2008 British Circuit Race Championships
August 1, 2008; Beverley (East Yorkshire)
A British Cycling Championship Event
Report and Photos Larry Hickmott
Three rather champagne drenched riders on the podium after the British Circuit Race Championships, Tony Gibb, Dean Downing and Rob Hayles.
Promoted by the Hull Thursday Road Club, top class cycle racing returned to the picturesque town of Beverley with the running of the British Cycling National Circuit Race Championships on Friday evening. In front of a large crowd, the race was all action from the word go and the winner after around 80 minutes of racing was Dean Downing (Rapha Condor) who beat Rob Hayles and Tony Gibb in a nail biting finish to win the big trophy of the night and add his name to the role of honour that includes the likes Mark Cavendish and his own name several years ago (2002).
The night out in East Riding
After the devastating floods in 2007, the historic town of Beverley was looking great for some bike racing when we arrived there on Friday afternoon. At 4pm, the place was a hive of activity as the barriers were being erected and curious on-lookers stopped to ask questions about when it was all going to start.
A brief shower of very light rain was threatening to spoil the party but that didn’t last and while a group of young riders took part in the Go-Ride Activities, a much bigger field of a hundred plus runners took to the course for a race around the cobbled streets of Beverley. As that race unfolded in front of a growing crowd, a spectator was taken ill with a presumed epileptic seizure which was dealt with swiftly by the race medical team.
With an ambulance required, and another required at the race to cover that event, the start of the cycle racing was delayed as the medical staff arranged to transport the person to hospital by a 999 ambulance which for a while blocked the course. And only yards from there, was the sight of the popular Rob Hayles, three times an Olympic medallist, being interviewed live on BBC North where he even got to show off his ‘pimped up’ Chris Boardman bike with its white Zipp wheels.
First race off was the support race and the attacks off the front were dominated by eventual winner Paul Noton and Julian Grommett. They were in several breaks off the front and after Grommett got away in the closing stages, he was joined by Noton and it was these two who contested the sprint for the win with Noton getting the verdict.
Elite Circuit Race
And the race is flagged away in bright sunshine.
A big field of around 70 riders started this race in front of a large crowd that was lining the barriers the whole way along the long finishing straight. With Mike Smith commentating and a brass band playing in the market square alongside the course, there was a great atmosphere as the racing got under way and Kristian House got away on his own.
After a great Sachsen-Tour in Germany recently where he helped teammate Dean Downing to a stage win on the longest stage of the race, Kristian managed quite a few laps of freedom before being brought back. His break was to be followed by many similar lone or small break efforts from the likes of Simon Holt, Graham Briggs, Ryan Bonser, Dean Downing (all Rapha Condor), former champion Russell Downing and Tom Murray (Pinarello), and Tom Southam, Rob Hayles (both Halfords Bikehut).
These constant attacks kept the pace high and the group lined out across the cobbles for more than half of the race before a split occurred and over a dozen riders got clear by a few seconds.
This group included Dean Downing, Stephen Adams (Pearl Izumi), Russell Downing, (Pinarello), Adam Duggleby (Shorter Rochford), Dale Appleby and Rob Partridge (both Rapha Condor), Tom Murray (Pinarello), Ian Wilkinson (Science in Sport) and James Sampson (Kinesis), James McCallum (Plowman Craven), and Malcolm Elliott (Pinarello). It certainly took the race to a new level as the bunch behind started to really give it full gas and then some to close the move down.
The pace was so high by now that splits were occurring all over the place – in the break and in the peloton. We had ourselves a real bike race! In amongst the chaos of the racing were quite a few riders coming by on the cobbles on flat tyres including defending champion McCallum and crashes which took out Lewis Meadows (who went to hospital we understand) and Russell Downing who broke his Pinarello Prince in two. We wish all those who crashed all the best and hope they are all okay this morning.
Back to the racing and the next big moment was seeing former champion Dean Downing coming down the finish straight, hugging the barriers with Tom Barras on his wheel. Downing was in great form after his win in the Sachsen-Tour, his biggest win to date he told me before the race. Downing and Barras were away for ages despite a big chase by Tom Southam who was trying to bring it together for Rob Hayles. The amazing thing about the race was the speed of it was not breaking the race up into little pieces showing the standard of the Elite riders in this country is very high.
