2009 Isle of Man Youth Tour
Report: Richard Allen
Images: Andy Whitehouse (andy@amwphotography.co.uk | www.amwphotography.co.uk)
IMAGES & DETAILED RESULTS
REPORT
Juniors
Southampton's Peter Dibben won the junior category of the Sleepwell Hotels Isle of Man International Youth Tour. The 17-year-old Hargroves Cycles rider won the 1.29km prologue on Douglas Promenade in a time of 1min 41secs. David Nichols (Glendene CC) was second in 1min 43secs and Joe Perrett (Glendene CC) third in the same time.
Stage two the following morning was a 100km road race around Peel on the west coast. The riders faced 11 laps of a circuit including the 1km long Switchback climb which always proves a decisive point in the tour. Before the stage riders wondered whether Dibben had the climbing ability to match his impressive performance in the prologue. Dibben soon proved that he could climb too.
After a three man breakaway had hovered at around one minute ahead of the field for much of the race the finale was fought out between Dibben, Tim Kennaugh (Team Isle of Man-Microgaming) and Alexander King (Twickenham CC). With two laps to go the three went clear and were together as they lined up for the final climb of the Switchback. With the finish line at the top of the climb Kennaugh decided to launch an attack at the bottom of the hill. Kennaugh went too early and was overhauled by Dibben and King. Alexander King won the stage by four seconds ahead of Dibben and 10 seconds ahead of Kennaugh. Dibben did enough to hold on to the yellow jersey and went into Sunday's final stage five seconds ahead of King and 10 seconds ahead of Kennaugh.
The final stage was on a circuit between Ramsey and Bride in the north east of the Island and Dibben knew that he had to worry about the top 13 riders on GC. Joe Perrett was 13th overall and just 48 seconds behind Dibben. After Perrett the 14th placed rider was Dutchman Dilan Aar who was 2mins 1secs behind. With the final stage of 92kms on an undulating course, but without any big hills, Dibben noted down only the top 13 riders on GC on his handlebar stem. Sam Harrison won the final stage with Dibben 19seconds behind. But the yellow jersey gained three seconds on Alexander King, who finished eighth on the stage, and five seconds on Kennaugh who was 21st on the stage.
'I knew that I only had to worry about those that were within a minute of me,' said Dibben after the race. 'A group went clear on the final stage and took all the time bonuses so that worked out well for me. I drove as hard as I could on the last lap and it all came back together.'
Dibben rated the victory as his biggest win so far And he earned praise from one ex-pro who was watching the Youth Tour. Steve Joughin, twice British road race champion and a winner of a Kellogg's Pro Tour of Britain stage, was back home in the Isle of Man as his ProVision company was supplying the Youth Tour's jerseys.
Top five on GC:
1 - Peter Dibben (Hargroves Cycles) 5h 10m 42s
2 - Alexander King (Twickenham CC) @ 9s
3 - Tim Kennaugh (Team Isle of Man- Microgaming) @ 15s
4 - David Nichols (Glendene CC) @ 23s
5 - Jon Mould (agiskoviner.co.uk) @ 32s.
Youth A Boys
Josh Papworth (Wyre Forest RCC) won the Youth A Boys race after regaining the yellow jersey on the final stage. Papworth won the 1.29km prologue in 1min 44secs with Owain Doull (Welsh Talent Team) in second in 1min 46secs. Doull won stage two just outsprinting Papworth on the uphill finish and time bonuses meant the Welshman took the race lead by one second. On stage three it was Dan Whelan (Liverpool Century RC) who won with Papworth fourth and Doull eighth. Papworth finished seven seconds ahead of Doull and got a three second time bonus to give him the Youth Tour title by five seconds.
