Robert Price Grand Prix of Wales
June 22, 2008; Abergavenny (Wales)
Report & Pictures Larry Hickmott
Note: Photo albums now available -- see the Gallery buttons at the top of the page.
Race Report Update & Interviews
Russell Downing in the Best Form Ever?
As road races go, this one in Abergavenny was all go from the moment the flag dropped. It was one of two UCI single day road races this year in Britain outside of the National Championships and very different to the last one, the East Midlands Classic. With a number of foreign teams on the start line, all willing to take the race to the British riders, it was a recipe for a successful race and a success it was.
After continuous rain the day before, we awoke to not rain but the sound of a gale blowing outside and that was just one more element that was bound to make the race tough for the 100 plus riders. By the time we arrived at the start finish outside the local fire brigade headquarters, the temperatures were a little on the cold side and the wind was blowing as strong as ever but the sun was at least out from time to time to warm what skin there was exposed to the elements.
At 11am, the race started and the big field wound its way out of Abergavenny and the beginning of an epic day on the back of a motorbike watching a great race unfold. Despite the wind, the riders were attacking this race as soon as the flag was dropped a few miles outside of the town of Abergavenny. The photo blog of the race (below) will show you how the race unfolded and at the top of this report, are several photo albums of what was a wonderful race and a great credit to Bill Owen and his team.
I’d especially like to thank the Welsh NEG for not only helping the police to keep the race safe but also organising my ride for the race, motor pilot John Greatorex who helped get all the key moments of the race captured forever. The weekend in Abergavenny may have had its problems but the international races held, both of them, were great spectacles and a great asset to the racing calendar for Britain.
Before the race I spoke to Ben Swift, riding for Great Britain and he said that he certainly felt the Friday night race in his legs when he went for a two hour ride on Saturday. “I felt it a lot on the chest yesterday out riding but the legs felt quite good. We did two hours quite easy and timed it quite well to miss the rain.”
Ben felt the wind was going to be a major factor and even on the motorbike we felt the strength of it especially on top of the big mountain in the race. After the race I spoke to some of the key riders in the race starting with Peter Kennaugh who rode an awesome race for a first year senior. A star of the future is quickly making a name for himself. “The style of the racing is so different to Italy. Italian racing is quick and gets quicker and you what is going to happen but over here you have to really focus and look for moves all the time.”
“That makes it difficult mentally and physically and if you miss the move it is such an effort to get across. The second time over the climb, I saw the move go and Swifty go with it and thought I’ll leave the others to chase (Peter also rides for Great Britain). Then it was up to me to jump across to it. Rod said to me give it everything so I did with two laps to go but as I was getting on to them, I see Russell clipping off the front.”
“So I worked with the chasers for a lap and then did the same on the climb again.”
He admitted that the wind over the tumble was pretty hard, especially with him being small and light, but that the wind was not as bad as expected as the roads were sheltered with the hedges and trees for a lot of the course. Peter now heads for the National Road Race championships and is hoping for a good ride saying, “I just came out of a stage race a few days ago and I don’t feel at my best so hopefully with a week’s recovery with some structured training I’ll be going even better.”
Martin Forde (who has had three second places this year): “I felt good today. With three laps to go I attacked and split the group and got about thirty seconds and thought, christ, I’m going to win this. Then Russ and the others caught me with two to go and Russ went hard where I had gone hard the previous lap and I just didn’t quite have it. In the end he got it quite easy by over a minute.”
“A tough circuit like this will always suit some one small like myself and Russell. I always do better on these types of circuits. I didn’t start racing until mid April and almost didn’t race this year.” Then, the final word was to say he must have done a lot of hard work to get to this point in his form to which the reply was “not really!”
Malcolm Elliott: “It was quite an active race, constantly chopping and changing and the Tumble was that big obstacle we knew we had to get over. Once we got over that, the race started to get a bit more active again. I went away with that chase group at the end and it was a very hard finishing circuit. I had the ‘25’ on for the Tumble and thought I won’t need that any more but I needed to use it on the finishing circuit.”
“It kept going up and up and up and I was glad when Russell came up to us because I didn’t feel confident of how I was going to be.” On it being a good team performance, Malcolm agreed (as did team owner Phil Griffiths) saying they had four in the lead break at one point. In the last couple of weeks its been great for us all and we have a great unit.”
Russell Downing: “Yesterday I didn’t feel very good. Friday night was a really hard race, twisting and turning through all the bends and putting the power down for a whole hour and a half. I had a hit out on the Tumble yesterday and didn’t feel brilliant but I know I needed to have the hit out to get Friday out of my legs.”
“I felt good in the race today though and on the last bit, I felt really good.”
“I knew with the Tumble after only forty miles that riders would be saving their legs for that and nothing would stay away and then I went for the prime to give myself a hit out and won that as well.”
