Tour of Blackpool
July 6, 2008
A British Cycling Premier Calendar Event
Report and pictures Larry Hickmott
Top three in Blackpool -- Ian Stannard (2nd), Russell Downing (1st) and Rob Hayles (3rd)
On the flat and wet roads around Blackpool on Sunday, the Tour of Blackpool Premier Calendar race was a roller coaster of highs and lows and won in the end by Russell Downing who has dominated this years Premier Calendar Series.
The day started wet and windy and finished that way but in between the skies were kind even if the wind continued to cause havoc in the bunch. In short, a break was created by Raphael Dienhart of the Pearl Izumi team who attacked in the opening miles and one by one, two by two, riders joined it to create a break of around a dozen riders. Riders in that break included James Sampson (Kinesis), Dale Appleby (Rapha Condor), Dan Duiguid (Sigma Sport), Peter Williams, Tom Murray (both Pinarello) and Steve Lampier (Bouwkantoor Lippens).
They were eventually joined by among others the new British Road Race Champion Rob Hayles (Halfords Bikehut) who had been dragging the peloton along before going it alone and getting across along with Kristian House and Chris Newton (both Rapha Condor) and Simon Gaywood (Plowman Craven). That extra firepower was not enough though and with the gap between 30 and 40 seconds, Ian Stannard did his thing and dragged the bunch up after his hopes of joining that break were dashed by a puncture.
The early break go past the Blackpool windmill...
More attacks followed before a group got away with what seemed like the right combination. Riders in it included Hayles, Russell and Dean Downing, Ian Stannard, Tony Gibb and Evan Oliphant and lots more. Not just the strongest riders but also the major teams but to start with, it was a ragged mess and the only way the riders could keep the pace up was by attacking each other.
While a chase group formed behind with the likes of Rob Sharman and Ian Wilkinson to name but two, the riders in the break continued to attack each other. This eventually caused a split and after a lull in the break away attempts, they resumed on the final two laps and the most crucial was one with Ian Stannard, Rob Partridge and Evan Oliphant. Russell Downing jumped across to it and that left Hayles to chase on his own as the riders with him all had teammates in the break.
We left the race at this point but later Downing explained he attacked his three rivals in the break and took Stannard with him. While the other two fell back to the chasers, Downing and Stannard put almost a minute into the chasers and in the pouring rain again, Russell Downing won the sprint for the big prize.
In pouring rain, Russell Downing wins in Blackpool from Ian Stannard.
Afterwards, Russell Downing had this to say: On the early break he explained “not every team was represented in it so we did a bit of riding, Sigma were riding and so was Stannard and it was good for it to come back. Once that happened, the race hotted up and another break went away. There were too many guys in there and too many guys being cagey and not wanting to blow after what had been a fast race”.
“It was quite frustrating at times as guys were crashing, sitting up, losing wheels and so we kept attacking, Rob, Dean, and all the guys who were obviously up for the win wanted to whittle it down and that is what happened.”
“On the last two laps there were a lot of attacks and everyone was starting to get tired and it became a matter of who could sustain the effort. I went across to a break of three and then I went for a win coming into Blackpool as we came off the circuit and Ian came with me. It looked like they were going to bring us back and we worked really hard through the little corners and the time gap went up to 30 seconds and then 58 and finally over a minute on the line.”
On what was the hardest thing about the circuit, he said “the constant speed and people thinking that if they have three guys in a split that has just gone, they let the wheels go. So you have to be aware of who is where and around you and not just riding in the wheels but be aware of who is letting the wheels go too. That’s the thing, you can ride as hard as you can but you’re not going to split it and it’s just a matter of riders sitting up and letting things go.”
“At the end, I didn’t want to leave it to a sprint as anything can happen on a long straight sprint like this and I preferred it the way it was”.
On his break he is having right now, he says “it’s more a pressure break and I have been getting out for two or three hours and riding my bike and now there is not a lot on. After his fifth win in seven races, finally, was he going to let anyone else get a look in – smiling, he replied “no, I’m not!”
Ian Stannard goes to the front of the peloton and does his thing and closes the break down
Ian Stannard: “Last week was difficult getting used to British racing again so this week I was more aware of what was going to go on this week which made me optimistic. I was more determined this week not to miss the break and went across with Haylesy and some others and got a puncture but luckily Griffo in Pinarello gave me a wheel which I’d like to thank them for.”
