Rapha Condor JLT's Ed Clancy held off a huge field to take victory in the 52nd Eddie Soens Memorial at the famous Aintree Racecourse on Saturday.
A bright sunny day greeted the riders for the 9.30 start which saw many throw off the leg warmers for the first time this year.
Although Clancy was an odds on favourite to pull on the yellow jersey it would be Team Raleigh who set out their stall on the early laps, setting the pace and reeling in all but one of the handicap groups over the opening third of the thirty lap race.
The first group away managed to fend off the chasing hoard till almost the midway point of the race but it would be just a matter of time until the big guns upped the already frantic pace and rode over the top.
With so many riders now in one group it was inevitable there would be a meeting with the tarmac at some point and on the 14th lap a touch of handlebars saw almost half the field fall like a pack of cards across the back straight.
A good number would abandon their Saturday morning, walking back to the car park carrying broken bikes and wounds.
Things would take a while to calm down and it would be a good few laps until Rapha Condor and Raleigh put riders on the front to resume some sort of order.
With less than a third of the race remaining Matt Cronshaw put in a fast turn on the front dragging the field through the start area which seemed the signal for the big teams to try and take control of the remaining laps.
With four laps remaining Team Raleigh and Rapha put riders on the front and again the pace picked up ready for the final run in but the bunch stayed as one through the bell and it was Clancy who again proved just a little too quick in the sprint for everyone else and took a fine victory from Team Raleigh's Tom Scully and Madison Genesis Ian Bibby. Tom Murray took the Ken Matthews Memorial Sprint on lap 18.
What They Said:
Race winner Ed Clancy said: “I kept quiet in the race, John (Herety, Team Manager) said to us before the race there was no need for any heroics.
“We had a plan to get me up for the sprint at the end, to be honest none of us really did much work, the younger lads rode well to keep the race together and Rich (Handley) did a huge turn on the last lap then Felix and Jimmy took it up and I felt pretty fresh coming into the last bend, I went the long way round Jimmy and thought if we keep this straight and safe we'd be laughing for the win.
“It wasn't a hard race so long as you kept in the wheels so it worked out fine for me today getting to the end feeling pretty fresh.”
Runner-up Tom Scully said: “I got second place in my first race of the season so on the podium is a nice way to start things.
“I was really happy the way the guys worked today, we had a few riders assigned to various roles on the head of the race, for a new team they were great. For the team to go out and ride like that and follow instructions and just do the job is so positive in going forward.
“I enjoyed the race for sure, it did get a bit crazy at times when we were coming up to the slower groups and there were 30-40 guys riding across the road but it’s a nice race to get off the ground with and being on a closed circuit away from the traffic always feels safer.”
And third-placed Ian Bibby said: “I'm happy to get up there today, not really my kind of thing in a bunch sprint but I can do ok if I'm up there. It got a bit scrappy and I wasn't in the best position but it turned out ok.
“It’s been a decent start to the season, I'm just trying to get a bit more consistency this year for the new team, start as you mean to go on and put us up with the bigger teams.”
Results:
1 11 Edward Clancy MBE Rapha Condor JLT E 1:40.14
2 54 Thomas Scully Team Raleigh 1 st
3 4 Ian Bibby Madison Genesis E st
4 28 Richard Lang Team Raleigh E st
5 22 Ryan Mullen Team IG - Sigma Sport E st
6 144 William Goulbourne V-Sprint 3 st
7 151 Christopher Lawless Kuota - Spinergy - GSG J1 st
8 41 David McGowan Metaltek - Knights of Old Racing Team 1 st
9 14 James McCallum Rapha Condor JLT E st
10 173 Matthew Gibson Velocity WD-40 J2 st
11 135 Christopher Whorrall Team IG - Sigma Sport 3 st
12 170 Charlie Tanfield Velo29 Cycling Team J2 st
13 18 Matt Cronshaw Team IG - Sigma Sport E st
14 42 Tom Murray Metaltek - Knights of Old Racing Team 1 st
15 32 Harry Tanfield Herbalife-Leisure Lakes Bikes.com 1 st
16 55 Samuel Witmitz Team Raleigh 1 st
17 50 Hamish Haynes Team Hope Factory Racing 1 st
18 136 Tom Mazzone Team Manx Telecom 3 st
19 5 Dean Downing Madison Genesis E st
20 8 Matthew Pilkington Metaltek - Knights of Old Racing Team E st
21 167 Oliver Wood Team Sportscover J2 st
22 162 Jake Kelly Manx Viking Whls CC J2 st
