47th Eddie Soens Memorial Cycle Race

 

Aintree Racecourse, Saturday 1st March 2008
Report Kim Blythe, Pictures Larry Hickmott

Sponsored by Silverbeck Rymer Solicitors

 

Just added: Three photo albums from the race & In-depth race report and rider reactions

Tony Gibb equals the record with his fourth win in the Eddie Soens Memorial.

 

It was a blustery day as over 150 riders lined up for the 47th edition of the Eddie Soens early season classic.  This included three times race winner Tony Gibb, Dean Downing, Kristian House, Tom Barras, Simon Gaywood and James McCallum. Ready to mix with the senior riders were top juniors, Andy Fenn, Eric Rowsell and Luke Rowe. There was also a strong contingent of women riding, including some of the riders from the newly formed Team Halfords and Great Britain squad members.

 

However, it was Tony Gibb from Plowman Craven RT who took an emphatic victory, sprinting to take a well-deserved win for the fourth time. Gibb now holds the record for the number of wins in this event equalling Doug Dailey’s record from back in the 1970’s.

Gibb -- well pleased to have won it for a fourth time.

 

Fresh off the podium Gibb said: “It feels fantastic to win, it’s what we came here for. It went perfect for us today, we knew what Recycling were going to do. They tried to attack but the wind just didn’t allow that to happen. We didn’t quite have the full team lead out, but Evan (Oliphant) was a one-man motorbike down the back straight and gave me a perfect line out. As soon as I came off his wheel I knew that was it.” Gibb’s main focuses of the season will now be the Premier Calendar, but “as most of the events are hilly,” it will be the National Criterium series where he will be determined to shine.

 

Above: Dean Downing leads the break that had many thinking the race was over for the rest -- Plowman Craven had other ideas!

 

Second place rider, Dean Downing from Rapha-Condor Recycling showed great strength throughout the race, attacking to make breaks but did not have the legs to take on Gibb in the final sprint. He said: “ It was a hard race, no one could control it. There were two big teams in there -- our team Rapha-Condor Recycling and Plowman Craven and although we attacked nothing went away. At the end, the sprint was really hard to control, I just didn’t have the legs.” Looking forward to the rest of the season Downing said: “I’m looking forward to the Premier calendar next weekend, we’ve got a good squad this year.”

 

Jon Mozley from Pearl Izumi-Planet X was the third placed rider overall. He said: “It went well today, we’re a young team and worked well together. We tried to get into a few moves but it just didn’t work out. Coming into the sprint, it was very scary going down the back straight. I managed to get on Dean Downing’s wheel coming into the finishing straight down the outside of the bunch. Into the last corner Tony (Gibb) had already gone, so despite gaining on him a bit, we couldn’t catch him.”

Tom Southam, former Silver medallist in the British Road Race championships, returned this week to the cold of the UK from a rather warmer Australia.

 

How the race unfolded:
The Aintree racecourse once more sported the 50 mile handicapped event (30 laps) for the 47th year running, which is open to all racing categories. Fourth category riders, juniors and women were set off first gaining a three-minute advantage over their elite male rivals.

 

It was after only six laps of the course completed that the elite riders caught the front group, promptly forcing several riders out of the back of the group due to the speed. With 20 laps remaining, it seemed that it was a showdown between the two top teams Rapha-Condor Recycling and Plowman Craven RT, both attacking each other to try and get riders away. However, the wind was preventing any small breaks going and the group sucked up any attacks.

 

It wasn’t until ten laps to go that a dangerous group went away, gaining a 30 second lead on the main peleton. In this group was Dean Downing, Andrew Fenn, James Stewart, Liam Wild, Rob Partridge, Tom Barras, Chris Whorrell and two other riders whose numbers were osbscured. However, the Plowman Craven team took to the front, drilling each rider up in a line, and bringing back the lead group within just two laps. Downing tried to counter attack into the wind as the break was brought back, but he did not get far with the Plowman Craven team controlling every move.

Rhys Lloyd leads a break trying to go clear coming into the tailwind section.

 

As the bell rang it was once more Plowman Craven RT that controlled the front with the Rapha- Condor Recycling riders lining up behind them. For the first time in years, the Eddie Soens memorial was going to be down to a sprint finish. It was Gibb, who had stuck a 54 chain ring on knowing it would be a tailwind finish, that emerged first out of the bend and held his speed to the line, holding off Downing and under 23 rider Jon Mozley to take a popular win.