After getting up to Downing and Barras, Liam Holohan drives the break along from Dale Appleby.
By now, the end of the race was in sight and the light was dropping rapidly as the pace continued to rise. Three riders got across to Downing and Barras – Liam Holohan (Pearl Izumi), Dale Appleby, and one of the Pinarello riders, Pete Williams I think. This move really gave the peloton a hurry up and Alistair Kay (York Cycle Works) came thundering down the home straight giving chase whilst behind Rob Hayles stamped hard on the pedals and gaps started to appear behind him.
The break continued to hold on but Appleby could sense the chasers were coming up and put in a big one at the front before Dean Downing launched his final move with a handful of laps to go. With the words of Chris Newton ringing his ears about not looking back, Downing put his head down and gave it everything while there was a free for all behind as what was left of the break was caught.
A lap to go, the bell ringing loud out across the town centre, Junior George Atkins (Pearl Izumi) with Pete Williams gave chase a few seconds ahead of the bunch in full flight with the favourites gathered near the front ready for the kill should Downing and his two chasers be reeled in. A minute or so later, the answer to that question was answered as Downing came into view, a rampaging Rob Hayles only metres behind him and Tony Gibb (Plowman Craven) making a move on Hayles as the finish line rapidly approached.
The chasers though ran out of time and Downing crossed the line less than a length clear of Hayles with Gibb just behind in third. What a race!
and on the line, the title is Deano's for a second time!
After the presentation where the top three came off the podium drenched in champagne, I spoke to Dean Downing who when asked for a reaction asked “can I swear! It’s an awesome feeling to win that -- I don’t think I have tried that hard for a long time. I was nearly sick at the end after I had calmed down a bit.”
“I had to make the move to go as Rob had just got to the break at the right time probably and I just said to myself while he is hurting, I have to go and he’ll have to either come with me or have a breather. I never looked back – Chris Newton is always telling me off for looking back when we are in breakaways. This time I didn’t look back until I crossed the line. Very happy.”
Dean last won this championship in 2002 and was second behind his brother Russell in 2003. "This year though has been my best season so far. The older I am getting, the better I am becoming. I have had a great season. It is great working with John Herety and the team rode fantastic tonight. On the first lap Kristian had a go and then everyone in the team had a go. It was brilliant. It was a really good team effort and we had two in the final move. It was Dale who said we’re going to have to do something because they are coming across and I looked behind and sure enough, Rob was coming across like a steam train.”
“Dale then did a big turn at the front and I went straight over the top of him and went as hard as I could for lap and got a big gap. I saw two laps to go and continued to go as hard as I could and with one lap to go, I was hurting but I had a lot of friends and family here and could here my name being shouted out by the crowd and that spurs you on. It’s a local race to me, only 50 miles from my doorstep!”
Asked how much did the Germany result give him the confidence and self belief to pull out a result like this, Dean replied “Self belief being the right word to describe it. I surprised myself last week in Germany with such a great win. Again we had a strong team there that worked well including the two young lads (Ben Swift and Jonny Bellis) who were going to the Olympics and our boys.”
“When I got here tonight, John asked how am I feeling and he told me “you can win this with the form you have” and when your manager says that, some one as highly regarded as John is, it spurs you on even more. I was quite calm at the beginning, nervous but really quiet.”
On the crashes, he told me “I was really close to one that came down which Russell came down in and I didn’t know it was him until I saw him a few laps later walking with one half of his bike in one hand and the rest in the other hand. I think Rob Partridge came down in that as well so I hope they are all alright. There were a few crashes behind me and that one in front. It is a tight circuit but its fast and everyone is racing to try and get away and so everyone is on the limit and a slight touch of wheels when some one looks one way, and some one looks the other, and that is probably what happened in the crash with Russell.”
Rob Hayles also realised the danger of the five up break ahead and went off on his own to chase them. Only Downing managed to get away and that was only by a wheel on the line.
Rob Hayles: When I had seen Rob at the Manchester Velodrome the day before, he was telling me how he’s had a break and had the flu and wasn’t feeling that great, and so I wasn’t expecting the great performance we saw from the big man during the race. At one point, he went off the front and was doing his party piece of motoring along alone and leaving everyone in his wake. I thought at that time, it’s a final show to please the crowd but oh no, he had more in the tank as he showed.
