Location: Ugley, Essex
Event: 2 September 2012
Report: Snowdon Sports
Grant Smith (Crest CC) came through a sprint finish to be first home in the Easterley Faling Leaves Road Race in Essex on Sunday.
Event organisers say that a bunch sprint finish is unusual for this course, owing to the large climb at the end but this time, that’s what it came down to.
Lee Sturman of West Suffolk Wheelers and Nigel Hobday of Cambridge CC managed to open up a half minute gap at the front, lasting one and a half laps.
But the bunch were keen to get across to them and although small breaks were made throughout the race, this was the only one of note as the leaders stayed close.
But it was still a fast race and when it came down to the final climb, it was 28-year-old Smith who had the mettle to win.
The only junior in the race, Samuel Gilzean of Welwyn Wheelers, had a good showing, finishing seventh overall.
Results:
3/4:
1 Grant Smith (Crest CC) 2:07:15
2 David Bamford (East London Velo)
3 David Youell (Eagle RC)
4 David Page (Stowmarket & District CC)
5 Frank Rawlins (North Road CC)
6 Justin Fisk (Stowmarket & District CC)
7 Samuel Gilzean (Welwyn Wheelers CC)
8 Stefaan Van Poucke (Braintree Velo CRC)
9 James Browne (VC Norwich)
10 Dale Johnston (VC Norwich)
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.
