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South Regional Road Race Championships
Above: Pendragon's James McLaughlin looks pleased with his recently acquired South Regional RR Champs winners medal, flanked by Team Jersey's Richard 'Cat in the Hat' Tanguy and GWR's Sam Redding.
The Southern race was held on the course near to Stockbridge in Hampshire on a very hard and hilly course. The race distance was 91 mile and over 7 laps. The morning started dry after overnight rain but was very windy and this had a big effect on the race.
The race rolled through Stockbridge on towards the start proper at the top of the climb which the riders would have to tackle a further six times in the race. Once through the finish line the race started with a lot of activity at the front, but there were already riders being dropped out the back door.
As the race came out of the trees and onto the A272 they were hit by a very strong headwind on a section of the course that was a least 3 mile dead straight long but a rolling road. Despite the wind the leaders were averaging 23mph into the wind and soon there was a break of six riders who had a small gap over the bunch.
The first six riders to make the attack were Ben Luckwell (Wilier/GoSelfDrive), Tom Stockdale (Quorz), Toby Eichler (Adeo Cadence RT), Richard Tanguy (Team Jersey), John Heaton-Armstrong (Le Col) and Simon Brooks (VC St Raphael)
On the second lap and through the picturesque village of Crawley and sheltered from the wind, two riders James Dobbin (Adeo Cadence RT) and Sam Redding (Team GWR) had a 30sec lead just before the feed station with a group of 15 riders next through.
The third lap saw a group of seven forms the front of the race by 25secs over the bunch and it was this group that would eventually stay away and increase their lead. The group of seven were James Dobbin, Richard Tanguy, Lee Davis (Motorpoint), Sam Redding, Ian Alexander (Cheltenham & County CC), James Cartridge (Adeo Cadence RT) and Ben Luckwell.
The start of lap four saw the group of seven now with a reduced lead as the pressure starts to come from the bunch as they charge up over the climb on the way towards Crawley again.
On the fifth lap the strong group now had a lead of 1min over the bunch with the riders from Guernsey Velo across the front beginning to control the race as they had two riders in the leading bunch.
Just before the finish line and the start of lap six saw Ben Stockdale and Richard Tanguy just ahead by 20secs over a group of six then 1min to the peloton. At the end of the sixth lap it was James McLaughlin (Pendragon/Le Col) and Richard Tanguy now clear by 1min 30secs over Ben Stockdale, Sam Redding, Ben Luckwell and Colin Parry(Wilier/GoSelfDrive). The next seven riders were next through at 2min 30secs lead by Luke Dunbar (Quorz), with the peloton now at 3min 52secs being driven by James Astbury (Hargroves Cycles) resigned to roll in now.
On the last lap behind the leaders the two small groups now came back together and as they approached Stockbridge for the last time and at the bottom of the climb the attacks began in earnest, this had the effect of shattering riders all over the climb with riders coming in with seconds between each rider. The two leaders were well clear and as they approached the roundabout at the bottom of the climb, it was James who attacked Richard and had the legs to ride away from him to win the race and the Championship by a clear 36secs.
At the finish the awards were presented by Mr Chas Bland who had won this race back in 1951, sixty years ago. Mr Bland was a top frame builder and rider in his time and he was also crowned Road Race champion in the same year.
Provisional Result
1st James McLaughlin Pendragon Le Col
2nd Richard Tanguy Team Jersey @36secs
3rd Sam Redding Team GWR @3min 14secs
4th James Dobbin Adeo Cadence @3min 13secs
5th Colin Parry Wilier GoSelfDrive @3min 20secs
6th Ben Luckwell Wilier GoSelfDrive @3min 30secs
7th Matthew Ullmer Quorz @3min 30secs
8th Ben Stockdale Quorz @3min 30secs
9th Toby Eichler Adeo Cadence @3min 30secs
10th Simon Brooks VC St Raphael @ 3min 30secs
The women's race was won by Adel Tyson-Bloor who while riding with team mate Marianne Britten took a lead when on the second lap punctured at the bottom of the hill could not get back up to speed quickly once she had got a wheel from the service vehicle. At the bell lap Adel held a lead of 1min 50secs over Marianne.
Women's Result
1st Adel Tyson-Bloor VC St Raphael
2nd Marianne Britten VC St Raphael @2min 02secs
3rd Gillian Taylor Bad Tri/ Fred Baker Cycles
Support Race Result
1st Will Stephenson J Bournemouth Arrow CC
2nd Freddie Lawton Giant CC J @2mins
3rd Peter Bolke Unattached vet @3min 55secs
4th Steve Thomas Bristol RC @4mins
5th Aled Jones Team AVS/Gloucester
6th Jake Wilde Salisbury Tri Club J
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.
