It was double delight on the second day of the Spokes/Limits Kingdom Junior Classic as Isaac Peatfield took the stage win and Alex Dent claimed the yellow jersey.
Dent had clinched Saturday’s stage win but finished just off the main field on the second day as Peatfield rode to the biggest win of his career so far.
Green Jersey Racing Team’s Peatfield took his chance, along with Josh Sandman (Backstedt Bike Performance) and Lewis Hartley (Zappi RT), breaking at the midpoint of the 100km race.
The trio looked set to carry their escape to the line but Hartley lost touch as the race climbed past the Cults Junction, leaving Peatfield and Sandman to carry on alone.
“I tried a couple of times to go off the front but it was when the three of us got away that I thought it may work,” said Peatfield.
“We dropped Lewis (Hartley) on the climb on the Cults. Both Josh (Sandman) and myself started to fade towards the end.
“We knew the time gap was coming down because we were given the gaps but the adrenaline kicked in and I think that got me to the finish.
“I kept saying to myself, ‘I’m going win this, no way am I going to let him get this one’. I put this down as my best win and best general classification with third.”
Tense Finish
An early break by Sam Walsham (Maxx Road Team) on the opening circuit set out the race for the day.
As the race settled it was Mason Hollyman (Zappi RT) and Jenson Young (Giant Halifax RT) who took the king of the mountains points over the top of Cadgers.
As the race hit the Cults circuit for the final time it was Peatfield, Sandman and Hartley who made their break and soon had some 30 seconds over a chasing Joe Laverick (Soenens Booom) and Theo Modell (Wheelbase Cabtech).
Hartley lost touch as the road ramped up towards the top of the Cults circuit and the leading pair put their heads down to the finish.
Although the bunch worked to chase the duo down on the finishing circuit the catch never looked likely.
The pair took the left turn onto the long finish drag together but the adrenaline gave Peatfield an extra fewmetres to take the win from Sandman by a mere three seconds.
Spokes success
Dent finished just off the main field but a strong team performance ensured the stage one winner retained his leaders’ yellow jersey and the win overall.
Dent commented: “The team worked so hard for me. We knew I had a decent time gap from yesterday and we had to protect that but the guys gave everything to keep the jersey.
“Ben Barlow and Dylan Hughes did so much work. Dylan crashed but still got back to do a turn and Ben was amazing, I don’t think I could have kept that lead without them.
“The yellow jersey gives you an extra kick and it felt so nice to be on the front of the race wearing yellow. To win here is amazing.”
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