Women's Team Series Race - 31st July - promoted Abergavenny RC

A field of 41 riders (of 52 entries) lined up on a warm and muggy afternoon in Usk to compete for the latest round of the Team Series over 55 miles on a course based on the early season handicap races between Raglan and Mitchel Troy in Gwent.

After an early flurry of attacks as the race entered the main 10 mile circuit for the day, keeping the race speed - initially at least - quite high, with the pressure seeing riders regularly dropped from the peleton until a core group of around 30 remained.

The award for aggressor of the day had to go to, new Abergavenny RC team member, Sarah Byrne after her solo attack towards the middle of lap 3 saw her gain an advantage of nearly two minutes at one point and it took the combined efforts of VioRed and Motorpoint to eventually bring her back going into the last lap.

Having had a team mate up the road for such a long period clear swung the advantage of the race towards the Abergavenny riders and Lauren Creamer backed up her excellent win at the Tywyn Criteriums the previous day with another display of strength on the finish climb to win by a clear 5 or 6 bike lengths at the line.

The finish was unfortunately marred by a heavy crash in the middle of the bunch at 750m to go on the finishing climb, with three riders being ambulanced to hospital and the ‘walking wounded' at the HQ afterwards resembling something of a scene from M.A.S.H.!! Fortunately all were discharged from hospital last night with injuries including a couple of broken collar bones and one fractured cheek/eye socket, but in the main the usual cuts, bruises and abrasions. The race organisation would like to wish all riders hurt in the incident a swift recovery and return to racing.

Full result below

Pos Race No Name Name Club
1 3 Lauren Creamer Abergavenny RC
2 43 Clare Leaver Team Zappi's
3 30 Hannah Walker Motorpoint
4 36 Iona Sewell Squadra Donne
5 35 Karen Poole Primal Europe
6 52 Adel Tyson-Bloor VC St Raphael
7 50 Bethany Crumpton West Midlands
8 49 Molly Weaver West Midlands
9 1 Lowri Bunn Abergavenny RC
10 18 Angharad Mason For VioRed
11 38 Rachel Przybylski Surrey League
12 42 Wiebke Rietz Surrey League
13 25 Sarah Cary London Dynamo
14 12 Charlie Radcliffe Cardiff Ajax
15 11 Clare Fraser Army Cycling Union
16 40 Gina McGeever Surrey League
18 9 Chanel Mason Army Cycling Union
18 28 Eve Dixon Maxgear Champ Sys Road Team
19 23 Lauren Whitmore London Dynamo
20 45 Corrine Hall Twickenham CC
21 15 Rebecca Curley For VioRed
22 16 Hannah Manley For VioRed
23 2 Fern Cotterill Abergavenny RC
24 46 Sarah Byrne Abergavenny RC
25 19 Gabriella Shaw For VioRed
26 33 Kirsty Bishop Police Sport UK CRT
27 29 Hannah Shenton Motorpoint
28 7 Lisa Clash Army Cycling Union
29 24 Collyn Ahart London Dynamo
30 47 Eleanor Jones VC St Raphael
31 5 Anna Long Army Cycling Union
32 6 Louise James Army Cycling Union
33 8 Kelly Sue Leitch Army Cycling Union
34 13 Jess Hill Cardiff Ajax
DNF 14 Georgina Gilbert Cardiff Ajax
DNF 21 Ruby Miller Horizon Fitness
DNF 26 Nicola Soden Maxgear Champ Sys Road Team
DNF 31 Sarah King Motorpoint
DNF 34 Kirstin Robertson Police Sport UK CRT
DNF 41 Tania Hunt Surrey League
DNF 51 Hayley Edwards West Midlands