“The last week I have just been riding my bike and I needed to race to give myself a bit of form. I am quite surprised how it turned out. To be honest, it was a nice circuit for me, big sweepers so I didn’t have to jump out of too many bends and that is always going to help some one who is not quite on form. I was feeling a bit ropy until I took off about halfway through, more to show my face, because I didn’t know how I was going to come out of it near the end when the race exploded.”
“Especially having Halfords here and the big crowd. That did take quite a lot out of me but I didn’t get any worse and it brought me around a bit. Then Tom did that big effort so I couldn’t let him down and do nothing and unfortunately I started my run that little bit too late. I was coming at him but that was a gutsy ride by Dean because it was an all or nothing move and it worked for him and he deserves it.”
“It was good to see him as he wins so many crits but it would have been nice to have done the double. I had full intentions a few weeks ago to win everything I rode for the rest of the year but obviously form can’t stay like that.”
Tom Southam on the front trying to bring Downing and Barras back.
“There was a lot of disappointment at not getting selected for the Olympics and some people may laugh and say roll over and die but I keep coming back for more and I have really enjoyed this year. Had I not won the National Road Race then my season would have been pretty dismal after what happened at the Track Worlds and non-selection for the Games. The Olympics aside, I have had the best season I have had for years and I’m lovin it.”
As well as agreeing his road form is as good as it has ever been, if not better, he added “I was also doing some bloody quick pursuit times, we all have been and going quicker than I have for a long long time in the Individual Pursuit. I didn’t make the Team Pursuit but you are talking miniscule amounts between us. I have had two really really hard years, big years but unfortunately that hasn’t paid off in the racing over the winter on the track but it does seem to be coming to the fore now. I just have to make sure I don’t let that go and get back to some hard work.”
On all the support he has not just in the crowd but from dyed in the wool fans of the sport, he explains “It’s funny you don’t realise it until things like when I broke my collarbone and the Worlds, the amount of support that I have had. It does make it worthwhile, it is really good.”
And when I asked can we expect to see him out there for a while yet racing, he replied “I hope so! Maybe not as long as Malcolm though…”
Simon Richardson chases the break to try and bring it together for Tony Gibb.
Tony Gibb: Clearly up for this race before the start, and retiring at the end of the season, his Plowman Craven team were in a lot of the moves and at the end were doing their best to keep the race together for the sprint. Dean Downing though put a spanner in that plan and the World Championship Silver medallist was very disappointed with the bronze. “Tonight was very important for me, and it’s a medal but it’s a bit gutting it is not the shiny gold one.”
“The team did everything they could for me tonight. We have gelled together as a team. It’s no secret we have been on the back foot against some other teams who have not wanted us to get a result all year. Tonight was even harder with the amount of Rapha riders and the Pinarello lads who help them out.”
On the bad luck the team have had, numerous crashes and more, Tony says “Jimmy (James McCallum) bless his socks is so frustrated that he has missed most of the year. He came back from that on the advice of his physio which he misinterpreted and he had to have more time out but he is back and hopefully in a few weeks he’ll be firing on all cylinders. The team are pleased for me but I am gutted for the lads.”
“There was a big group away and that splintered towards the end and then Dean just jumped and he gambled on one or two of the other teams giving us some help to bring him back in and in the end they didn’t. Tom Barras did a sterling job leading me out for a lap and half and then Simon Gaywood came up and lead me out for three quarters of the last lap and it’s the old story, if it had been 20 metres further on, I would have won. It wasn’t, the finish line was where it was so its bronze.”
Asked by Gerry MacManus about the time he was seen at the front of the race chasing things himself, Tony explained “I admit I was very selective in what I did. I only did three or four turns of half a lap each but was really selective and only did them when I needed to and when the team had done everything they could to control something and when the final 200 metres of something had to be knocked on the head.”
Asked was the report this was his last year true, he replied “it is. There is a lot going on in my personal life and a lot going on in the team and I have few other options. It is no secret I have been on EuroSport the last couple of weeks (Tour de France coverage) so there are options there.”
