Madison Genesis on top as British Cycling Elite Road Series heads for Cycle Wiltshire GP

Navigation:
Home » Road racing

Round two of the British Cycling Elite Road Series sees action move to south-west England for the Cycle Wiltshire Grand Prix on Sunday 4 May.

With five UCI Continental teams and four British Cycling Elite National Teams taking part, competition is sure to be intense.

The race was last run in 2011 as the Twinings Pro-Am Tour, when Simon Yates took his first big British win

The 101-mile race starts at 11am in the centre of Wilton, with four laps of a long 17-mile circuit before six laps of the shorter 5.5-mile finishing circuit centred on Wilton.

The long route heads west through Burcombe and Compton Wood, as far as Fovant before heading south over the climb of Fovant Down.

The route then heads east through Broad Chalke and Bishopstone before heading north over the climb on Windwhistle and back to Wilton.

Commenting on the route, Madison Genesis team manager Roger Hammond said: "Madison Genesis are looking forward to visiting Wiltshire and racing on the roads around Wilton.

“We know the hill on the course is tough and that the roads make for great racing. Our team like to race in new venues and expand our following with our fans, so this new event for 2014 is a great addition to the elite level calendar."

Hammond’s squad made a great start to the series with a 1-2 on the Tour of the Reservoir podium; Alex Peters winning the first stage and finishing fifth in the second to secure overall victory ahead of teammate Peter Hawkins. With Mike Northey also in the top ten, the squad in black and blue are ones to beat in Wiltshire.

Team Raleigh are likely to head the teams vying for top honours after a strong performance from Yanto Barker and Evan Oliphant, the latter winning stage two of the Tour of the Reservoir.

Velosure Giordana Node4 Racing are also likely to pose a threat, with Marcin Bialoblocki and Steve Lampier scoring well in round one, as did Rapha Condor JLT, with Graham Briggs and Tom Moses on form.

NFTO Pro Cycling lie in fourth place in the team standings. A strong ride at Derwent Reservoir from youngster Jon Mould and veteran Russell Downing gave the new outfit a great start to their British domestic campaign.

The five UCI Continental teams are joined by four British Cycling Elite National Teams; Catford CC Equipe/Banks, Starley Primal Pro Cycling, Wheelbase Altura MGD and Metaltek KUOTA RT, the latter the leading domestic squad after one round.

Top vantage points for spectators include the town centre in Wilton where fans can watch the start and finish as well as see the peloton pass through each lap. Out on the course the top spots are on the climbs of Fovant Down and Windwhistle.

The event is the highlight of a whole weekend of cycling activity in Wiltshire, with three sportives (20, 64 and 100 miles) based in Wilton taking place on Saturday 3 May.