| Location: Lancashire
Event: 14/15 July 2012
The National Women's Series came to Blackpool on Saturday for the first two stages of the CDNW promoted Surf & Turf weekend and then transferred to Clitheroe and the Bashall Eaves circuit for the third and final stage.
Stage 1
The Palatine Leisure Centre was the location for Saturdays racing with a 1 lap, 1 km time trial to seed the riders, before they took on a 45 minute circuit race later in the afternoon.
Although black clouds hovered ominously on the horizon, rain never actually arrived and the sun shone on the 40 odd riders who took to the start line for the prologue, a quick 1km time trial round the criterium circuit.
Lucy Garner (Node4 Giordana), current junior world road race champion, was first off and was waved off ceremoniously. She initially posted the fastest time with a 1:24.81, and took the hot-seat, before she was overtaken by Kayleigh Brogan (Team Ibis Cycles) in 1:24.01. This time looked to be holding with few riders able to beat the 1:25 mark until Rebecca Heath (VC St Raphael) posted a stage winning 1:23.55. She seemed surprised to have to have posted such a fast time, let alone the winning one.
Stage 2
The riders reconvened later in the afternoon for stage 2, a 45 minute criterium. The bunch took off like a rocket and it was impossible for any breakaway to stick for more than a few hundred yards. Despite that a number of riders were active in trying to get away, including Garner, Louise Mahe (Mulebar Girls), Nicola Juniper (Eagle RC) and Anna Fischer (Willier Live2Ride).
With 5 or 6 laps to go, a number of new riders came to the front to take a bid for glory but still noone was able to break the stranglehold of the group. With a stiff tail wind down the finishing straight, the bunch rolled over the final lone attackers and into a bunch sprint. Lurking close to the front, where they had been for the entire race, the rainbow stripes of the world champion shot out of the bunch to take a deserved win and exact some revenge for missing out on the prologue win.
Stage 3
Sunday saw the race travel inland for 40 mile road race around a short Bashall Eaves circuit. Mostly flat, with only a couple of dragging climbs, the main obstacles the bunch had to contend with was the wind and large numbers of tractors on the roads. Making the most of the 'unseasonable' good weather, the local farmers were out in force harvesting their fields and tractors with laden trailers went back and forth throughout the race. However, despite the occasionally fractious relationship between cyclists and other road users, the race passed peacefully.
The same could not be said for the race, which saw attack after attack ping off the front only to wither in the wind and be dragged back. At the back of the bunch, several riders found themselves off the back. A crash also took out one rider and saw Louise Mahe (Mulebar Girls) off the back where she rode alone for some 10 laps before retiring to watch the finish.
As the laps counted down the attacks became more determined, often using the drag up to the finish line as a springboard to jump off the front. As the bell rang Emily Kay (Scott Contessa Epic) and Nicola Juniper (Eagle RC) gained a 20s gap. Despite the close time gaps across the field, no team was prepared to chase the two escapees and the bunch dawdled, allowing them to extend their lead. As the bunch sat and watched each other VC St Raphael sent Rebecca Heath and Jo Tindley up the road in a bid to bridge across.
However, it wasn't to be as Kay and Juniper worked well together to maintain the gap, the younger rider outsprinting her breakaway companion on the final drag up to the line to take the stage and the overall series victory. For her efforts in the third stage, Juniper would take 2nd overall and Heath 3rd.
British Cycling spoke to the victorious Emily Kay after the stage, she said: "My team had planned to work together because we were only 2 seconds down and we knew if it went down to a bunch sprint we wouldn't get the time back. One of my teammates had just launched an attack and been brought back so I attacked and Nicola Juniper got with me and we just worked really well together."
