Location: Edisford Primary School, Clitheroe, Lancashire
Event: 24 February 2013
Report: Snowdon Sports
Photo: Martin Holden Photography
Richard Handley of Rapha Condor JLT got the better of IG Sigma Sport’s Ryan Mullen and James Gullen of Hope Factory Racing in a sprint finish in the Clayton Velo Spring Classic Handicap in Clitheroe on Sunday.
The trio approached the home straight neck and neck but as they gave it everything, it was Handley who had the edge over his opponents.
Handley sat back for the first half of the race, letting the teams with a number of riders take control the race.
But then as the race began to bunch, the Wigan rider got more involved in proceedings and managed to work his way to the head of the race.
The break for the line began when Mullen broke early on the last corner. Gullen came back at him, almost bridging the gap before Handley powered past them both to take victory.
Also worth a mention is Andy Leigh. The 17-year-old WD40 Velocity rider was one of the first to set off as a junior and managed to hold a good place to finish overall.
Richard said after the race: “I wasn’t expecting to win today, I thought the track would suit riders like Matt Cronshaw better so I’m very happy.
“I thought it would suit them better because it’s a flatter circuit and hard to get away on your own. It’s a fast course and last year didn’t go to plan so there were no high expectations.
“But we changed our training this year and we sat back till the bunches came together, gambled on letting others to control so that we came back later on and kept fresh.
“Me, Ryan and James Gullen ended up in a sprint and I only just took it by about half a bike length.
“I thought I’d sit in for the sprint, it was a gamble, but Ryan went early on the corner and James chased him and got halfway across.
“I sat back for the first part of the race, Sigma and GB Academy had teams and we thought it would be hard to compete, especially with the numbers they had, so I let them take control.”
Results:
1 Richard Handley Rapha Condor JLT 02:15:05.94
2 Ryan Mullen IG Sigma Sport @ same Time
3 James Gullen Hope Factory Racing @ 4sec
4 Andy Leigh Velocity WD40 @ same Time
5 Peter Williams IG Sigma Sport @1:43
6 Matt Cronshaw IG Sigma Sport
7 Steve Lampier Node4 Giordana
8 Alistair Slater 100%Me
9 Mike Cumming Rapha Condor JLT All @ Same Time
10 George Atkins 100%Me @1:57
11 Sam Williams NFTO Racing 02:17:25.08
12 Ben Dean Team Leapfrog 02:18:43.95
13 Hammish Haines Hope Factory Racing
14 Michael Ashurst Biketreks
15 Hefin Price NFTO Racing All @ Same Time
16 Tom Barras 02:19:28.52
17 Hugh Wilson NFTO Racing
18 Dillon Byrne Champion Systems
19 Chris Sherriffs Team Leapfrog
20 Simon Wilson Team Corley All @ Same Time
21 Sam Lowe 100%Me 02:20:01.29
22 Chris Latham 100%Me
23 Tom Neale Spalding CC
24 Jacob Tipper Biketreks
25 Tom Bracegirdle Biiketreks
26 Sam Boast Team Sportscover
27 Christian Braybrooke Velocity WD40
28 Daniel Fox Airdale RT
29 Mark Hammersley Team Wheelguru All @ Same Time
30 Hugh Carthy Rapha Condor JLT
31 Ewan Mcdonald NFTO Racing
32 Chris Thompson Vs Cycles
33 James Claydon Bill Nickson Cycles
34 Steve Abbott Team Wallis
35 Luke Mellor Rapha Condor JLT
36 Michael Rawson Kuota Spinergy
37 Matt Lee NFTO Racing
38 Shaun Pearson Ribble Valley Crc
39 Ryan Bevis NFTO Racing
40 Adam Birdsall Batley CC
41 Jonathan Cregeen Biketreks
42 Will Thomas Velocity WD40
43 Richard Hepworth Node4 Giordana
44 Jack Waller Spirit Bikes RT
45 Henry Hunter Team Wallis
46 Sean Mcgovern Team Wallis
47 Joe Kelly 100%Me
48 Lee Carter Ribble Valley Crc
49 Michael Clarke Team Wheelguru
50 Oliver Payton Team Csp
51 John Clegg Ribble Valley Crc
52 Ben Greenwood Hope Factory Racing
53 Martin Woffindin Team Csp
54 Matthew Bulmer Dirtwheels
55 Leigh Cowell Kuota Spinergy
56 Jack Sadler Vanillabikes.Com All @ same time
57 Mark Perry Dirtwheels
58 Eldon Garnett Team Wallis
59 Sam Dobson Unattached
60 Lucy Martin Boels Dolman
61 Connor French Team Csp
62 Richard Flynn Gmp Racing
63 Neil Welsh Team Csp
64 Darren Acton The Shed
65 Martin Podmore Unattached
66 Thomas Wiley University Manchester
67 Kevin Ainsworth North Lancs RC All @ one lap
Please credit www.britishcycling.org.uk and link back if you use any of our race results.
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.