He then went onto clear something up which obviously went out on TV saying “I just want to say I was not an Olympic champion and it wasn’t me that put it on the screen so all the people phoning me, emailing me and giving me grief on websites can bugger off!”
“I have been riding full time for the best part of 12 years and I think it is time to knock it on the head.” Asked for an abiding memory of those years, the Silver World Championship medal or his work in getting the team he rides for together, Tony replied “If I want to be remembered for anything it’s this team. The Worlds was a massive high, performance wise, but for me personally it was not a happy time. I wasn’t happy in that environment and not just because of the pressure. It was a pressurised environment but just because of the way it was.”
“This team and the opportunity that Simon (Barnes) has given me to do with this team is fantastic and I can’t thank him enough. A lot of people don’t realise its not just this team for the last three years but he has been helping me out since 2001 so a lot of what I have done in my life would not have been possible with out Simon Barnes.”
“There is no doubt the team will be carrying on and I’ll be involved at some level”.
PHOTOS
Dean Downing leads Tom Barras during their long break which saw them joined by four or so more riders and then just before they were caught, Downing clipped off a few laps from the end and just managed to hold on to the end.
Ian Wilkinson realises the danger and chases them through the finish area.
After Downing has clipped off, the rest of the break are brought back and its a free for all at the front of the peloton.
What a ride by Dean Downing. He was in several moves during the race, spent a lot of time off the front on his own and still managed to win!
Meteres from the line....
Riders a blur as they race in front of a big crowd.
First attacker was Kristian House.
.. chased by Simon Richardson.
House is joined by Russell Downing who later crashed heavily, snapping his bike in two as he did so. Not a good race for the former champion.
Dean Downing on one of his attacks off the front chased by the men in pink
Defending champion James McCallum leads a big group which managed to get away for quite a few laps of the race in the second half.
James Stewart tries to get across to the leaders.
Tom Murray and Tom Southam on the attack
OTHER PICTURES
Rob Hayles is interviewed on live television for BBC
Support race is underway....
Julian Grommett on the attack
and is joined by the eventual winner
The brass band plays while the riders race....
The first race was a running one....
Before the racing, some Go-Ride for the younger riders
After a spectator was taken ill with a presumed epileptic seizure which was dealt with by the race medical team, the racing was delayed as the medical staff arranged to transport the person to hospital by a 999 ambulance which blocked the course.
Results
British Circuit Race Championship
1. Dean Downing, Rapha Condor/Recycling.co.uk
2. Rob Hayles, Halfords Bikehut
3. Tony Gibb, Plowman Craven
4. Peter Williams, Pinarello
5. Ian Wilkinson, Science in Sport
6. Simon Gaywood, Plowman Craven
7. Malcolm Elliott, Pinarello
8. Graham Briggs, Rapha Condor/Recycling.co.uk
9. George Atkins, Pearl Izumi/Planetx
10. Stephan Adams, Pearl Izumi/Planetx
11. James Stewart, KFS Special Vehicles
12. Simon Holt, Rapha Condor
13. Tom Murray, Pinarello,
14. Daniel Diguid, Sigma Sport
15. Gary Adamson, FP Mailing
16. Daniel Patten, PCA Ciclos Uno
17. Richard Hepworth, Wakefield CC
18. Rhys Lloyd, Rapha Condor
19. Mike Harrison, Sigma Sport
20. Kristian House, Rapha Condor
21. Matt Kipling, Pinarello RT
22. Daniel Smith, Team Lacuna
23. Neil Coleman, KFS Special Vehicles
24. James Sampson, Kinesis UK
25. Alistair Kay, York Cycle Works
Support Race
1. Paul Noton, City Road Club Hull
2. Julian Grommett, Cottingham Courers
3. Thomas Stewart,
4. James Ward, Velosport GCM Landscapes
5. Chris Pritchard, Stealth RT
6. Chris Daddy, Star Bikes RT
7. William Bushy, Obri Coaching RT
8. Catherine Hare, Halfords Bikehut
9. Lee Allen, Dinngton
10. C Bell, Ferry Hill
RELATED LINKS
Event Website: www.eastyorkshireclassic.co.uk
2007 Circuit Race Championships Report