Results
Prologue Time Trial
1 Rebecca Heath VC St. Raphael 01:23.6
2 Kayleigh Brogan Team Ibis Cycles 01:24.0
3 Lucy Garner Node4 Giordana 01:24.8
4 Tamina Oliver AbergavennyRC 01:26.8
5 Emily Kay Scott Contessa Epic 01:26.8
6 Jo Tindley VC St Raphael 01:27.5
7 Laura Masey Abegavenny Road Club 01:27.5
8 Brit Tate Dirtwheels 01:27.5
9 Harriet Owen Node4 Giordana 01:27.6
10 Racheal Bamford Dirtwheels 01:27.7
11 Anna Fischer Wilier Live2Ride 01:27.8
12 Louise Borthwick Edinburgh RC 01:28.0
13 Lowri Bunn AbergavennyRoad Club 01:28.1
14 Elinor Barker Scott Contessa Epic 01:28.5
15 Molly Weaver Scott Contessa Epic RT 01:28.7
16 Zoe Armstrong Scott Contessa Epic 01:28.8
17 Nicola Soden Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos 01:28.9
18 NICOLA JUNIPER EAGLE RC 01:29.1
19 Eve Dixon championsystems/maxgear/kyklos 01:29.1
20 Hayley Edwards ChampionSystems/Maxgear/Kyklos 01:29.3
21 Anna Christian Team Scott Contessa Epic Cycle 01:29.4
22 Laura Murray Velocity44stirling 01:29.5
23 Gillian Taylor Strada Cycles 01:29.5
24 Louise Mahe Mule Bar Girls 01:29.7
25 Gemma Neill Team Leslie Bike Shop 01:29.7
26 Sarah Brook MuleBar Girl 01:30.0
27 Amy Hill Abergavenny Road Club 01:30.1
28 Adele Martin GB.cycles.co.uk 01:30.1
29 Joanne Blakeley Seamons CC 01:30.6
30 Rebecca Hunt Scott Contessa Epic 01:30.7
31 Vanessa Whitfield VC St Raphael 01:30.8
32 Hannah Manley for viored 01:31.1
33 Lauren Brown Champion systems Maxgear 01:31.1
34 Elinor Winter Corvida Allpress 01:31.6
35 Sarah Austin Abergavenny Road Club 01:32.2
36 KEIRA MCVITTY BUZZCYCLES.CO.K 01:34.2
37 Karen Poole Squadra Donne - Shutt VR 01:35.9
38 Hannah Shenton Node4 Giordana 01:36.5
39 Frances White Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos 01:36.5
40 Rebecca Keogh Solihull CC 01:37.8
DNS Sarah King Node4 Giordana DNS
DNS Laura Wasley Manx Viking Wheelers DNS
DNS Victoria Annis VC Bradford/Pennine Cycles DNS
DNS Ellie Gilham VC St Raphael DNS
Stage 1
1 Lucy Garner Node4 Giordana
2 Kayleigh Brogan Team Ibis Cycles
3 Harriet Owen Node4 Giordana
4 Emily Kay Scott Contessa Epic
5 Racheal Bamford Dirtwheels
6 Lowri Bunn AbergavennyRoad Club
7 KEIRA MCVITTY BUZZCYCLES.CO.K
8 Lauren Brown Champion systems Maxgear
9 NICOLA JUNIPER EAGLE RC
10 Tamina Oliver AbergavennyRC
11 Anna Christian Team Scott Contessa Epic Cycle
12 Laura Masey Abegavenny Road Club
13 Louise Borthwick Edinburgh RC
14 Rebecca Hunt Scott Contessa Epic
15 Rebecca Heath VC St. Raphael
16 Zoe Armstrong Scott Contessa Epic
17 Amy Hill Abergavenny Road Club
18 Sarah Brook MuleBar Girl
19 Eve Dixon championsystems/maxgear/kyklos
20 Elinor Winter Corvida Allpress
21 Louise Mahe Mule Bar Girls
22 Jo Tindley VC St Raphael
23 Elinor Barker Scott Contessa Epic
24 Joanne Blakeley Seamons CC
25 Vanessa Whitfield VC St Raphael
26 Laura Murray Velocity44stirling
27 Molly Weaver Scott Contessa Epic RT
28 Hannah Manley for viored
29 Anna Fischer Wilier Live2Ride