“I was bit upset a few weeks ago when I broke a bone in my hand and was wondering what that was going to do to me and I have tried to stay focused and train but also rest it at the same time. I think I have trained more than I have rest it and it’s feeling good now. Friday was the first time I have ridden without the brace and its comfortable now.”
“It is always nice to win on your own. Anything can happen on a fast down hill sprint. What I was aware of was Peter Kennaugh coming up to the leading four group so I didn’t want him coming up and reinforcing Ben Swift’s chances so I just rode hard on the climb and then for the last part, big ringed it and got the gap.”
“On the tumble, it was horrible the wind. The Italian was away and Jonathon Locke I think it was on the front and although there were a few guys wanting to force the pace, it was never going to split major. It was over the top that it split but it was good to have the Tumble in it.”
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Event Press Release
FORMER British road champion Russell Downing is in pole position to become the National Road Race Champion again after he completed a brilliant weekend double by taking both major events at the Abergavenny International Festival of Cycling. The 29-year-old from Rotherham claimed the Get Connected! International Criterium on Friday night in a sprint finish.
But he made sure there was nobody near him on Sunday and was nearly a minute ahead of second-placed young British star Peter Kennaugh after 103-miles of the Robert Price Grand Prix of Wales after a magnificent race around the roads of Monmouthsire. Downing has now won eight big races this year but said the Grand Prix was a highlight of the season. He said: "Friday night was hard with all the twisting and turning of the town centre and I powered out for a full hour and a half there. I had a hit-out on the Tumble yesterday and I didn't feel brilliant but I know I had to get Friday out of my legs."
Victory for Russell Downing
"I felt good in the race and then, in the last part, I felt really good." The three kilometre climb on the Tumble Mountain, between Abergavenny and Blaenavon on Sunday, was meant to be where the 133-man field would split apart. However, Italian DavideTorosantucci put in a serious attack going up the category one clime . But the telling part came on the finishing circuit where the kilometre climb up Pen-Y-Fal Hill - which had to be completed eight times - was the decisive stage.
Some of Britain's best riders, including Athens Olympic Games track rider Rob Hayles, found it too much to conquer while Chris Newton, who is pre-selected for this year's Beijing Olympics, also suffered and finished the race six minutes behind Downing. The race confirmed that Downing is the form man of British cycling at the moment. He added: "I don't know if people had the Tumble in the back of their minds. I knew where it was, in that the climb was only after 40 miles, and nobody was going to ride away from there."
Kennaugh, from the Isle of Man, will join his fellow islander Mark Cavendish next Sunday when they battle for the National Road Race Championships with Downing. Kennaugh said: "It was a really good race and well organised. It came down to who was the best, basically. The style of riding here is different to what I know in Italy."
Peter Kennaugh is second.
He admitted how tough the finishing laps - eight in all - were, saying: "It was really hard. The first time up it, I attacked and I knew straight away that I should not have done that so I stayed in the pack after that. After that, there were plenty of people who wanted to attack. I just got onto the group he (Downing) was on and then he attacked again and I thought I wouldn't chase him."
"Rod (Ellingworth. British Under-23 coach) said 'go for it'. I had a go but it was going to turn into a time trial and I always knew I was going to be second. But I'm really pleased with that and, having come out of a six-day stage race and only had half-an-hour on Friday (in the Crits), I was really determined to turn it around and look forward to the Nationals next week with good morale."
Third-placed Martin Ford, from Stoke-on-Trent, was a surprising podium winner and said: "I've never ridden the Tumble so I went up it yesterday. I'm really pleased I completed the finishing circuit and that is what finishing laps should be. It was an awesome course. "The Tumble was tough and I lost a wheel over it. The headwind on the top is where the group was split, really."
Martin Forde gets third.
Robert Price Grand Prix of Wales Official results
1. Russell Downing (Pinarello RT) - Four hours 16mins 18 secs
2. Peter Kennaugh (100% ME) @ 56 seconds
3. Martin Ford (South Regional) @ 1.08mins
4. Matt Stephens (Sigma Sport) @ same time
5. Malcolm Elliott (Pinarello RT) @ 2.32mins
6. Marcin Bialoblocki (Sports Beans/Wilier) @ same time
(Full result below after photo report of the race)
RACE STORY IN PHOTOS -- EXCLUSIVE TO BRITISH CYCLING
Thanks to my pilot, John Greatorex, British Cycling is able to bring you all the key moves in the race as this awesome international event unfolded over four hours in the hills around Abergavenny.
Teams signed on before the race started at 11am.
The eventual winner Russell Downing signs on as the sunshine makes an appearance.
After the hard work comes playtime for the riders on the podium
The riders start in Abergavenny at 11am.
