MORE PHOTOS FROM BELINDA SINCLAIR OF JUNIOR & 3/4 RACES
The Junior Ingear Tour of Sussex
May 25, 2008
A British Cycling Junior National Road Race Series Event
Report and pictures by Belinda Sinclair
2008 Michelin/Reynolds Junior Road Race Series
Erick Rowsell increased his lead in the British Cycling Junior National Road Race Series today with a convincing win in the fourth round, held near Beachy Head in East Sussex.
Helped by some strong support from his Corridori team mates throughout, Rowsell overcame the unexpected dry heat to ride an impressive race and cross the line 200 metres ahead of second placed Alexander King (GWR/Scott Wilson/Giant), with Rahpa Condor/Recycling’s Luke Rowe in third place.
The race
Anybody who believes that there are no hills in the south of England should complete a few circuits of the course of this year’s junior Tour of Sussex. Following a near square, the route had just about everything, from long straights, to short twists, steep, leg punishing climbs and strength sapping drags that seemed to go on forever, and culminating in an uphill finish at the highest point of the course.
And all laid out in just over seven miles, on exposed, treeless downland, flanked to the south by Beachy Head and the English Channel. Picturesque it might have been, especially in the unexpected and very warm sunshine, but an easy ride it definitely was not.
Conditions for the morning’s third category race were good – a cool start, no wind and more importantly, very little traffic, which allowed the race pattern to develop very early on with John Heaton -Armstrong of Mosquito Bikes making and early break, which he never lost. Jason Green of London Dynamo moved up to Heaton-Armstrong’s wheel for a while, before the Mosquito rider got away again to cross the line several minutes ahead of the peloton.
The Junior race initially looked like it would follow a similar pattern with two riders going out together after the neutralised zone, but the chasers were having none of it. After some wild riding down the steep descent from the Downs into East Dean in the by now hot sunshine main and building Bank Holiday weekend traffic , the two escapees were caught, and by the second lap had been absorbed by the front of the bunch which had started to form into small groups as the pace increased.
With Toby Meadows from Team Corridori driving the front eight, a second bunch of six which included series leader Erick Rowsell (Corridori) formed a chase group, setting the overall race pattern for the next few laps until Rowsell joined Meadows, and with Luke Rowe (Rapha Condor/Recycling) Alexander King (GWR/Scott Wilson/Giant), drove the pace to the finish. Rowsell won comfortably by 200 metres, increasing his points at the head of the series table, with Alexander King out sprinting Luke Rowe to take second by just over a bike’s length.
Luke Rowe gets his engine to the front and drive the break along ahead of his closest rival in the Junior series, Erick Rowsell.
Erick Rowsell: “It was tough today because we expected bad weather, but that never came and we had to make a few changes before the start – especially to drinking - but it went Ok. I had some great help from Toby (Meadows) and the rest of the team, and we got set up as planned in the main chase group and worked at it from there. The plan was for Toby to lead me down the road, and it worked out well.”
Also pleased with his ride was Alexander King. “I really like the course today, it suited me; I like the heat. I started off today sixth in the National series, and hopefully I’ve done enough today to get me to the European Road Championships at the end of June.”
Junior Result
1st Erick Rowsell Team Corridori 72 miles in 3:13:43
2nd Alexander King Team GWR @ 11"
3rd Luke Rowe Rapha Condor
4th David Nichols Glendene CC @ 28"
5th Guy Wilkins Bikeinmotion @ 39"
6th Jack Kirk Wye Forest CC
7th Toby Meadows Team Corridori
8th Nathan Edmonson Glendene CC @ 32"
9th Mark Christianson Team Isle of Man @ 45"
10th Tim Kennaugh Team Isle of Man @ 2'54"
11th Sam Redding Team GWR @ 3'00"
12th Tom Black Team Isle of Man @ 4'26"
13th Joel Davison Glendene CC @ 5'20"
14th Andrew Williams Cwmcarn Paragon @ 13'41"
15th Robert Bordi Beyond Moutain Bikes
16th John Cooper Wolverhampton Whls
17th Lewis Earthrowl-Gould Ingear Development Squad
18th Jamie Caldwell API-Metrow
19th Jake Hales Lotto Olympia Team Interbike
20th Colum O'Shea Team Isle of Man @ 19'56"
21st Daniel Mclay Leicestershire RC
22nd Joshua Cinningham Bayeus Landscapes
23rd Jack Salt Leisestershire RC @ 19'58"
24th Andrew Miles Bristol Cycing Dev Sq @ 20'26"
25th Dexter Gardias Torq Colnago @ 21'43"
26th Thomas Wood Aire Valley RT @ 25'00"
27th Alexander Bellinger Evans Cycles RT
28th Luke Dunbar Bristol Cycling Dev Sq
29th Cameron Carthew Ingear Development Squad
30th Charlie Beeny VC Jubilee
31st Robert White Bristol Cycling Dev Sq
Pictures
Winner was Erick Rowsell
'Sandy' King on his way to a great result.
3/4 Support Race
1st John Heaton-Armstrong Mosquito Bikes 54 miles in 2:20:15
2nd Jason Green London Dynamo @ 18"
3rd David Seager San Fairy Ann CC @ 1'49"
4th Joe Godding San Fairy Ann CC @ 2'43"
5th Chris Ansell Team Corridori
6th Tom Spreckley Ingear Development Squad
7th Daniel Felstead Dulwich Paragon
8th Andrew Combem Met Police CC
9th David White Private member
10th Tim Lawn Kingston whls
11th Torkel Dohmers London Dynamo
12th David Wilson Charlottville CC
13th Kevin Davey Norwood Paragon
14th Philip Murrell Finsbury Park CC
15th Graham Hadlow Bayeus Landscapes
16th Stuart Fahey Brighton Mitre
17th Shaun Reed Bayeux Landscapes @ 3'35"
18th Simon Bird Dulwich Paragon @ 4'32"
19th Doug Baldock Beyond Mountain Bikes @ 5'17"
20th Jason Salter Bayeux Landscapes @ 5'25"
21st Simon Thomson Icknield RC
22nd Nick Sky Brighton Mitre @ 9'59"
23rd Neal Marrin Finsbury Park CC @11'33"
24th Stephen Roach Norwood Paragon @ 1 lap
25th Jon Masters Redhill CC @ 1 lap