going to chase.”

 

“I was in the position of if I put in to much work, the legs just weren’t going to be there for the finish so I took the risk and I feel bad for Emma because she did so much of the chasing and came away without the result she deserved in the end. But it was a nice race for me in terms of getting back up there after a hiccup last year. So it was good to prove I can really still dig deep and do it.”

 

“It was pretty much a team time trial until Nicole attacked on the final lap. I knew she was going to go there because she will tend not to leave it to the sprint finish if she can help it and at one point when there was Lizzie, Emma and me chasing, we got very close to bringing her back.”

 

Helen Wyman 3rd:  “I’m really pleased with third. I have never got a road medal at the nationals before. The plan was to help Lizzie in the Under 23 and we had four riders in the break at one stage and would have had until the end had Jo not punctured.”

 

“Once the break got away, the race settled down until the last lap and then Nicole was attacking but you kind of expect that. We were trying early on to make attacks and it was actually from Lizzie’s attack that a group formed.”

 

Asked about the chase after Nicole, Helen explained “Cathy, Nikki and me got dropped and the girls ahead didn’t really work together so we got back to them and you’re risking it to race people to get Nicole back when you might be going for second anyway so we tried to keep it steady and work for Lizzie.”

 

Under 23 podium: Lizzie Armitstead (2nd), Nikki Harris (1st) and Alice Monger-Godfrey (3rd).

 

Nikki Harris, 1st Under 23: “I’m really pleased with that. I was absolutely dying that last lap and I did go off the back at one stage and struggled to get back up there and thought my legs were going to give away up this final hill. I managed to keep squeezing on and seal the win for the Under 23.”

 

“The finish was kinda of hard because it drags on up a long way before it flattens off and then kicks up to the top. You can see the finish though so you just give it your all. It was good to have teammates in the break and also good the break got away when it did because before that it was like rolling round and a bit boring.”

 

Lizzie Armitstead (Silver Under 23): “The race was good and hard work. I thought when I got away with Emma and Rachel I thought it would stick but they (Helen, Nikki and Cathy) got back up to us and then on the finish, I ran into Rachel’s wheel on the way up and that disorientated me. I under geared myself in the sprint and got out of the saddle and was just wobbly as there was nothing to push on and then it was too late to do anything.”

 

“The race felt a lot different to the Europeans. It was a lot easier but when it was hard, it was as hard as the Europeans.”   
 
Beverley Harper: First time a racer in a British road race was Rachel Heal’s Webcor teammate Beverley Harper who was happy to chat to us after the finish. “This was a big event for me, my first road race in England and I will definitely do things different next time!”.

 

“It was a little sketchy on the roads with the traffic” she explained saying that the races in America have closed roads or rolling road closures. “Apart from that it was great and fun. I was this close to staying with them but when I went back to the pack, it was just really mellow.   

 

 

Beverley with Rachel before the start.

Emma Pooley: After a short spell with GB two years ago, Emma moved overseas to pursue a PHD but this year has been making headlines with some fine rides. “The race started off alright. Global were doing as I expected and riding as a team and taking turns to attack. There were a few of us chasing them down so that was okay and then Nicole went and there was eight of us away.”

 

“Then Jo (Rowsell) punctured and that was really harsh because the service car was behind the bunch and she was not going to get dropped and had a medal. Then Nicole went on the last lap and I couldn’t stay with her and then I was joined by Lizzie and Rachel and we didn’t chase hard enough.”
 
“I made a tactical error at the end and thought all I had to do was give it full gas on the hill but I wasn’t strong enough so that was my fault, I misjudged it and probably did too much work early on. I’m disappointed.”

 

On her rejuvenated career on the bike where now she only works part time, Emma explained “Last year didn’t go so well when I was splitting my effort two ways between work and cycling and that was depressing. I thought why bother and thought I’d do sport for fun and this year it came good and I thought I may as well give it a try”.

 

“I signed for a new team in March when I got back from Australia and I really liked them, the way they work together and support me.” On her success in Germany, she very modestly says “It was great but it was a fluke. It won’t happen again but I have some UCI points and some hills jerseys which I have always wanted to have.”