Race neutralised, the riders leave Abergavenny. A puncture for a rider delayed the flag being dropped for a few miles.
Thanks to the Welsh NEG, and the police, the riders were looked after with a rolling road closure
First attacker of the day was Tommi Martikainen of the Kalev sport team
Martyn Irvine and Alex Dowsett go on the chase for the Kalev rider
Dowsett and Irvine come back to the fold
Dowsett then tries again with Pete Williams and catch the first attacker.
But these three come back to the bunch.
More breaks form...
James McCallum and an Italian rider escape the bunch
A small group forms at the head of the race with Ryan Bonser, Andy Tennant, Peter Williams and two riders from foreign teams.
Dowsett leads the break in full flight
Elliott about to launch and chase down the break solo as Matt Stephens piles on the pressure at the front as he does -- always!
After Elliott goes, Stephens too tries his luck
The break at the front of the race starts to get new arrivals...
The pace in the break sees it splitting on the road to Monmouth
The crowds came out in Monmouth to watch the race pass by
One of the Felt riders who was doing a lot of work on the front - a lot of work!
The break wasn't hanging about and lined out
Italian Davide Torosantucci of the Katay RT goes away on the Tumble -- note the size of the break which has swelled considerably in the final few miles before the mountain climb
The break was calm as they went over the top of the Tumble and headed for the descent.
Simas Kondrotas in the tuck position on the descent of the Tumble.
The breaks stretches out on the Tumble descent
At the bottom, a puncture for Liam Holohan
As they start the finish circuit, the Italian again attacks and quickly opens up a big gap which he keeps alive for four of the eight laps of the tough finishing circuit
Stephens, Elliott, Hayles and Oliphant in pursuit of the Italian rider.
Marcin Bialoblocki leads the chase in the bunch
Elliot gives Stephens a push to the front as Hayles powers off the front. On the flat, Hayles was awesome, on the hills, he was much less so and in his words, the body closes down when the road goes up!
Chris Newton goes on the attack in the chase group
Cheered on by his parents, Ben Swift goes off to chase down the break.
Hayles and Southam lead the bunch chasing the break -- Hayles was dropped on the climb they had to do eight times and it was some climb!
Back together, Martin Forde breaks away
But is caught and Kieran Page has a dig
The Italian is caught after pressure by Martin Forde among others.
Martin Forde goes off again ...
Stephens goes off and chases Forde and Downing makes his move just behind him
A lead group of four, Swift, Forde, Stephens and Downing.
Peter Kennaugh launches a lone chase from behind.
Downing attacks the break two laps out ... simply awesome!
This was no easy climb but Russell uses the big ring to make hay while the sun shines
Robert Price Grand Prix of Wales Official results
1. Russell Downing (Pinarello RT) - Four hours 16mins 18 secs
2. Peter Kennaugh (100% ME) @ 56 seconds
3. Martin Ford (South Regional) @ 1.08mins
4. Matt Stephens (Sigma Sport) @ same time
5. Malcolm Elliott (Pinarello RT) @ 2.32mins
6. Marcin Bialoblocki (Sports Beans/Wilier) @ same time
7. Evan Oliphant (Plowman Craven) @ same time
8. Robin Sharman (Sigma Sport) @ same time
9. Liam Holohan (Pearl Izumi/Planet X/High 5) @ same time
10. Tom Southam (South Regional) @ same time
11. Andy Tennant (Great Britain Under-23) @ 3.20mins
12. Davide Torosantucci (Katay Cycling Team) @ 3.48mins
13. Kieran Page (Pezula Racing) @ 4.04mins
14. Chris Newton (Rapha Conder Recycling) @ 6.05mins
15. Simon Richardson (Plowman Craven) @ same time
16. Ben Swift (Great Britain Under-23) @ same time
17. Alex Higham (Plowman Craven) @ 6.57mins
18. James Dobbin (Arctic Premier) @ 7.16mins
19. Simas Kondrotas (Lithuania) @ 7.21mins
20. Tom Murray (Pinarello RT) @ same time
21. Cameron Jennings (Pezula Racing) @ same time
22. Will Bjerefelt (South Regional) @ same time
23. John Tiernan-Lock (Ajchva Limoux) @ same time
24. Mark Thwaites (Sports Beans/Wilier) @ 11.23mins
25. Neil Swithernbank (Sigma Sport) @ 12.43mins
26. Aidis Kruopis (Lithuania) @ one lap
27. Mark Wordsworth (Team Corley Cycles) @ one lap
28. Daniel Duguid (Sigma Sport) @ one lap
29. Dave Coulson (Sports Beans/Wilier) @ one lap
30. Gediminas Bagdonas (Lithuania) @ one lap
31. Jonny McEvoy (100% ME) @ one lap
32. Alex Dowsett (100% ME) @ one lap
32 finishers
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