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Report: Dengie Marshes Tour

28th March 2010 | Report and Images: Mark Cozens

Adam Biggs of Basso Bikes took a fine solo win in the ‘Hell of the East' Dengie Marshes Tour, following a lone move at around four miles to go.

Above: Left to right - Jon Mozley, eventual winner Adam Biggs and team-mate Robin Sharman in what became the defining move of the race.

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The 84 mile race was lively right from the gun, with Arctic Premier's Darren Barclay in combatant mood - this split the pack in the early stages and by the halfway point, there were two groups away separated by around a minute, both around a dozen riders strong, with the main pack giving chase.

With three laps to go, Biggs' teammate Robin Sharman began to test the legs of his peers in the front group, drawing their sting and enabling Biggs and Kuota man Jon Mozley to break clear. Sharman then profited from a crash in the chasing group and bridged across to Biggs and Mozley, making it a lead group of three.

Above: Left: Biggs celebrates his lone bid for the line. Right: Mozley prevents a Basso 1-2

This group then effectively time-trialled around the remaining laps of the circuit before starting the 4.5 mile run-in to the finish. As soon as they turned onto it they face a stiff headwind, when Biggs decided to go for it and broke clear from Sharman and Mozley, taking a fine solo victory. Mozley won the sprint for second place from Bigg's teammate Sharman. Darren Barclay's efforts were rewarded by winning the sprint from a chasing group of five riders.

Image gallery from Mark Cozens

Rider Comments:

Adam Biggs: Bringing his small 3 man team to the event as preparation for the CiCle Classic, Biggs has only just returned to riding a bike after a year and a half layoff.

"Really pleased, didn't really know what to expect being only a 3 man team, other than looking at photos from past races, it did look pretty grim, so we knew that we had to be up near the front. With it being flat I was really hoping it was going to be windy, split it up a bit, and it was really windy. It started to split on the first lap and then once the group was away, the group was too big, so although there was quite a long way to go Robin (Sharman) just tested the water 4 laps to go, and then I countered him. I was away up the road with (Jon) Mozley and Robin got across.

As we turned off the circuit you could feel the wind change straight away, the hardest place is where you attack. I made the first move; Jon looked like he was struggling a bit. I've never ridden anything like it before."

Jon Mozley:

"We sort of just got away, we were riding tempo, I knew the guys behind would be working for me, then all of a sudden across comes Sharman and the game changes. No choice but to sit on them really, them guys were strong, but on a course that tight sitting on isn't always an advantage. They were able to put me in the gutter in the windy sections.

On the run in (Biggs) got 25 metres and that was it. I wasn't strong enough to pull it back and so had to ride for second.

I'd like to win this one day as always had it on my to do list. I really like it."

Result

1 Adam Biggs www.Bassobikes.co.uk 3h 20min 5secs
2 Jon Mozley Kuota - Road CC @ 20 secs
3 Robin Sharman www.Bassobikes.co.uk st
4 Darren Barclay Arctic Premier RT @3 min 30 secs
5 Martin Smith Kuota - Road CC st
6 Daniele Santoni Pearson Cycles st
7 Andy Lyons Orbea - For Goodness Shakes st
8 Dan Davies Kuota - Road CC st
9 Jason Edwards VC Meudon @ 4 min
10 Roy Chamberlain Team Corley Cycles/Cervelo/Alpha RC st
11 Ben Thompson Orbea - For Goodness Shakes st
12 Tom Last Sigma Sport Specialized @ 7 min 15 sec
13 Daniel Duguid Sigma Sport Specialized st
14 Alexander King Endura Racing st
15 Malcolm Smith St Ives CC st
16 George Pearl Southend Wheelers @9 min 20 sec
17 James Wilson Sigma Sport Specialized st
18 Mike Hawkins Norwood Paragon CC @ 12 min 20s
19 Andy Tinsley Kuota - Road CC st
20 James Fox CC Luton st
21 Jefte De Bruin Kuota - Road CC @ 1 lap
22 Andrew Young www.Bassobikes.co.uk "
23 David Barnes East London Velo "
24 Mike Jackson CC Luton "
25 Graham Galvin East London Velo "
26 Basil Moss Cambridge CC "
27 Mark Perry Wilier/Migmaggys/Prendas Ciclismo "
28 Sam Humpheson London Dynamo/Prologue "
29 Paul Alderson South Western RC/Evans Cycles "
30 Glenn Vinnicombe Cambridge CC "
31 Jeroen Janssen Kuota - Road CC "
32 Phil Lisher Team Welwyn "
33 Tom Stephenson Ipswich BC "
34 Jonathan Lewis Charlotteville CC "
35 Simon Whiten Mosquito Bikes/London Cyclesport "
36 Stoyko Bussarov Imperial Racing Team "
37 Kevin Knox Dulwich Paragon CC "
38 Adri Rouco Sigma Sport Specialized "
39 Geoff Powell High Wycombe CC "
40 Tim Smith Arctic Premier RT "

63 starters

Chief Commissaire: Colin Coe