Blackpool Grand Prix

 

July 4, 2008

from Larry Hickmott

Rob Hayles shows who's number 1 with yet another victory after his wins at the Beaumont Trophy and the British Road Race Championships.

 

Since the Track Worlds earlier this year, a rider who has won Olympic and World Championship medals and was a double-World Champion in 2005, Rob Hayles, has been on a mission to gain selection for the Beijing Olympics. Whilst that decision is left to officials in the Great Britain Cycling Team, Rob is getting on with the job of letting his legs do the talking and his going from strength to strength.

 

After two intense weeks of training on the track in the Great Britain Selection camp for the Olympics, Rob Hayles has gone from being hot with wins in the Beaumont Trophy to name but one of many, to being on fire as he backed up his win in the British Road Race championships with a win in the Elite Circuit Series race at Blackpool.

 

The race started with the normal flurry of attacks with the likes of Kristian House and Chris Newton among those getting some time off the front. Newton, off to Majorca on Monday for the final pre-Olympic road training phase, was constantly creating moves. Hayles meanwhile,  took his time getting going in the race and after half the race had gone, chose his moment to drill it down the Promenade down past the Blackpool tower.

 

From that move, a break of around half a dozen riders got way and from that large group, three riders remained after more attacks from Rob and others in the break including Graham Briggs and Russell Downing. While the rest of the break were swallowed up by the peloton despite a strong move from Chris Newton and Tom Murray to stay clear, Downing, Briggs and Hayles kept on driving it and after a late attacked by Downing failed on the last lap, Hayles forced Briggs into leading the sprint out and from that, took the sprint easily in the battle between three of the fastest sprinters in the country.

Graham Briggs, winner of two rounds of the series, Rob Hayles and Russell Downing.

 

After the race, Rob told us he has worked bloody hard for the last two years and that gives him confidence going into the races. “I’m finally reaping the rewards from that in the last eight weeks. I’m happy with how it is going and angry at the same time when I’m racing. People know me as laid back and chilled out but I am starting to ‘hate’ everyone in the racing.”

 

“I love them all to death off the bike – well almost all of them – but on the bike I’m serious about winning and enjoying it.” On how he seemed to take the start of it very calmly, he explained “nothing was happening, and it is easy to wear yourself out  in a race like this so I could sit and watch. To be fair, I have got the speed where I can afford to wait and sit back and let something go five or tens seconds up the road and then jump across which I did a couple of times.”

 

“I’m oozing with confidence at the moment and although that may sound big headed but I am.” On how he felt in a break with two of the fastest guys in the country, he said “I was actually tired. Although I am going well, I am tired so I just made sure Briggsy took it up and did the last stretch. He didn’t want to but I made sure that he did because I knew if Russ had jumped I could go with him and used Briggsy to run up and gain some speed.”

 

“Russ, bless him, is in agony at the moment with a dodgy back and I know, especially on a downhill run like that they’d have to tie me down to beat me.”

 

Women's National Series Circuit Race

The first race of the night was a round of the Women's National Series and a surprisingly small field were there to battle for the 250 quid on offer for the winner. It must have been one of the biggest prizes this year but it was mainly a young and talented field of riders who took to the start line.

 

In among them was established Julie Mann who is a great talent in time trials and she used that strength many times to get away but the young up and coming stars of the future were not letting her get away. One of those included Youth rider Hannah Barnes (above) who showed what a talent she is when she won the bunch sprint to win the 250 pounds on offer. This came after a break with Julie Mann and Hannah Mayho failed to stick to the end despite Mann giving it absolutely everything for it to succeed, perhaps aware of the speed in a sprint these young riders had in them.

 

Hannah after the race said it was a good to race and win against older riders and then there was the money! The young lady is part of the East Midland’s Talent Team and admitted to not having done any preparation for this Criterium outside of her normal training in the week. It was her first time racing at this level other than a similar event in Milton Keynes which makes the victory against some very good riders all the more special. On her goals in the sport, Hannah explained “I’d like to get to the 2012 Olympics but there are a lot of good girls about. I like all types of racing but track especially.”

 

FIRST PHOTOS

 

Ladies Event

With the famous landmark of the Tower in the back ground, the riders are given the all go to start there race.

The setting is one of the most colourful for a race in Britain!

Hannah Mayho and Helen Clayton get away from the field for a spell of freedom off the front.

Julie Mann on the attack in the race

Hannah Barnes leads the field round the south turn of the race.

Riders came to the race from as far as the Isle of Man.

A young attacker has a spell of freedom off the front

Another of the breaks, with Julie Mann in it again (behind the lead rider)

And Julie Mann on the attack solo...

Chased down and joined by Hannah Mayho, a European Pursuit medallist in the Juniors.

