PHOTOS BY LARRY HICKMOTT
Shropshire Star Newport Nocturne
September 1st, 2007; Newport (Shropshire)
Report & pictures by Larry Hickmott
Report
Malcolm Elliott salutes the crowd after winning the Newport Nocturne. Tony Gibb was second and the last winner of the race, Chris Newton was 3rd.
What a sensational night at the Newport Nocturne it was on Saturday evening. Not only did the big crowd turn out yet again, but so did the star riders and the biggest star on the night was the ever green Malcolm Elliott. Despite being well into his forties, he rode away from the best riders in the country and put almost a minute into them during his 30 minute breakaway.
The Night Out in Newport
From the moment I entered Newport, you knew there was a bike race on from the posters and signs up as you came into the town. In the town centre, more notices and in the shop windows, cycle related displays showing how much the town takes this race to their heart.
As the start of the event approached, people could be seen walking their way to the course, chairs, kids and more in hand ready for a long evening of entertainment. The chip shop on the main street was doing a roaring trade and how great it was to see an English intuition like the old chippie serving the people. I resisted the temptation but the queues outside the shop showed many could not.
As the roads were shut down, the music started blaring and riders from a bygone era started to appear on the course. My only regret seeing these greats were the faces were familiar but the jerseys very different from the teams they rode for in the 70s and 80s when these riders ruled the sport here and abroad.
On the startline, the likes of Sid Barras, Chris Lillywhite, Reg Smith, Les West and Steve Joughin and many more house hold names were heard talking about the old days and like any of us that remember the 70’s disbelieving it was 20 or 30 years ago when they were racing.
With Sid Barras orchestrating proceedings at the start to ensure a fair start to the race, they were soon off and riding on their 15 laps of the course that wound its way around the pretty town of Newport. Joughin got his moment of glory off the front and then another break followed before the hammer was well and truly put down. They may have been cruising to begin with but the faces soon told another story as the group at the front of the race got smaller.
Driving the front group along were names like Les West, Gary Coltman, Chris Lillywhite, Neil Martin, Simon Cope and others which had the race lined out along the high street as the crowd cheered them on. Then a few laps from the end, Super Sid, well known for his blistering sprint and one of the few to beat the ‘cannibal’ Eddy Merckx, went solo of all things.
With the double act of Hugh Porter and Mick Jeggo on the microphone keeping the crowd informed of up coming primes and what was going on in the race, Barras opened up the throttle and the gap behind him grew bigger and he stayed clear to the line where in the near darkness, he raised his arms to celebrate the victory which he obviously enjoyed.
Steve Jones clipped off the front to take second and then Phil Wilkins won the group sprint for third. A podium followed and then it was the turn of the stars of today to line up for a 1 lap time trial in the Battle for Beijing.
Four of the international stars brought in for the Beijing Challenge along with Simon Holt.
Joining some of the biggest names in the sport such as Mark Cavendish, David Millar, Rob Hayles, and Geraint Thomas was local boy Simon Holt who has made his name this year riding for Recycling.co.uk. Simon was certainly a popular boy with the crowd and he was first off for a sprint around the course. With home advantage, he crossed the line with a great time that kept him in the ‘hot seat’ of leader for a while as both Cavendish and Thomas came and went.
Hayles was next and the three time Olympic medallist and former Double World Champion from 2005 got stuck in. He was making it look so easy as he came off the cobbles, it was a surprise to hear he had gone fastest with only Millar to come but that’s Hayles all over – style with speed! The British Road Race champion Millar however had a tough start and to the event and when he arrived in the town was looking decidedly tired after his plane ride from Spain.
Rob Hayles beats his training partner David Millar for the prize in the Beijing Challenge
He was also without a bike as the airline had left it in Spain where he is based and a quick call to a local bike shop soon had him equipped with a bike for the night. Millar set off with his Scott TT machine and as he crossed the line, Hugh Porter kept everyone in suspense until announcing the winner was Hayles from Millar. Local boy done good Simon Holt was third from Geraint Thomas and Mark Cavendish.
Hayles lapped up the applause and then as he was being interviewed, ‘Cav’ jumped him and then proceeded to be interviewed by Hugh Porter whilst still on Hayles back who was getting closer to the ground with every minute. More good natured celebrations, with autographs being taken by the crowd and then the riders did a lap of honour in the Ferrari and Bentley that were there at the start line.
Millar and his borrowed Scott bike.
The Nocturne
The Mayor of Newport waves the flag and the race is on...
With the darkness well and truly set in, the time had come for the main event! A big field of the best crit riders in the country lined up and in the mix were Geraint Thomas and Mark Cavendish. The crowd by now was packed and on the far end by the church a rock band belted out the music. The atmosphere was hot even though the temperatures were on the cool side. At least it was dry!
The gas was turned up in the race straight away and Geraint Thomas was showing off his Barloworld colours in style as he opened up gaps behind with Elliott later describing it as like chasing a motorbike. It was though Elliott who made the first big break for freedom as a trio front formed out front and with Elliott were Tony Gibb and Chris Newton who was the winner last time out in 2005.
A chase soon started by Peter Kennaugh and he was joined by others including Tom Murray in new team colours of Merlin and Geraint Thomas. Later, Kennaugh admitted Thomas was doing ‘lap turns’ perhaps thinking it was a team pursuit but despite his pace, the leaders were holding their own.
Half the race gone and the big surprise when one of the fastest sprinters in the business, Elliott went solo. That was the last the rest were to see of him. Newton and Gibb were caught by the chasers and they threw everything they could at bringing back Elliott but he was in awesome form and he just continued a relentless pace and nothing anybody could do was going to deny him.