“This meant I’d missed the break and so I had no choice but to go to the front (of the peloton) and tow it back it up. I just sat there at a good tempo and rode it back pretty much by myself. I knew Rob and Russell were going to be good today and would work hard and Plowman seemed like they wanted to keep trying things which was good.”
On the second break which he did get into, he says “it was a bit stop start and no-one really wanted to pull their weight because it was quite a big group so we started to whittle it down in the cross winds. I sat back a times and looked at who was making the moves and getting away and knew I could ride across to anything so those that got up the road didn’t worry me. If it was the right combination, I’d jump across to it.”
“When Russ and me got away, it was good just going through and off flat out. Before that I wasn’t going flat out but once I was away with Russ it was getting quite grippy and the day was starting to catch up with me. Most of my races are a good 50k longer than this so I knew I could do the distance.
Ian said that because of the Tour de France, there isn’t a lot of racing on so he’s at home getting in some training and hoping to get selected to ride with a GB team at the Tour of Britain.
Photo Report
Thanks to motorcycle pilot John Greatorex for helping us bring you these photographs.
Riders are flagged away in the rain at Blackpool
It took a mile or so longer for the attacks to come today...
... and first attacker was Raphael Dienhart of the Pearl Izumi team
This move soon gathered some more riders but the gap as you can see was not much
As the gap opened though, more chase groups started to form
Tony Gibb goes chasing motorbikes while Rob Hayles does his impression of one at the front of the peloton.
Gibb is caught and Hayles continues to chase the break.
Riders go clear as the chase for the break intensifies
A new break starts to form
Rob Hayles crosses to it on his own and a crash in the peloton as a couple of riders tangled.
Jon Mozely and Dave Collins cross to the break too
Pete Williams tries to inject some pace in the break where the riders were yet to gel
And as Williams pulled over, Stannard takes over.
Break gets some drinks...
While the chase in the peloton was still as furious as ever despite all the big teams having their main riders in the break.
With the riders in the break not working well, the attacks to get a selection made were coming thick and fast with three laps to go.
Finally, the break starts too look purposeful
Only in Blackpool....
Robin Sharman leads a chase group
Hayles gets a helping hand in his hour of need....
Sharman takes a drink in the feed zone
While Russell Downing gets his from the Pinarello team car.
And while Russ feeds, his brother Dean leads a break away
And Hayles goes and chases them down
Matt Cronshaw leads Dean Downing as the rest start to bring them back with over a lap to go
As they get caught, Ian Stannard goes on the attack
And when he is brought back, Russell Downing has a dig.
The break is split in two by the constant attacking
Dean Downing leads brother Russell, Rob Partridge, Ian Stannard and Rob Hayles
Three riders goes clear, Partridge, Oliphant and Stannard.
More attacks followed when it came back together
Key moment, Ian Stannard takes Oliphant and Partridge with him again, while Russell Downing crosses alone
The gap is not much but Hayles who had done a lot in the race is struggling to close it down.
Rob Hayles wins the sprint for third after his group caught Oliphant and Partridge who had been dropped by Downing and Stannard.
Next sprint as chasers lead by Ian Wilkinson cross the line
Bunch gallop down a soggy Promenade
Results (provisional)
1. Russell Downing, Pinarello 95 miles 3.30.45
2. Ian Stannard, Landbouwkredit/Colnago @ 3 seconds
3. Rob Hayles, Halfords Bikehut, @1.02
4. Peter Williams, Pinarello
5. Evan Oliphant, Plowman Craven
6. Dean Downing, Rapha Condor/Recycling
7. Tony Gibb, Plowman Craven
8. Rob Partridge, Rapha Condor/Recycling @3.55
9. Ian Wilkinson, Science in Sport/Trek
10. Andy Roche, Pinarello,
11. Dale Appleby, Rapha Condor/recycling
12.
13. Alex Higham, Plowman Craven
14. Tom Murray, Pinarello
15. Stephen Adams, Pearl Izumi
16. Matt Cronshaw, Kinesis
17. Richard Cartland, Team Corley Cycles
18. Ben Greenwood, Rapha Condor/recycling
19. ??
20. Simon Wilson, Arctic Premier RT
77 Finishers