Helen Clayton, Hannah Barnes and Hannah Mayho are on stage with commentator Hugh Porter and a VIP from Blackpool

 

Men's Elite Circuit Series Event

Russell Downing playing games with eventual winner Rob Hayles.

The riders are flagged away for their hour long race

Andy Tinsley gets his bike round the bollard at the south end of the circuit up and down the Promenade.

Kristian House, who was third on Wednesday night in Rochdale, was very active early on out front.

A dangerous break with Dean Downing and Chris Newton, both of Rapha Condor

... chased by Ian Wilkinson of Science in Sport

Stephen Adams looking strong and aggressive early on

Chris Newton leads Tony Gibb, Tom Murray, Dave Collins, Gary Adamson and Ian Wilkinson in another of the early moves

Evan Oliphant, Andy Tinsley and Ben Greenwood in another break.

Chris Newton certainly made a lot of moves and gave himself a good workout as he prepares for the Points race at the Beijing Olympics.

Rob Hayles makes an early break for freedom with Kristian House on his wheel

Oh to be a fly on the wheel and hear what's being said here...

Plowman Craven gave it everything to try and control the race but didn't have enough riders to control the race and the inform Hayles, Downing and Graham Briggs.

.. help was at hand though as others riders came to the front to chase the break and a chance of the big money (above and below)

Rob Hayles helps drag the leading trip away from the rest of the break who were later caught by the bunch.

Chris Newton chased here by Pete Williams, had a real go at crossing to the leaders.

Dean Downing wins the bunch gallop for fourth place.

Tony Gibb had a real go in the closing stages to bring the leaders back

Chris Newton and one his typically aggressive attacks. Watch out Beijing!

 

RESULTS (STRICTLY PROVISIONAL!)

 

Elite Men
1. Rob Hayles, Halfords Bikehut
2. Russell Downing, Pinarello
3. Graham Briggs, Rapha Condor/Recycling
4. Dean Downing, Rapha Condor/Recycling @ 5 seconds
5. Simon Holt, Rapha Condor/Recycling
6. Tom Murray, Pinarello
7. Andrew Tinsley, Pearl Izumi
8. Peter Williams, Pinarello
9. Kristian House, Rapha Condor/Recycling
10. Gary Adamson, FP Mailing

11. ?

12. Ian Wilkinson, Science in Sport/Trek

13. Jeroen Janssen, Pearl Izumi/PlanetX/High5

14. Ben Greenwood, Rapha Condor/Recycling

15. Evan Oliphant, Plowman Craven

16. Stuart Reid, Wheelbase

17. Stephen Adams, Pearl Izumi/PlanetX/High5

18. Paul Oldham, Hope Factory Racing

19. Steve Golla, Sigma Sport

20. Matt Jones Pearl Izumi/PlanetX/High5

21. Simon Earnest, AW Cycles

22. ??

23. James Sampson, Kinesis UK

24. Jon Mozely, Pearl Izumi/PlanetX/High5

25. Richard Hepworth, Wakefield CC

26. George Richardson, Private member

27. Richard Wilkinson, science in sport

28. Chris Newton, Rapha Condor/Recycling

29. Tom Diggle, Rapha Condor/Recycling

30. Simon Gaywood, Plowman Craven

31. James Millard, Plowman Craven

32. Tom Barras, Plowman Craven

 

Ladies National Series Circuit Race
1. Hannah Barnes, Palmer Park Velo
2. Hannha Mayho, Longstaff Cycles
3. Helen Clayton, CC Giro
4. Leanne Thompson, Lune RCC
5. Annie Last, Felt Racing
6. Kelly Moore, GS Strada
7. ELla Sadler-Andrews, Leisure Lakes
8. Penny Rowson, Team Chance
9. Charlotte Colclough, PM
10. Katie Fernenough, GS Surosa

11. Hannah Shenton, Team Chance

12. Kate Calvert, i-team

13. Claire Thomas, Edinburgh RC 

14. Kara Chsworth, Dysynn CC

15. Gabriella Shaw, Team Chevin Cycles

16. Amy Hunt, Colnago Ergon

17. Louise Murray, Ribbble Valley

18. Julie Mann, Altura

19. Michell Buck, Fatbirds CC

20. Alex Deck, Sportscover

21. Lynn Hamel, thegreengroup.com

22. Marie Stuart, Team Chance

23. Eve O'Hare, Team IOM

24. Edie Bassey, Team Fatbirds

25. Laura Allen, New Brighton

26. Maddy Robinson, Edinburgh RC

27. Laura Wesley, Team IOM

 

RELATED LINKS

2007 GP Blackpool de Dames
2007 Elite Men's Race