2008 Men's Road Race Championships

 

June 29, 2008

Report and photographs by Larry Hickmott

Dean Downing, Rob Hayles and Peter Kennaugh

 

Report
The winner of the 2008 British Road Race Championship is Rob Hayles of Halfords Bikehut. It was an awesome performance in an awesome race where it never stopped for the first two hours before it settled down in a break versus bunch competition.

 

Breaks came and went early on until a large group formed at the front with such notables as Dean Downing, Rob Hayles, Tom Southam, Daniel Lloyd, Peter Kennaugh, Matt Stephens and many more.  They built up a lead of more than 3 minutes and at that point everyone in the convy was thinking it was over as the Pinarello train was not doing any real damage to that lead.

 

In the break riders like Jonathon McEvoy worked themselves into boxes to stay away whilst in the peloton, David Millar and Ian Stannard were amoung the riders who helpe dbring the lead of the break down to  40 seconds from 3 minutes plus. It was not enough, and whilst the break at the front split into pieces after Halfords BikeHut's Tom Southam and Rob Hayles played the one two card a few times helped out by Peter Kennaugh, the peloton continued its chase and mopped up everyone up to Daniel Lloyd who was part of the last riders left in the break.

 

After the race, Rob had this to say...

 

After his great victory, Rob Hayles collapsed just after the line and said "This is along time coming this! A couple of occasions I have been near and I have known I was capable of it for a long time. I said this morning I am going to go out and try and win."

 

"I was cramping for the last 20k". Rob had attacked the group, not for the first that day I might add, and was going solo 20k out and riding like the proverbial motorbike and a large capacity one. Not matter how he tried though, he couldn’t shake off the three chasers, Dean Downing, Peter Kennaugh and Daniel Lloyd.

 

"I enjoyed that! When they started to bring me back I realised I’d gone too early. Out in the wind was difficult and it was more hilly than I thought it was. Because I knew they were bringing me back, I cruised a bit, tried to recover and I was able to sit on for a few K. I could see everyone was a bit legless so I had confidence I could it."

 

"I made my move on the descent again and was panicking because Peter (Kennaugh) was behind and he was going really well but I managed to hang on. It was great to have Tom in the break with me, he’s a fantastic rider (twice a Silver medallist in the British Champs) and I think we compliment each other really well."

 

Asked was this a statement to the GB team about his form and how he is as good as he has ever been? "Yeah. They know I am going well and I can’t do any more".

 

Much more later with reactions from the top three plus David Millar and Ian Stannard.

 

First Photos

Our thanks to John Greatorex for helping us be at the front line for all the action in this years Championship.

Riders come through the Duncombe Park gates as they roll out on for their race over 120 miles.

Mark Cavendish at the start of the race today.

First break of the day and the group is lad by Simon Gaywood and included Neil Swithenbank.

A chase group tries to get to the leaders

A new chase group forming with Tom Southam to chase the leading break

Junction is made between break and chasers.

Back in the peloton a chase group with Kieran Page and Roger Hammond try to get away

The break splits with Tom Southam and Alex Higham leading them away from the rest

Ian Stannard and Rob Hayles clip off the front of the peloton to chase.

For the first few hours, the bunch was lined out

Chase group including former double champion Jeremy Hunt catches the Southam group

As the bunch catches them, David Millar joins them off the front.

Southam gets a bottle from his Aussie wife...

Ian Wilkinson is the next to try his luck

Southam attacks again! Following is Jonathon McEvoy

Alex Higham lines out the field in the chase for Southam and Wilkinson

Rob Hayles joins a chase group with Alex Dowsett

Robin Sharman tries to get something going off the front of the peloton with Roger Hammond not far away.

Matt Stephens and others join Wilkinson and Southam

Dean Downing leads a chase group including Daniel Lloyd and Peter Kennaugh.

Rob Hayles impression of a motorbike as he leads the chase group in pursuit of the leaders. He was the first to get across to the leaders from the chase group he was in.

Simon Gaywood leads a chase behind and the peloton is lined out yet again!

Ryan Bonser, Russell Downing and Roy Chamberlain give chase

In the break Dean Downing gets some words of wisdom from manager John Herety

The break from which the winners came

Rob Hayles drives it and Jonathon McEvoy looks on surprised

Plowman and Pinarello lead the chase

Jonathon McEvoy leads the break down a steep descent.

Rob Hayles attacks and takes Downing with him

Then when he is caught, Southam goes

And then Hayles again!

Three riders get shelled from the break with all the attacking

David Millar and Ian Stannard lead the chase which saw the gap fall below a minute for the first time in a long time

Peter Kennaugh was strong, really strong and his driving at the front splits the break

Southam does his best after a long attacking race to get on terms while Matt Stephens has finally popped and Jonathon McEvoy too along with Kieran Page

Last lap of the second circuit and the rain starts to fall on the five leaders.

Hayles at it again -- it really was the best example of an attacking ride I had seen for a long long time if ever. He was that good today.

Downing, Lloyd and Kennaugh give chase

Hayles being brought back -- no matter. He let them catch him and then attacked them again closer to the finish -- masterful!

Hayles -- a popular winner!

Cavendish a very dissapointed fifth with Russell Downing sixth

Andy Tennant wins the bunch sprint

 

Result
1. Rob Hayles, Team Halfords Bikehut
2. Peter Kennaugh, 100% ME
3. Dean Downing, Rapha Condor/Recycling
4. Daniel Lloyd, An Post
5. Mark Cavendish, High Road
6. Russell Downing, Pinarello
7. Andrew Tennant, 100% ME
8. Daniel Fleeman, An Post
9. Jonathon Tierman Locke, Mid Devon
10. Jonathon Bellis, 100% ME
11. Alex Dowsett, 100% ME
12. Graham Briggs, Rapha Condor
13. Robin Sharman, Sigma Sport
14. Martin Forde, Private Member
15. Evan Oliphant, Plowman Craven

16. Andrew Bye, Sigma Sport
17. Simon Holt, Rapha Condor
18. Malcolm Elliott, Pinarello
19. Liam Holohan, Pearl Izumi
20. Kit Gilham, Kinesis
21. David Smith, VC Lyon
22. Rob Partridge, Rapha Condor
23. Rhys Lloyd, Rapha Condor
24. Hamis Haynes, Team Yawadoo
25. David Millar, Slipstream
26. Roger Hammond, High Road
27. Jeremy Hunt, Credit Agricole
28. Simon Richardson, Plowman Craven
29. James Spragg, Castelsarrasin
30. ?
31. Ben Swift, Team 100% ME
32. Tom Copeland, VS Quimper
33. Ryan Bonser, Rapha Condor
34. ?
35. Dale Appleby, Rapha Condor
36. Kristain House, Rapha Condor
37. Steven Lampier, Team Bouwkantoor
38. Mark McNally, Team 100% ME
39. Mark Wordsworth, Team Corley Cycles
40. Stephen Adams, Pearl Izumi

77 finishers

 

 

Under 23

1. Peter Kennaugh

2. Andy Tennant

3. Jonathon Bellis

 

 

RELATED LINKS

2008 Preview of the Championships