Top five on GC:
1 - Josh Papworth (Wyre Forest RCC)
2 - Owain Doull (Welsh Talent Team)
3 - Luke Grivell - Mellor (Mid Shropshire Wheelers)
4 - Patrick Galbraith (Scotland Talent Team)
5 - Grant Ferguson (Scotland Talent Team)
Youth A Girls
Lucy Garner (Leicestershire RC) won the Douglas Promenade prologue in 1min 55secs and won stage two on the Ellerslie course. But Garner was denied the hat-trick as Elinor Barker (Welsh Talent Team) finished 11 seconds ahead of her on stage three which was a kermesse in Ramsey. Garner's second place on the final stage was enough to secure overall victory.
Top five on GC: 1 - Lucy Garner (Leicestershire RC)
2 - Elinor Barker (Welsh Talent Team)
3 - Melissa Bury (North West Region)
4 - Hannah Layland (North West Region)
5 - Amy Roberts (Welsh Talent Team)
Youth B Boys
Jacob Ragan (Sportcity Velo) won the prologue in 1min 51ecs and extended his lead on stage two finishing 47seconds ahead of Tom Arnstein (Carnegie Cyclones). Jacob Scott (Holme Valley Wheelers) won stage three with Ragan's second place enough to secure overall victory.
Top five on GC:
1 - Jacob Ragan (Sportcity Velo)
2 - Christopher Lawless (Sportcity Velo)
3 - Tom Arnstein (Carnegie Cyclones)
4 - Luc Hall Kuota (Spinergy)
5 - Joe Kirkham (VC Long Eaton)
Youth B Girls
Amy Hill (Newport Velo) won the prologue in 2mins 3secs and won stage two finishing 4mins 15secs ahead of Louise Borthwick (Edinburgh RC). She made it a hat-trick by taking the final stage in Ramsey too.
Top five on GC:
1 - Amy Hill (Newport Velo)
2 - Louise Borthwick (Edinburgh RC)
3 - Anna Christian (Royal London 360)
4 - Emily Trimble (VC Lincoln)
5 - Sophie Black (Royal London 360)
Youth C Boys
Manx rider Matthew Bostock (Royal London 360) won prologue in 2min 13secs finishing two seconds ahead of Leighton Sharman (Eastlands Velo). Another Manx rider, Owen Dudley (Royal London 360) won stage two ahead of Leighton Sharman (Eastlands Velo). Bostock won stage three with Sharman four seconds back in second place. Sharman took the overall victory with a 1mn 18sec advantage over Dudley.
Top five on GC:
1 - Leighton Sharman (Eastlands Velo)
2 - Owen Dudley (Royal London 360)
3 - Matthew Bostock (Royal London 360)
4 - Jake Poole (VC Lincoln)
5 - Joseph Haddock (Royal London 360)
Youth C Girls
Grace Garner (Leicestershire CC) won the prologue in a time of 2min 6secs finishing three seconds ahead of Megan Barker. Barker won stage two at Ellerslie and Garner won in Ramsey.
But it was Barker who took the overall victory.
Top five on GC:
1 - Megan Barker (Maindy Flyers)
2 - Grace Garner (Leicestershire RC)
3 - Emma Brady (Hetton Hawks CC);
4 - Victoria Kinrade (Royal London 360)5 - Breeshey Cain (Royal London 360)
Youth D
Thomas Mein (Hetton Hawks) won the boys prize, Jessica Roberts (Towy Riders) won the girls prize.
Boys stage winners were:
Prologue - Thomas Mein
Stage 2 - Thomas Mein
Stage 3 - Thomas Mein
Girls stage winners were:
Prologue - Jessica Roberts
Stage 2 - Lauren Murphy (Team Keyne)
Stage 3 - Jessica Roberts
Youth E
Manx riders won the boys and girls events with Adam Scarffe and Elizabeth Blae both riding in the colours of Royal London 360.
Boys stage winners were:
Prologue - Adam Scarffe
Stage 2 - :Adam Scarffe
Stage 3 - Adam Scarffe
Girls stage winners:
Prologue - Elizabeth Cain
Stage 2 - Elizabeth Cain
Stage 3 - Olivia Braybrooke (Eastlands Velo).