Newcastle Leazes Criteriums

 

Friday Night, June 13, 2008

Steve Walton Report & Pictures for British Cycling

 

Tom Southam (Halfords Bikehut) won the Elite race in Friday evenings Newcastle Leazes Crits. Southam narrowly outsprinted breakaway companion Simon Richardson (Plowman Craven RT) after the pair had broke away in the latter part of the race. The Leazes Circuit races,against the backdrop of Newcastle United's famous St James' Park football ground, included a series of youth rides, a 'Go-Race' for novices and an Elite one-hour race which saw past and present World and Olympic Medallists competing.

Left: Simon Richardson has been impressive this year on the road and in circuit races, helping to make the race and getting away in breaks and until Friday night with little reward, at least in UK races. That changed at Leazes when he was second to Tom Southam who admitted after London last week "I hate crits" and now he has a substantial pay packet in one -- will he admit to now liking them? I think we should be told Tom!

 

Elite race report

The combined forces of the Plowman Craven racing team would normally have provided the winner in an event that promised a first prize of £1,000 particularly with last years winner Chris Newton absent along with most of the Pinarello team and last years play makers Ian Wilkinson and Russell Downing. With 5 laps gone it seemed as though that is how the evening would work out as with 9 laps gone, a promising break had already formed with Dafydd Dylan (KFS Special Vehicles) James Millard (Plowman Craven), Marcin Bialoblocki (Sport Beans-Wilier) and Southham).

 

As the rest of the bunch which in itself had split in two, the front of the chase was a sea of pink and blue as Plowman Craven policed them. The lull allowed the rear of the race to rejoin with as Dean Downing (Rapha Condor) tried to force the pace to catch the chasers and a lap later they were altogether. With 47 minutes of hour plus 5 laps gone, Rob Hayles, who is still reminded at the start of his crash in the event two years ago when he is introduced to the crowd took over marshalling the bunch as Southam made the next promising move as he rode away with Simon Richardson (Plowman Craven).

Left: Rob Hayles, Right Simon Gaywood.

 

With the pair quickly carving out a 23 second lead, Hayles appeared to be either confusing the crowd, or trying to draw the sting of any potential chase as he also shot off the front, bringing the lead down to 20 seconds before easing up. As the leaders took the bell, only Downing still attempted to close the gap, although with the lead now up to 50 seconds even with Southam and Richardson easing before the final sprint, Downing was racing for third.

 

As the pair went head to head along the twisting finishing straight, it became clear that Richardson had timed it wrong and run out of gas before the line, as Southam appeared to lead out and hold on for the  win.

Third place saw the spectacular sprint the crowd were waiting for as five riders lined up across the narrow straight, with Tony Gibb, already the victim of one crash this week easing up to see Downing take the verdict ahead of Plowman Craven's Simon Gaywood , Hayles and Tom Murray (Pinarello RT).

 

Other events -- Novices

The Go-Ride Novices event saw an ambitious start by Newcastle Phoenix and Bike Biz editor Cartlon Reid who led the bunch through at the end of the first of 11 laps with a 10 second advantage before the pace was taken up by Shaun Teesdale (Stockton Whs) and Jon Chapman (Private Member). By half way through the 11 lap race, the main group had split and six riders clipped off the front with Chapman looking stronger as the laps ticked by. As the bell rang the Chapman, Reid and Teesdale were joined by Pierre Wyatt (Hargroves Cycles) to fight out the finish which Chapman took by a clear 5 seconds.

 

Category 2/3/4

The evening largest field, the supporting 2,3,4 event saw the race's primés as the main incentive to break the field until well into the last half when newly crowned North East Regional Road Race Champion Collin Humphrey (Activcycles) started to crank up the pace the only way he knows how to, hard fast and from the front.

 

However the gradual climb after the finish was never going to be enough to form a sizeable break as he had been hoping and with 3 to go in was former World 'Cross Championship selection Stuart Wearmouth (Picarsso-Pulman) leading fellow former National Junior 'Cross Champion Richard Kipling (MTS) away. Kipling, who has just returned to the sport after several years out showed he has lost little of his stamina as he pushed Wearmouth all the way to the line and losing narrowly losing the verdict.

 

Youth

Below is a series of photos from the Youth race from Steve Walton on behalf of British Cycling.

RESULTS

 

Youth Race - U12    
1.  Matthew Worton Stockton Wheelers U12 3m24s
2.  Jack Young Newcastle Phoenix U12 at 9s
3.  James Fawcett Hetton Hawks U12 same time
4.  Angus Brown Hetton Hawks U10 at 12s
5.  Hugh Green Border City Wheelers U12 at 15s
6.  Alex Foster Border City Wheelers U12 same time
7.  Joshua Reid Newcastle Phoenix U10 at 25s
8.  Hanna Reid Newcastle Phoenix U10 at 1m05s
9.  Thibau Milen Fietsen Tempo U10 at 1m19s
10.  Zoe Byers Fietsen Tempo U10 at1m35s
11.  Elliot Milen Fietsen Tempo U10 at 2m32s
     
Youth Race - U16    
1.  Sam Joung Hetton Hawks U16 7m44s
2.  Josh Teasdale Stockton Whs U16 same time
3.  Douglas Rae Hawick CC U16 same time
4.  Edward Fawcett Hetton Hawks U16 at 58s
5.  Lewis Johnson Private Member U16 at 1m11s

 