30 Nicola Soden Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos
31 Gillian Taylor Strada Cycles
32 Gemma Neill Team Leslie Bike Shop
33 Brit Tate Dirtwheels
34 Adele Martin GB.cycles.co.uk
35 Karen Poole Squadra Donne - Shutt VR
36 Sarah Austin Abergavenny Road Club
37 Hannah Shenton Node4 Giordana
38 Rebecca Keogh Solihull CC
39 Frances White Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos
DNF Hayley Edwards ChampionSystems/Maxgear/Kyklos
Sprint 1
1 Tamina Oliver AbergavennyRC
2 Louise Mahe Mule Bar Girls
3 Jo Tindley VC St Raphael
4 Amy Hill Abergavenny Road Club
Sprint 2
1 Jo Tindley VC St Raphael
2 Amy Hill Abergavenny Road Club
3 Elinor Barker Scott Contessa Epic
4 Louise Mahe Mule Bar Girls
Stage 2
1 Emily Kay Scott Contessa Epic
2 NICOLA JUNIPER EAGLE RC
3 Rebecca Heath VC St. Raphael
4 Jo Tindley VC St Raphael
5 Laura Masey Abegavenny Road Club
6 Lucy Garner Node4 Giordana
7 Sarah Austin Abergavenny Road Club
8 Elinor Barker Scott Contessa Epic
9 Kayleigh Brogan Team Ibis Cycles
10 Harriet Owen Node4 Giordana
11 Lowri Bunn AbergavennyRoad Club
12 Gillian Taylor Strada Cycles
13 Amy Hill Abergavenny Road Club
14 Laura Murray Velocity44stirling
15 KEIRA MCVITTY BUZZCYCLES.CO.K
16 Gemma Neill Team Leslie Bike Shop
17 Molly Weaver Scott Contessa Epic RT
18 Louise Borthwick Edinburgh RC
19 Adele Martin GB.cycles.co.uk
20 Lauren Brown Champion systems Maxgear
21 Hannah Manley for viored
22 Tamina Oliver AbergavennyRC
23 Rebecca Hunt Scott Contessa Epic
24 Eve Dixon championsystems/maxgear/kyklos
25 Anna Fischer Wilier Live2Ride
26 Brit Tate Dirtwheels
27 Vanessa Whitfield VC St Raphael
28 Zoe Armstrong Scott Contessa Epic
29 Joanne Blakeley Seamons CC
30 Louise Mahe Mule Bar Girls
31 Elinor Winter Corvida Allpress
32 Rebecca Keogh Solihull CC
DNF Hannah Shenton Node4 Giordana
DNF Nicola Soden Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos
DNF Hayley Edwards ChampionSystems/Maxgear/Kyklos
DNF Racheal Bamford Dirtwheels
DNF Sarah Brook MuleBar Girl
DNF Karen Poole Squadra Donne - Shutt VR
DNF Anna Christian Team Scott Contessa Epic Cycle
DNS Sarah King Node4 Giordana
DNS Frances White Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos
DNS Laura Wasley Manx Viking Wheelers
DNS Victoria Annis VC Bradford/Pennine Cycles
DNS Ellie Gilham VC St Raphael
General Classification
1 Emily Kay Scott Contessa Epic 02:55:36
2 NICOLA JUNIPER EAGLE RC @ 00:00:10
3 Rebecca Heath VC St. Raphael @ 00:00:26
4 Jo Tindley VC St Raphael @ 00:00:30
5 Laura Masey Abegavenny Road Club @ 00:00:38
6 Kayleigh Brogan Team Ibis Cycles @ 00:01:09
7 Lucy Garner Node4 Giordana @ 00:01:10
8 Tamina Oliver AbergavennyRC @ 00:01:12
9 Harriet Owen Node4 Giordana @ 00:01:13
10 Anna Fischer Wilier Live2Ride @ 00:01:13
11 Louise Borthwick Edinburgh RC @ 00:01:13
12 Lowri Bunn AbergavennyRoad Club @ 00:01:13
13 Elinor Barker Scott Contessa Epic @ 00:01:14
14 Molly Weaver Scott Contessa Epic RT @ 00:01:14
