Location: Clitheroe, Lancashire
Event: 2 September 2012
Report: Snowdon Sports
Ben Greenwood took the title in the CDNW Road Race League and finished second in round 17.
Tom Barras of Metaltek-Scott raced to victory after a hard-fought final lap of a hilly race in Clitheroe.
The 34-year-old Leeds rider took the win after a uphill sprint finish with Ben Greenwood (Vanillabikes.com) and Jamie Shirlaw (Herbalife-Leisure Lakes Bikes) in close proximity. The top three led the Shirlaw’s team-mate Kit Gilham by some 45 seconds.
Working with his Metaltek-Scott team mates early on, Barras, who was crowned the Yorkshire Road Race League Champion last weekend, managed to get across to the break with half a lap to go before pulling away from his rivals.
In the support race for category three and four riders, it was Jonathan Stanlake who was fastest Bradley Stokes (Pedal Power RT) and Luke Beswick (Buxton C.C./Sett Valley Cycles) completed the top three in a race which saw a dash for the line from the top nine riders.
Tom Barras said: “I’m very pleased with the win, it’s my last race of the year. It’s a very hilly course with two or three climbs on each lap so it was obvious that it was going to come down to a small group.
“The team worked well and we were all potential winners but there were a few Herbalife-Leisure Lakes Bikes in there too and Ben Greenwood who is really strong and has now taken the title.
“There was a head wind on the final climb and I think I took it by three or four lengths in the end. After winning the Yorkshire League last week, this was a good end to the season for me.”
Ben Greenwood said: “It’s been a good season, I’ve had three wins, six second places and I’ve had some consistency.
“A few of the second places could have been wins but I’m pretty pleased overall. It’s the first time I’ve won the title.”
Results:
E/1/2/3:
1 Tom Barras (Metaltek Scott)
2 Ben Greenwood (Vanillabikes.com)
3 Jamie Shirlaw (Herbalife-Leisure Lakes Bikes) all @ same time
4 Kit Gilham (Herbalife-Leisure Lakes Bikes) @ 45 secs
5 Giles Drake (Team Elite) @ 47 secs
6 Andrew Handon (Herbalife-Leisure Lakes Bikes) @1:18
7 Ben Dean (Team BGlobal)
8 Anthony Moye (Velo29 OTR Vankru)
9 Alistair Rutherford (Champion systems/ Max Gear)
10 Matt Holmes (Team Raleigh) all @ same time
3/4:
1 Jonathan Stanlake (Private member)
2 Bradley Stokes (Pedal Power RT)
3 Luke Beswick (Buxton C.C./Sett Valley Cycles)
4 Alastair Young (Gosforth RC/Newcastle University)
5 Spencer Coltman (Southport CC)
6 David Shields (Independent)
7 John Bamford (Lancs Road Club)
8 Rob Wilkinson (Oldham Century)
9 John Agnew (Lune RCC) all @ same time
10 Matt Gott (West Pennine RC) @ 17 secs
British Cycling would like to thank the organising team, officials and everyone else who helped promote this event. Our sport could not exist without the hundreds of people, many of them unpaid volunteers, who put in many hours of hard work running events, activities and clubs.
