Hewitt Wins Surrey League Revolutions 5 Day Race

26th August 2009, source: Adam Tranter ()

Team Claytan-Sabbath rider, Gareth Hewitt, has won the popular Surrey League Revolutions 5 Day Race. The 29-year-old managed to open up an impressive two and a half minute gap over second general classification contender, Chris Spence (Caesarean CC Jersey) on the gruelling final stage. Hewitt had previously only led by one second and had spent most of the stages trying to get the all important gap.

Gareth Hewitt: Photo: Adam Tranter

The infamous “wall” climb proved to be the deciding factor on the final stage; Hewitt and Spence were inseparable on the second lap as they rode in a breakaway. But by the third and final lap up the climb, Hewitt had broken free. “I was a bit nervous on the last stage and felt really rough for the first hour, but it just got better on the steep climb,” he explained. “I could see the people in second and third couldn’t hold my wheel on the wall, and I managed to get rid of Chris Spence on the third lap of the climb; the wall was hard as ever.”

Hewitt managed fourth place in the final stage, capping off a series of consistent finishes and an impressive display from his team mates, Kieran Frend and Dave Coulson. “We rode really well as a team. The first day we were all really active and I made it in the break, when it finally did go. It was a bit of a long, grim day but Dave [Coulson] and Kieran [Frend] just marshalled perfectly and made sure they were in any of the following groups,” praised Hewitt. “They also did a great job to keep me up there and holding on for the second and third days.”

Up and coming Team Claytan-Sabbath rider, Kieran Frend, also managed a second place on the fourth stage, further engraining the team’s dominance in the race. Team Claytan-Sabbath also successfully fended off challenges from a forceful Team Corley Cervelo, and a strong contingent of local teams and riders.

It appears that Hewitt’s recent win in the Barry Elcombe Memorial Race gave him the much needed confidence to create a winning streak, after an up and down season. “My main concern was that it was five days and I hadn’t been on the bike after a recent illness for that long. It’s always a really aggressive race and there was only three of us so we didn’t want to control the race from the off. I thought I was capable of a good performance but I wasn’t completely confident of it to start with.”

He continued: “It was certainly one of my best wins and my first win in a stage race. We were really consistent in the stage results and I also got the Points Jersey, which was an added bonus.”

The season hasn’t been easy for Hewitt, who has struggled to find form after illnesses throughout the season. “There isn’t much left on this season, we’ve got a couple of small races coming up soon and I’ll hopefully be able to carry the form on and get some more results before the end of the year,” Hewitt said. “It has been a real yo-yo of a year for me, I’ve been off ill on the bike three or four weeks at the time, and I only started late in Easter, but managed to get my head down and get back on track. But that’s what you get when you work full time and it’s really hard to get the balance right with recovery,” he added.

Final General Classification
1. Gareth Hewitt Team Sabbath/Claytan 1 18:31:16
2. Chris Spence Caesarean CC Jersey   @ 0:02:39
3. Dan Staite Python Racing Team  @ 0:05:47
4. Richard Tanguy Pendragon-Kalas @ 0:06:10
5. Roger Smith Wildside 707 RT 2  @ 0:07:20
6. Gareth McCullough Medway Velo  @ 0:07:51
7. Matt Melville awcycles.co.uk  @ 0:08:15
8. Ishmael Burdeau agiskoviner.com  @ 0:08:41
9. Martin Smith Army CU EV  @ 0:09:50
10. Richard Cartland Team Corley Cervelo  @ 0:10:08
11. Stephen Dring Team Echelon
12. Keiran Frend Team Sabbath/Claytan
13. Daniel Felstead Dulwich Paragon CC
14.  Dave Coulson Team Sabbath/Claytan
15. Adam Wojtkiewicz Caesarean CC Jersey
16. John Heaton-Armstrong  Fit-For
17. Daniele Santoni Pearson Cycles
18. Ian Field Hargroves Cycles
19. Christopher McNamara Team Corley Cervelo
20. Steven Saunders Kingston Wheelers
21. James Stuart Norwood Paragon CC
22.  Niall Brosnan Killorglin CC
23. Luke Ryan  Team Toachim
24. Lee Tunnicliffe Fit-For
25. Mark Perry Dulwich Paragon CC
26. Steve Golla Sigma Sport RT
27. Alex Camier Private Member
28. Kevin Knox Dulwich Paragon CC
29. Douglas Dewey  Pendragon-Kalas
30. Richard Mason Fit-For
31. Matthew Carden Team Quest
32. Miceal Concannon Killorglin CC
33. Robert Jackson Team Toachim
34. Toby Neave Southdown Velo
35. Alexandre Guimaraes Fit-For
36. Phil Anthony Team Toachim
37. James Beaumont Kingston Wheelers
38. Mike Cripps Army CU
39. Ian Legg Owens Cycles