 

Emma was also included in a GB camp in Italy recently when Dan Hunt took a team away to work as a team with Nicole Cooke. Emma says “It was good to be included in that it was a nice set up, well organised.” She now heads to Germany to race there with a GB team and Nicole who will be riding for her trade team and Emma hers. On her goals now, she says “I’d like to be selected for the Worlds and then next year, I’d really like to get to Beijing.”  

 

Other Photos (many more in the gallery)

 

Lap 3 and Lizzie drives it hard at the front, helping to pull the break away.

 

First lap into Elmdon and Beverly Harper and Tanja Slater at the front.

 

Leanne Thompson warms up with turbo and unbrella but is all smiles as she does so as is Nicole Cooke

 

Three Global riders shelter in the car whilst right, Jo Rowsell slips off the front on lap two into Littlebury.

 

Left: Katie Curtis in her break for freedom.

Result

1 Nicole Cooke Raleigh / Lifeforce / Creation / HB 3 hrs 44m39s
2 Rachel Heal Webcor Builders 3.45.38
3 Helen Wyman Global RT ST
4 Catherine Hare Rapha Condor RT ST
5 Nikki Harris Global RT ST
6 Emma Pooley Team Specialized Designs for Women ST
7 Elizabeth Armistead Global RT ST
8 Leanne Thompson Lune RCC 3.53.16
9 Diane Moss Team Luciano / Everest ST
10 Alice Monger-Godfrey Glendene CC / Biketrax ST
11 Katie Curtis Global RT ST
12 Marie Stuart Team Chance ST
13 Beverley Harper Webcor Builders ST
14 Jessica Allen Pinarello RT ST
15 Carrie Bedingfield Team Luciano / Everest ST
16 Joanna Rowsell Global RT ST
17 Jo Munden V C Meuden ST
18 Rachel Osborn WrekinSport ST
19 Sarah Byrne Gs Strada / Afford rent-a-car ST
20 Femke van Schelven Fatbirds ST
21 Michelle Roberts Rapha Condor RT ST
22 Charlotte Colclough Team Fat Birds ST
23 Hannah Bussey Team Luciano / Everest ST
24 Jeanette Caldicott Team Luciano / Everest ST
25 Lisa Hollingshead Team GoSportspex ST
26 Pippa Handley Edinburgh RC / Bicycleworks.com 3.54.52
27 Heather Summers Team Luciano / Everest 3.54.56
28 Cath Weiss www.agiskoviner.com 3.54.58
29 Maryam Rogers W V Barrowport 3.55.30
30 Claire Thomas Edinburgh RC  3.55.35
31 Charlotte Blackman London Dynamo/Cyclefit 3.55.40
32 Edie Bassy Team Fat Birds 3.55.41
33 Lauren Davis www.agiskoviner.com 4.00.43
34 Louise Dutch V 0 TWO ST
35 Louise Eden Seamons CC ST
36 Marriane Britten Severn RC ST
37 Emilie Fisner XRT / Elmy Cycles ST
38 Susie Scorer XRT / Elmy Cycles ST
39 Victoria Ware Border City Wheelers 04/12/00

 Janet Birkmyre Planet X / Shecycles DNF
 Leda Cox Team Saccarelli / Emu DNF
 Tanja Slater Raleigh / Lifeforce / Creation / HB DNF
 Katie Colclough Team Fat Birds DNF
 Hannah Bussey Team Luciano / Everest DNF

API – Metrow ERRL Championship Result
1. Andy Lyons   Heron Cyclesport
2. Kevin Chambers   API - Metrow
3. Philip Hetzel   Ipswich BC
4. Dean Shannon   Heron Cyclesport
5. Phil Anthony   Downland Cycles
6. Ciaran Steed   Murphy Surveys
7. Ben Thompson   Glendene CC/Bike Trax
8. Hugo Hocknell   Angliasport
9. Trevor Burke   North Road CC
10. Robert Cox   Cambridge CC
11. Eric Gowland   Cambridge CC
12. Martin Meades   API - Metrow
13. Marco Coppola   Gemini BC
14. Michael Gardner   Heron Cyclesport
15. Martin Dunford   Downland Cycles
16. Martin Bryant   Team Economic Energy
17. Lee Harvey   Colchester Rovers CC
18. Mick Gray   API - Metrow

 

Related Links

2006 Women's RR Championship Report