PHOTOS BY LARRY HICKMOTT
43rd Perfs Pedal Road Race
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Rowlands Castle (Hampshire)
Report
James Stewart is congratulated by organiser Mick Waite.
The 2008 road race season kicked off in earnest in the South of England at the traditional season opener, the classic Perfs Pedal road race at Rowlands Castle. The event with a long list of star winners, returned to its normal circuit of late and the weather was for sure the most summery it has ever been in an event history of snow and floods. After a fast and tough race over the undulating circuit, the winner was James Stewart who soloed the final lap to win alone. He finished ahead of Andrew Bye who went clear in the closing stages and Luke Rowe who won the bunch sprint.
The race
The host club, VC ST Raphael/Waite Contracts, saw a couple of its star riders out through illness but there was a queue of riders waiting to sign on the line and it seems, just as many riders out on their bikes around the narrow circuit which goes up from Rowlands Circuit for over a mile and then after a rolling section goes down for a long time as well.
The morning of the race also saw a frost around the course which later claimed a rider on the descent through the trees but most had melted under the burning sun by the time the race started in its usual spot outside the Robin Hood Inn at 11am. Organiser Mick Waite waved them off and the opening lap was steady if the time was anything to go by.
Riders line up for the start.
Other than a fall on the opening lap near the hairpin turn at Rowlands Castle, little of note was going on and the field was all together as it went past us near the finish with Andrew Fenn a couple of lengths off the front and trying to get a move going.
It worked as half a six mile lap later at the top of the climb, Fenn was away with Grant Bayton and they had a small but seemingly solid gap on the bunch with Chris McNamara at the front and gaps between the wheels as the pace started to bite with already a few riders off the back.
Another half a lap and we waited at Forestside for them and McNamara was again off the front but this time with no-one in front of him. The gap though was only a few seconds on a bunch strung out behind Luke Rowe and it came together and was still that way the next time we saw them pass us at the top of the climb.
Breaks from Andrew Fenn and Grant Bayton and another by Chris McNamara
A few miles on, and we waited at some pretty cottages outside Rowlands Castle, and Toby Neave had a handful of seconds on the bunch which quickly brought him back.
A good sized break though did form over the space of the next three miles and half a dozen or so riders came into view at Rowlands Castle. Unfortunately for one, Chris Moores of Norwood Paragon, he hit a slippery patch on the apex of the hairpin and went down. The others which included Matt Clinton, Colin Parry, Andrew Bye, Dave Coulson and a couple of sign on the line riders managed to get around him and whilst Moores tried to get his bike going again and was caught by the bunch, the break carried on.
Three more miles later, and the break was still clear and looking good to carry on to the finish. McNamara was again off the front chasing it down and the pace of the bunch was such that over the course of the next six miles, the break was indeed brought back. As it was, KFS Special Vehicles rider, James Stewart, a noted Time Trialist with some prestigious titles to his name in the race against the watch, got away to spoil everybody’s plans.
Although his lead was only a few seconds with a lap to go, he opened the throttle to increase his lead as his KFS Special Vehicles team controlled the race from the front while David Clarke vainly tried to get some help in bringing the lone leader back. At the finish line, it was an expectant crowd that waited, probably the biggest crowd I have seen line these roads for a long time. Soon, the lights of the lead car could be seen in the distance and behind the car was a lone leader – Stewart.
The break with two laps to go including Matt Clinton from KFS and Dave Coulson of the Sports Beans team.
He had no challengers and it was a very happy winner who crossed the line alone, well clear of the rest. Andrew Bye also came in alone before a small group sprinted in a second or so ahead of the bunch with Luke Rowe getting the final podium place in a big bunch gallop that gave the judges a few headaches to sort out.
Afterwards, in amongst a gathering of KFS riders and staff, Stewart who had won the day before at Upavon, was being congratulated. We spoke to Stewart about his victory and he started by saying “The last two laps were pretty tough going. I know I am going well at the moment so I knew I had a chance. I just made a move and no-one came with us.”
A lap later and victory is James. The look says it all about what it meant to him.
“When Matt (Clinton) was away, I waited for moves to go across and followed wheels and kept the powder dry and went after a minute or two when it all came back together. The team is looking really good and we’re going to Taiwan in a few weeks time.”
“I had the first race of the season as well yesterday and that was my first win so its been a special double really.”