 

Impressively, finishing in the main peloton were a number of female riders, such as Great Britain academy rider, Lizzie Armitstead. Despite turning up late and having “heavy legs” after returning from training in Majorca the previous day, Armitstead did a superb ride.

She went on to say: “It’s been a great race to help me with for the World Track Championships at the end of the month. It’s good to race up a level as it’s so hard to do that on your own.” After the World Championships Lizzie is off to Belgium with her new team- Team Halfords to race the Tour of Flanders.

 

PHOTOS

The Plowman leadout train gets going as the bell rings out

 

Top three, Jon Mozely (3rd), Tony Gibb (1st) and Dean Downing (2nd).

Before the race, Mark McNally was given a trophy.

Early on, Tony Gibb was rather relaxed talking to Evan Oliphant.

A huge field of riders were on hand to start the race in the cold and strong winds.

A small group of three youngsters try in vain to hold the massive bunch behind them as the race comes together after only half an hour of racing.

The girls mass at the front of a middle group and show the men how to drive the pace along.

The stands of Aintree provide the backdrop for the riders as they struggle up the back straight into a howling wind.

Results

1. Tony Gibb Plowman Craven RT E 1:51:46
2. Dean Downing Rapha-Condor Recycling.co.uk E st
3. Jon Mozley Pearl Izumi-Planet X E st
4. Stephen Adams Pearl Izumi-Planet X 1 st
5. Giles Pidcock UK Cycle Shops.com 2 st
6. Ian Bibby SiS Trek 1 st
7. Mike Harrison Sigmasport 1M st
8. Mark McNally Team 100% Me E st
9. Tom Diggle Rapha-Condor Recycling.co.uk E st
10. Andrew Fenn Dolan RT J st
11. Mark Christian Manx RC J st
12. Josh James Kinesis UK 1 st
13. Phil West VC St Raphael 2 st
14. Adam Yates Sport City Velo YA st
15. Tom Barras, Plowman Craven RT
16. Richard Hepworth Wakefield CC 1 st
17. Simon Wilson Arctic-Premier RT 1 st
18. Evan Oliphant Plowman Craven RT 1 st
19. James Jackson Plowman Craven RT 1 st

20. Ryan Bonser Rapha-Condor Recycling.co.uk E st
21. Adam Bonser Rapha-Condor Recycling.co.uk E st
22. Karl Freeman Team Corley Cycles 1 st
23. Steve Jolley Onimpex Bioracer RT 3M st
24. Thomas Wieckowski Halesowen CC J st
25. Tom Southam Team Halfords Bikehut E st
26. Ashley Finn Pearl Izumi-Planet X 1 st
27. Jack Pullar Kinesis UK 1 st
28. Simon Gaywood Plowman Craven RT E st
29. Neil Coleman Plowman Craven RT 1 st
30. Adam Pinder Blackburn & District CTC J st
31. Graham Payne Preston CC 2M st
32. Martin Freeman Team Corley Cycles 1 st
33. Rob Partridge Rapha-Condor Recycling.co.uk E st
34. Tony Greenhalgh Maxgear RT 2 st
35. Greg Roche KFS Special Vehicles 1 st
36. Christopher Whorrall Manx RC J st
37. Dean Hitchings FP Mailing CT 3 st
38. Matthew Stephens Sigmasport E st
39. Lizzie Armitstead Team Halfords Bikehut W st
40. Lewis Balyckyi Ribble Valley Juniors CRC YA st

41. Kieran Friend KFS Special Vehicles 3 st
42. Steve Clarke Southport CC 3 st
43. Catherine Hare Team Halfords Bikehut W st
44. Kit Gilham Kinesis UK 1 st
45. James Sampson Kinesis UK 1 st
46. Mike Cuming Macclesfield Wheelers J st
47. Rhys Lloyd Rapha-Condor Recycling.co.uk E st
48. Katie Colclough Team Halfords Bikehut JW st
49. Daniel Drake Lancashire RC 2 st
50. Erick Rowsell Team Corridori J st
51. Philip Graves BC PM 2 st
52. Matt Cronshaw Kinesis UK E st
53. Simon Richardson Plowman Craven RT 1 st
54. Robert Smail Mid Devon CC 2 st
55. Liam Holohan Pearl Izumi-Planet X 1 st
56. Mark Lovatt Planet X RT 1 st
57. Matthew Jones Pearl Izumi-Planet X 1 st
58. Rob Orr Team Lacuna E st
59. Simon Yates Sport City Velo YA st