POINTS
1. Gareth Hewitt Team Sabbath/Claytan
2. Dan Staite Python Racing Team
3. Christopher McNamara Team Corley Cervelo
4. Chris Spence Caesarean CC Jersey
5. Richard Tanguy Pendragon-Kalas
6. Richard Cartland Team Corley Cervelo
7. John Heaton-Armstrong  Fit-For
8. Daniele Santoni Pearson Cycles
9. Steven Saunders Kingston Wheelers
10. Martin Smith Army CU

KOM
1. Richard Cartland Team Corley Cervelo
2. John Heaton-Armstrong  Fit-For
3. Christopher McNamara Team Corley Cervelo
4. Steven Saunders Kingston Wheelers
5. Richard Tanguy Pendragon-Kalas
6. Chris Spence Caesarean CC Jersey
7. Dan Staite Python Racing Team
8. Gareth Hewitt Team Sabbath/Claytan
9. Ishmael Burdeau agiskoviner.com
10. Phil Anthony Team Toachim

STAGE RESULTS

STAGE 1
1. Dan Staite Python Racing Team
2. Roger Smith Wildside 707 RT
3. Gareth Hewitt Team Sabbath/Claytan
4. Chris Spence Caesarean CC Jersey
5. Gareth McCullough Medway Velo
6. Stephen Dring Team Echelon
7. Christopher McNamara Team Corley Cervelo
8. Matt Melville awcycles.co.uk
9. Martin Smith Army CU
10. Douglas Dewey  Pendragon-Kalas

STAGE 2
1. Richard Cartland Team Corley Cervelo
2. Gareth Hewitt Team Sabbath/Claytan
3. Steven Saunders Kingston Wheelers
4. Miceal Concannon Killorglin CC
5. Chris Spence Caesarean CC Jersey
6. Christopher McNamara Team Corley Cervelo
7. John Heaton-Armstrong  Fit-For
8. Richard Tanguy Pendragon-Kalas
9. Daniele Santoni Pearson Cycles
10. Gareth McCullough Medway Velo

STAGE 3A
1. Lee Tunnicliffe Fit-For
2. Steve Golla Sigma Sport RT
3. Steven Saunders Kingston Wheelers
4. Daniele Santoni Pearson Cycles
4. Ishmael Burdeau agiskoviner.com
4. Dan Staite Python Racing Team
7. Miceal Concannon Killorglin CC
8. Alexandre Guimaraes Fit-For
9. Ben Wilson Solihull CC
10. James Stuart Norwood Paragon CC

STAGE 3B
1. Daniele Santoni Pearson Cycles
2. Richard Tanguy Pendragon-Kalas
3. Ishmael Burdeau agiskoviner.com
4. Ian Field Hargroves Cycles
5. Chris Spence Caesarean CC Jersey
6. Gareth Hewitt Team Sabbath/Claytan
7. Alex Camier Private Member
8. Dan Staite Python Racing Team
9. Martin Smith Army CU
10. Stephen Dring Team Echelon


STAGE 4
1. Dan Staite Python Racing Team
2. Keiran Frend Team Sabbath/Claytan
3. Martin Smith Army CU
4. Christopher McNamara Team Corley Cervelo
5. Gareth Hewitt Team Sabbath/Claytan
6. Chris Spence Caesarean CC Jersey
7. Alexandre Guimaraes Fit-For
8. Richard Mason Fit-For
9. Dave Coulson Team Sabbath/Claytan
10. Gareth McCullough Medway Velo

STAGE 5
1. Christopher McNamara Team Corley Cervelo
2. Richard Cartland Team Corley Cervelo
3. Steven Saunders Kingston Wheelers
4. Gareth Hewitt Team Sabbath/Claytan
5. John Heaton-Armstrong  Fit-For
6. Chris Spence Caesarean CC Jersey
7. Ian Field Hargroves Cycles
8. Dan Staite Python Racing Team
9. Richard Tanguy Pendragon-Kalas
10. Daniele Santoni Pearson Cycles