“The race was quite stop start the whole time. The team did a good job following everything and covering all the breaks. I was really keyed up for this and its pretty good to be amongst that list of names of former winners.”
Luke Rowe (Rapha Condor, Junior): “It was a good race but I was expecting it to be a little harder to be honest. There were two big teams there which structured the race a bit and towards the last lap, I was having quite a few digs trying to get the group back but all the bigger teams were controlling it.”
“There was always five KFS riders near the front and anything that went they had two riders on it straight away. They did a good job for their teammate. With a K to go, Peter Dibben was on the front and Sandy King was on his wheel with a bit of a leadout going on. With two or three hundred to go, Andrew Williams jumped hard and I got on his wheel and then as he started to die, I went over the top and no-one challenged me from then on”.
Luke Rowe wins the sprint out from Andrew Williams as a new generation of riders show themselves at the front of the race.
Andrew Williams (Junior): “The race slowed right down at the finish and I lead it out and thought I was going to get swamped but no-one was coming round me until Luke. The sprinted started about 500 metres out and it seemed to be every man for himself. I had done the hours and expected to get a result from it.
Photos
New team colours came out for the race including Grant Baytons Sports Beans team.
Andrew Fenn forces the pace at the start of lap 1.
Not a good time to fall when in a break! Mud on one of the corners saw several fall victim to it.
The rest of the break go round the stricken rider.
A lap to go and James Stewart is clear of the bunch and does enough to stay away.
Second placed rider Andrew Bye crosses the line.
Lots of people at the finish.
Lone break past one of the cottages outside Rowlands Castle
KFS lead the chase after him...
Results
1. James Stewart Kfs Special Vehicles
2. Andrew Bye Sigma Sport Rt
3. Luke Rowe, Rapha Condor
4. Andrew Williams Cwmcarn Paragon Rc
5. Andrew Fenn Dolan Rt
6. Chris Mcnamara Wildside Rt
7. Peter Dibben Gwr Team
8. Tom Smith Awcycles.Co.Uk
9. Toby Meadows,
10. Chris Birch Private Member
11. Jonathan Tiernan-Locke 1 Mid Devon Cc
12. Mark Perry Bournemouth Arrow Cc
13. Rob Enslin
14. Sam Humphreson London Dynamo
PREVIOUS WINNERS OF THIS EVENT
1964 T Mills Ryall / Raxar
1965 B Heath Bournemouth Olympic
1966 G Moore Bristol Road Club
1967 A Williams Dragon RC
1970 G Moore Bristol Road Club
1971 G Moore Bristol Road Club
1972 C Crossley Bristol Road Club
1973 D Witt G S Europa
1974 B Woodley Kingston Pheonix
1975 I Hallam Beeston Road Club
1976 D LeGrys 34th Nomads CC
1977 C Oxborrow Brighton Mitre CC
1978 G Longland Antelope RT
1979 S Yates Archer RC / Cutty Sark
1980 T Stevens 34th Nomads CC
1981 P Hewitt VC Europa
1982 T Stevens 34th Nomads CC
1983 T Harris Willeboro-Van-Peer-Kyoso
1984 T Harris Willeboro-Van-Peer-Kyoso
1985 G Longland Antelope RT
1986 T Harris Weilersport
1987 N Perry G S Stella / Weilersport / VRV
1988 Mark Markowski Hastings & St Leonards
1989 Race stopped by Police
1990 S Bray Invicta-DLB / Phil Corley Cycles
1991 P Rogers VC St Raphaël / Waite Contracts
1992 B Fleming C C Romford
1993 R Wooles CC Abergavenny / Owen Construction
1994 C Langley C C Luton
1995 Martin Markowski Velo Club Bayeaux
1996 B Fleming Cannon Sports Club / Omega Bio Racer
1997 J Clarke Giant - Portland
1998 D Rand PDM Sports - Concorde - WCU
1999 P Wilkes VC St Martinus
2000 J Hoy Liphook Cycle RT
2001 J Winn Welsh Cycling Union Private Member
2002 B Elcombe Festival Road Club / Nico lapage
2003 Cancelled due to Flooding
2004 J Winn Pinarello RT/Pinarello/Corima
2005 C Newton recycling.co.uk/MG Xpower/Litespeed
2006 J Williamson Agisko-Dart-Cycling.tv / Xpower
2007 A Dowsett 100% ME
2008 James Stewart, KFS Special Vehicles
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