60. Dominic Jelfs MJS Racing J st
61. Daniel Smith VS Quimper 1 st
62. John Murphy CC Giro J st
63. Raphael Deinhart Pearl Izumi-Planet X 1 st
64. James Stewart KFS Special Vehicles 1 st
65. Daniel Quinn, FP Mailing
66. Alex Higham, Plowman Craven RT
67. Stephen Rudkin FP Mailing CT 2 st
68. Kristian House Rapha-Condor Recycling.co.uk E @0:15
69. James Millard Plowman Craven RT E st
70. Oliver Suart Ribble Valley Juniors CRC J @02:31
71. Leda Cox America's Dairyland W st
72. Simon Holt Rapha-Condor Recycling.co.uk E st
73. Graham Briggs Rapha-Condor Recycling.co.uk E st
74. Adam Wood Horwich CC 3 @03:12
75. Tom Last Kinesis UK 1 @03:20
76. Jessica Allen Team Halfords Bikehut W @ 1 lap
77. Sue Clarke BC PM W @ 1 lap
78. Lucy Martin Rapha ISB JW @ 2 laps
79. Katie Fearnehough Rapha ISB JW @4 laps
80. Michelle Bergstrand Lifeforce-Cervelo W @4 laps

 

Event Plus Points Competition
1. Rhys Lloyd Rapha-Condor Recycling.co.uk E 3 pts
2. Dean Downing Rapha-Condor Recycling.co.uk E 3 pts
3. Evan Oliphant Plowman Craven RT 1 3 pts

 

Category Awards
2nd Cat Giles Pidcock UK Cycle Shops.com 2
3rd Cat Steve Jolley Onimpex Bioracer RT 3M

4th Cat Daniel Quinn, FP Mailing
Junior Andrew Fenn Dolan RT J
Woman Lizzie Armitstead Team Halfords Bikehut W
Master C+  Steve Jolley Onimpex Bioracer RT 3M

 

RELATED LINKS
2006 Eddie Soens Report

Race Website: Go there

 

In Memory of:

EDDIE SOENS was one of the greatest cycling coaches in recent years and is remembered with particular fondness and respect because of his association with Kirkby  Cycling Club. Through his guidance and inspiration, he was largely responsible for many champions at local, national and world level.

 

Previous Winners 1962-2007
1962 Bruce O'Prey Liverpool Premier
1963 Doug Dailey Kirkby CC
1964 Doug Dailey Kirkby CC
1965 Ken Hill Liverpool Mercury RC
1966 Billy Whiteside Kirkby CC
1967 Pete Matthews Liverpool Mercury RC
1968 Les West Tunstall Wheelers
1969 Billy Whiteside Kirkby CC
1970 Doug Dailey Kirkby CC
1971 John Clewarth Kirkby CC
1972 Andy Whitehead Deeside Olympic
1973 Willi Moore Merseyside Wheelers
1974 Brian Rourke Tunstall Wheelers
1975 Kevin Apter Kirkby CC
1976 Ian Hallam Beeston RC
1977 Doug Dailey Kirkby CC
1978 Terry Dolan Liverpool Mercury RC
1979 Alan Nichols East Bradford CC
1980 Bob Barlow Manchester Police CC
1981 Phil Thomas Liverpool Mercury RC
1982 Gary Sadler GS Strada
1983 Neil Mitchell Kirkby CC
1984 Dennis Lightfoot Manchester Wheelers
1985 Eamonn Rooney VC Slough
1986 Karl Smith Clayton Velo
1987 Eamonn Rooney Alpha CC
1988 Bernie Burns Bradford Wheelers
1989 Pete Maxwell Kirkby CC
1990 Mark Gornall Manchester Wheelers
1991 Julie Hill Liverpool Mercury RC
1992 Matt Illingworth GS Strada
1993 Simon Lillistone North Wirral Velo
1994 Matt Illingworth North Wirral Velo
1995 Dave Williams RT Italia
1996 Dave Williams Team Ambrosia
1997 Glen Holmes Adidas Sci-con
1998 Matt Bottrill North Wirral Velo
1999 Steve Cummings Birkenhead North End CC
2000 Julian Ramsbottom Scunthorpe Poly CC
2001 Tony Gibb Team Quest
2002 Tony Gibb Team PCA - Orbea
2003 Chris Newton Corima RT
2004 Tony Gibb Plowman Craven RT
2005 Rob Hayles Recycling.co.uk
2006 Event cancelled due to snow
2007 Ian Stannard Team 100% Me