15 Zoe Armstrong Scott Contessa Epic @ 00:01:14
16 Eve Dixon championsystems/maxgear/kyklos @ 00:01:14
17 Laura Murray Velocity44stirling @ 00:01:15
18 Amy Hill Abergavenny Road Club @ 00:01:15
19 Rebecca Hunt Scott Contessa Epic @ 00:01:16
20 Vanessa Whitfield VC St Raphael @ 00:01:16
21 Hannah Manley for viored @ 00:01:16
22 Lauren Brown Champion systems Maxgear @ 00:01:16
23 KEIRA MCVITTY BUZZCYCLES.CO.K @ 00:01:19
24 Joanne Blakeley Seamons CC @ 00:02:06
25 Gillian Taylor Strada Cycles @ 00:02:33
26 Gemma Neill Team Leslie Bike Shop @ 00:02:35
27 Brit Tate Dirtwheels @ 00:03:01
28 Adele Martin GB.cycles.co.uk @ 00:04:37
29 Sarah Austin Abergavenny Road Club @ 00:08:47
30 Louise Mahe Mule Bar Girls @ 00:10:32
31 Elinor Winter Corvida Allpress @ 00:12:00
32 Rebecca Keogh Solihull CC @ 00:39:51
DNF Hannah Shenton Node4 Giordana DNF
DNF Nicola Soden Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos DNF
DNF Hayley Edwards ChampionSystems/Maxgear/Kyklos DNF
DNF Racheal Bamford Dirtwheels DNF
DNF Sarah Brook MuleBar Girl DNF
DNF Karen Poole Squadra Donne - Shutt VR DNF
DNS Sarah King Node4 Giordana DNS
DNS Frances White Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos DNS
DNS Laura Wasley Manx Viking Wheelers DNS
DNS Anna Christian Team Scott Contessa Epic Cycle DNS
DNS Victoria Annis VC Bradford/Pennine Cycles DNS
DNS Ellie Gilham VC St Raphael DNS
1 Emily Kay Scott Contessa Epic
2 NICOLA JUNIPER EAGLE RC
3 Rebecca Heath VC St. Raphael
4 Jo Tindley VC St Raphael
5 Laura Masey Abegavenny Road Club
6 Lucy Garner Node4 Giordana
7 Sarah Austin Abergavenny Road Club
8 Elinor Barker Scott Contessa Epic
9 Kayleigh Brogan Team Ibis Cycles
10 Harriet Owen Node4 Giordana
11 Lowri Bunn AbergavennyRoad Club
12 Gillian Taylor Strada Cycles
13 Amy Hill Abergavenny Road Club
14 Laura Murray Velocity44stirling
15 KEIRA MCVITTY BUZZCYCLES.CO.K
16 Gemma Neill Team Leslie Bike Shop
17 Molly Weaver Scott Contessa Epic RT
18 Louise Borthwick Edinburgh RC
19 Adele Martin GB.cycles.co.uk
20 Lauren Brown Champion systems Maxgear
21 Hannah Manley for viored
22 Tamina Oliver AbergavennyRC
23 Rebecca Hunt Scott Contessa Epic
24 Eve Dixon championsystems/maxgear/kyklos
25 Anna Fischer Wilier Live2Ride
26 Brit Tate Dirtwheels
27 Vanessa Whitfield VC St Raphael
28 Zoe Armstrong Scott Contessa Epic
29 Joanne Blakeley Seamons CC
30 Louise Mahe Mule Bar Girls
31 Elinor Winter Corvida Allpress
32 Rebecca Keogh Solihull CC
DNF Hannah Shenton Node4 Giordana
DNF Nicola Soden Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos
DNF Hayley Edwards ChampionSystems/Maxgear/Kyklos
DNF Racheal Bamford Dirtwheels
DNF Sarah Brook MuleBar Girl
DNF Karen Poole Squadra Donne - Shutt VR
DNF Anna Christian Team Scott Contessa Epic Cycle
DNS Sarah King Node4 Giordana
DNS Frances White Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos
DNS Laura Wasley Manx Viking Wheelers
DNS Victoria Annis VC Bradford/Pennine Cycles
DNS Ellie Gilham VC St Raphael