Behind the chasers, Mark Cavendish tried and tried to get away but the winner of eight Professional races this year was not being given any room although when he got away with Gordon McCauley hopes were high they would bring the chase group back. Sadly for Cav not so and he sat up and left McCauley to bridge to the chasers on his own with the junction being made in the dying laps of the race.
That was it, race over – Elliott soloed to a major win and Tony Gibb won the sprint for second from Newton with McCauley fourth. All that was left was for the presentation and with yet more glitz, the riders were presented to the thousands still there and the final task was to give Elliott his beer and to do that, Gibb, Newton, Elliott and then the editor of the Shropshire star all squeezed onto the small chair on the scales and box after box of beer was piled on to the other seat on the giant scales.
The podium riders all get in the hot seat to ensure there is a lot of beer to go round afterwards...
After the presentation we spoke to Elliott and asked did such a fantastic ride surprise even him? “Absolutely. Amazed, it was not something I planned to do. It just fell into my hands with 30 minutes to go with the three man break I was in. A strange sort of gap opened when the pair of them eased up out of the bottom corner. The lead was only slender and I was thinking do I sit up and wait and get it working again or go for it.”
“I made the decision to keep going for a few laps in the hope they would come back up to me. The laps went by and by and I was thinking there is a sprint competition so I’d get a few laps off the front for that and then the lead started to build. Then I started to get confident. I thought if I get caught with ten minutes to go I’m going to be raked for the sprint so I had to commit myself to staying away.”
“I thought there would be a big surge in the last five or ten minutes but it never happened”.
The Nocturne is a classic victory for any rider and earlier this year he did the same in the East Midlands CiCle Classic. “I have not had so many wins this year but the wins I have had have been good ones to have. I never expected anything like this tonight” he added still disbelievingly. “The guys from Recycling and PCA have just done the Tour of Ireland and will have some good form in their legs as they work up to the Tour of Britain. So I thought they were going to be appreciably stronger.”
“I was behind Thomas when he made a few efforts early on and it was like trying to chase a motor bike. So I knew there was a lot of fire power behind me.”
Malcolm then explained that the form has just come from some intense training, nothing madly intense just shorter efforts, all being done to do well in the last three circuit races in the British Cycling Elite Circuit Series. He won the series last year. The remaining two rounds being the one in London next week prior to the Prologue for the Tour of Britain and then the one in Warwick which is the climax of the series.
He then said in parting that hopefully after the series has finished he’ll be heading for Bermuda for some crit racing there. Thanks to Malcolm for talking to us.
One final note, in the bunch sprint, Grant Bayton crashed heavily into the barriers, breaking his bike which hit a spectator cracking several ribs with Bayton also having some damage to a hand and losing a lot of skin. Our best wishes to him and the spectator and a speedy recovery.
Chris Newton, Peter Kennaugh, Tom Murray and Tony Gibb chase Elliott. Murray was very unlucky to puncture inside the final five laps (no laps out).
Geraint Thomas -- like a motorbike said Malcolm Elliot afterwards,
Elliott attacked with half the race to go and no matter what pressure they applied behind, no-one caught him again.
Results
David Millar had to get a local bike shop to get him a bike for the race as his was still at the airport in Spain.
Beijing Challenge
1. Rob Hayles
2. David Millar
Other places to be confirmed
Elite
1. Malcolm Elliott, Pinarello RT
2. Tony Gibb, Plowman Craven @56 secs
3. Chris Newton, Recycling.co.uk
4. Gordon McCauley, Plowman Craven
5. Peter Kennaugh, Pinarello RT
6. Russell Downing, Healthnet @1.06
7. Simon Holt, Recycling.co.uk
8. Jon Mozely, Merlin
9. Warrwick Spence, Cyclefit-Serotta
10. Andy Tinsley, Bioracer
11. Simon Gaywood, Plowman Craven
12. Tom Barras, Merlin
13. Liam Holoham, Merlin
14. Will Bjergfeet, Kona
15. Ross Muir, Rapha
16. Andrew Williams, Cwncarn
17. James Moss, Inkland
18. Gary Adamson, FP Mailing
19. John Tanner, Sportscover
20. George Richardson, Kona
21. Ian Holt, Felt
22. Matt Talbot, Rapha Condor
23. Jon Kris Mason, Merlin
24. Ryan Bonser, Recycling.co.uk
25. Martin Ford, BC PM
26. James Millard, Plowman Craven RT
27. James McCullum, Plowman Craven RT
28. Mark Cavendish, T-Mobile
29. Geraint Thomas, Barloworld
30. Rob Hayles, KLR
31. Rob Partridge, Recycling.co.uk
32. Tom Diggle, Recycling.co.uk
Past Masters
1. Sid Barras, 45.44
2. Steve Jones, @14
3. Phil Wilkins, @ 17
4. Neil Martin
5. Chris Lillywhite
6. Simon Cope
7. Reg Smith
8. Simon Day
9. John McMillan
10. Les West
11. Adrian Timmis
12. Gary Coltman
13. Trevor Horton
14. Ged Dennis
15. Gordon Smith
16. Vic Barnett
17. Mike Doyle
18. Roy Causer
19. Steve Joughin
20. Dave Marsh
21. Pete Ryalls
22. Kelvin Jones
23. Ernie Lightfoot...
RELATED LINKS
Newton Ready to Defend Title at Newport
REPORT:
Newport Nocturne Town Centre Circuit Race