Novice Race    
1.  Jon Chapman Private Member  at 17m58s
2.  Pierre Wyatt Hargroves Cycles  at 5s
3.  Carlton Reid Newcastle Phoenix  same time
4.  Shaun Teasdale Stockton Wheelers  same time
5.  Brian Shepherdson Gosforth RC  at 13s
6.  Gordon Dunsmure Gosforth RC 4th at 29s
7.  Des Young Private Member  at 51s
8.  Douglas Rae Hawick CC U16 same time
9.  Richard Elsdon Cramlington CC  at 55s
10.  Tim Cook Newcastle Cheviot  at 1m17s
11.  Simon Young Newcastle Cheviot  at 1m23s
12.  Tim Bunting Private Member  same time
13.  David Halliwell Private Member  same time
14.  Daniel Wright Private Member  at 1m26s
15.  Richard Shawcross Private Member  at 1m50s
16.  Cristien Scott Private Member  at 3m03s
17.  Nick Scott High Peak Cycles Downhill Team  at 3m45s
17.  Gary Cartwright Mini Cheddar Racing  same time
19.  Paul Evans Bristol Cycling Development Squ 4th at 4m22s
20.  Richard Gordon Private Member  at 4m26s

 

Senior Race    
1.  Stuart Wearmouth Picarsso/Pulman RT 2nd at 40m03s
2.  Richard Kipling MTS CycleSport/Inkland RT 4th same time
3.  Damian Smith Wheelbase/Gore Bike Wear 2nd at 1s
4.  Kevin Byers Fietsen Tempo 3rd same time
5.  Tony Fawcett NFM RT 2nd same time
6.  Collin Humphrey Activcycles-Corbridge 2nd same time
7.  Gary Wearmouth Picarsso/Pulman RT 3rd same time
8.  Simon Baxter MTS CycleSport/Inkland RT 2nd same time
9.  Russell Bayliss G S Metro 3rd same time
10.  James Anderson Picarsso/Pulman RT 3rd same time
11.  Noel Clough Fietsen Tempo 2nd same time
12.  Antony Glover Derwentside CC 4th at 7s
13.  Thomas Murray PedalPower.Org.Uk/EnduraRT 4th at 8s
14.  Kate Cullen WV Barrhopoort 1st W same time
15.  Rob Graham Lotto Olympia Team Interbike 3rd Junior same time
16.  Darren Binks Hambleton RC 4th at 17s
17.  John Oldridge Airedale Olympic CC 3rd same time
18.  John Cann Barnesbury CC 3rd same time
19.  Stuart Morris Fietsen Tempo 4th at 1m33s
20.  John Brown ActivCycles-Corbridge 3rd same time
21.  Jonathan Powell Gosforth RC 4th same time
22.  Cameron Fraser Felt Racing 3rd same time
23.  Adam Robertson NFM RT 2nd same time
24.  Justin Robinson MTS CycleSport/Inkland RT 2nd same time
25.  John Davidson NFM RT 2nd same time
26.  Chris Bush Gosforth RC 2nd same time
27.  Matt Garnett Activcycles-Corbridge 3rd same time
28.  Kirsty Harris Johns Bikes 4th same time
     
Prime Winners:     
1st Prime 8 Simon Baxter MTS CycleSport/Inkland RT 2nd
2nd Prime 24 Collin Humphrey Activcycles-Corbridge 2nd
3rd Prime 24 Collin Humphrey Activcycles-Corbridge 2nd
4th Prime 27 Stuart Wearmouth Picarsso/Pulman RT 2nd
     

Elite Race    
1.  Tom Southam Team Halfords Bikehut Elite at 1h05m45s
2.  Simon Richardson Plowman Craven RT Elite at 1s
3.  Dean Downing Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk Elite at 44s
4.  Simon Gaywood Plowman Craven RT Elite same time
5.  Rob Hayles Team Halfords Bikehut Elite same time
6.  Tom Murray Pinarello RT Elite same time
7.  Tony Gibb Plowman Craven RT Elite at 45s
8.  Matthew Kipling Pinarello RT Elite same time
9.  Stephen Adams Pearl Izumi/ Planet X/ High 5 R 1st same time
10.  Tom Barras Plowman Craven RT Elite same time
11.  Peter Hawkins Usher Irish Road Club 1st at 46s
12.  Marc Perry Sports Beans Wilier Elite same time
13.  Dafydd Dylan KFS Special Vehicles/ Sunday Bi 1st same time
14.  Wouter Sybrandy SigmaSport/ Specialized/ Sportf Elite same time
15.  Simon Holt Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk Elite at 48s
16.  Liam Holohan Pearl Izumi/ Planet X/ High 5 R 1st same time
17.  Jon Locke Mid Devon CC 1st at 50s
18.  Alex Higham Plowman Craven RT Elite at 53s
19.  James Millard Plowman Craven RT Elite at 1m21s
     
Prime Winners:     
1st Prime  Simon Gaywood Plowman Craven RT Elite
2nd Prime  Simon Richardson Plowman Craven RT Elite
3rd Prime  Tom Murray Pinarello RT Elite
4th Prime  Marc Perry Sports Beans Wilier Elite
5th Prime  Dean Downing Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk Elite
6th Prime  Tom Southam Team Halfords Bikehut Elite
7th Prime  Rob Hayles Team Halfords Bikehut Elite
8th Prime  Tom Southam Team Halfords Bikehut Elite
     
Points Winner  Simon Richardson Plowman Craven RT Elite

Dean Downing, one of the leading riders in circuit races this year -- the leading rider if his position in the British Cycling Elite Circuit Series is anything to go by and at Newcastle he rode well to get third even if before he admitted to really wanting that winners purse -- didn't everyone Deano!