23 26 Russell Hampton Team Raleigh E st
24 33 Tom Barras Wheelbase Altura MGD E st
25 152 James King Team Sportscover J1 st
26 49 Matthew Gee Team Corley Cycles 1 st
27 16 Simon Wilson Team Corley Cycles E st
28 101 Daniel Fox Airedale Chemical RT 3 st
29 225 Jack King Forme Bikes UK J3 st
30 246 Alexander Braybrooke Velocity WD-40 YA st
31 166 Jake Womersley Team Sportscover J2 st
32 145 James Locker V-Sprint 3 st
33 9 Richard Hepworth Node4 - Giordana Racing E st
34 239 Ellis Kirkbride Border City Wheelers CC YA st
35 142 Dan Spashett Team Wheelguru 3 st
36 95 Chris Nicholson Spin Rotor Primal C-Originals RT 2 st
37 48 Elliott Porter Rapha Condor JLT 1 st
38 30 Evan Oliphant Team Raleigh E st
39 77 Michael Rawson Kuota - Spinergy - GSG 2 st
40 248 Lucy Martin Dolmans Boels-2013 W st
41 112 Peter Banham Fred Williams Cycles 3 st
42 15 Will Stephenson Rapha Condor JLT E st
43 140 Ryan Bonser Team Wheelguru 3 st
44 37 James Newey Cadence Sport 1 st
45 185 Tom Trimble Cycle Club Ashwell (CCA) 4 st
46 176 Adam Lewis Wolverhampton Whls J2 st
47 207 Paul Griffin Rhyl Cycling Club 4 st
48 153 Jacob Scott Team Sportscover J1 st
49 160 Joe Evans Hargroves Cycles RT-Specialized J2 st
50 90 Matthew Ryan Rhos On Sea Cycling Club 2 st
51 82 Matt Lee NFTO 2 st
52 59 Tom Bracegirdle Biketreks Racing Academy 2 st
53 60 Frank Pilkington Bill Nickson Cycles RT 2 st
54 87 Stephen Swindley PMR@Toachim House 2 st
55 10 Aaron Buggle Rapha Condor JLT E st
56 57 Andrew Coupe WHEELBASE.co.uk/MGD 1 st
57 67 William Rudgard Dynamic Bicycles UK/RPC 2 st
58 45 Felix English Rapha Condor JLT 1 st
59 19 Andrew Griffiths Team IG - Sigma Sport E st
60 58 Matthew Robinson All Terrain Cycles 2 st
61 155 Joshua Knights Champion System/Maxgear/Base J2 st
62 71 Adam Howells Fred Williams Cycles 2 st
63 79 Dominic Jelfs Madison Genesis 2 st
64 242 Oscar Williamson Mossley CRT YA st
65 148 Kristian Zentek Team Leapfrog 3 st
66 104 Owen Jeffries Bristol RC 3 st
67 64 Craig Seaman County Cycles Racing Team 2 st
68 161 Luc Hall Kuota - Spinergy - GSG J2 st
69 38 John Holt County Cycles Racing Team 1M st
70 43 Peter Murdoch Paisley Velo Race Team 1 st
71 76 Leigh Cowell Kuota - Spinergy - GSG 2 st
72 17 James Gullen Team Hope Factory Racing E st
73 83 Terry Byrne Para-T Cycling Team 2 st
74 212 Darran Acton Team Leapfrog 4M st
75 66 Martin Woffindin Cycle Sport Pendle 2 st
76 221 Oliver Payton Cycle Sport Pendle J3 st
77 128 Adam Blakeley Pendle Forest CC 3 st
78 63 Lee Tunnicliffe Clay Cross Road Team 2 st
79 215 Christopher Welburn Forme Bikes UK J3 st
80 141 Christian Ellis Team Wheelguru 3M st
81 3 James Sampson Herbalife-Leisure Lakes Bikes.com E st
82 2 Thomas Bustard Herbalife-Leisure Lakes Bikes.com E st
83 23 Peter Williams Team IG - Sigma Sport E st
84 1 Dillon Byrne Champion System/Maxgear/Base E st
85 35 Stuart Reid Wheelbase Altura MGD 1 st
86 157 Peter Cocker Forme Bikes UK J2 st
87 31 Ben Ives Team Sportscover E st
88 174 Andy Leigh Velocity WD-40 J2 st
89 88 Dominic Smith Retford & District Wheelers 2 @0:26
90 46 Luke Grivell-Mellor Rapha Condor JLT 1 @1:00
91 13 Richard Handley Rapha Condor JLT E st
92 21 Matthew Jones Team IG - Sigma Sport E st
93 6 Jack Pullar Madison Genesis E st
94 44 Hugh Carthy Rapha Condor JLT 1 st
95 165 Leon Mazzone Team Isle of Man J2 st
96 27 Matthew Holmes Team Raleigh E @1:58
97 51 Robert Britton Team Raleigh 1 st
98 12 Michael Cuming Rapha Condor JLT E st
99 168 Jordan Rigby Teamwallis CHH Racing Team J2 @1 lap
100 92 Steve Thompson Clay Cross Road Team 2 st
101 169 Alex Orrell-Turner V S Cycles Brighouse J2 st
102 240 Joe Holt County Cycles Racing Team YA st
103 178 Graham Thompson Anfield BC 4 st
104 244 Fabian Brennan Velocity WD-40 YA st
105 224 Joseph Donohue Fareham Wheelers Cycling Club J3 st
106 193 Anthony Weston Liverpool Century RC 4M st
107 117 Andrew Webster High Peak Cycles RT 3 st
108 132 Duncan McLaren Stockport Clarion CC 3 st
109 218 Aaron Handley Bike Box Alan/Whiston Velo J3 st
110 154 Connor Swift Bike Box Alan/Whiston Velo J2 st
111 85 Jody Cundy MBE Para-T Cycling Team 2 st
112 120 Chris Edwards Liverpool Mercury (Dolan) CC 3M st
113 226 Oliver Maxwell Forme Bikes UK J3 st
114 81 David Lowe Newcastle Racing Club 2001/Vekta Velosport 2 st
115 211 Ivan Boyes Team Cystic Fibrosis 3M st
Ken Matthews Sprint
1 42 Tom Murray Metaltek - Knights of Old Racing Team 1
Category Awards
2nd 95 Chris Nicholson Spin Rotor Primal C-Originals RT 2
3rd 144 William Goulbourne V-Sprint 3
4th 185 Tom Trimble Cycle Club Ashwell (CCA) 4
Junior 151 Christopher Lawless Kuota - Spinergy - GSG J1
Youth A 246 Alexander Braybrooke Velocity WD-40 YA
Woman 248 Lucy Martin Dolmans Boels-2013 W
Master C+ 38 John Holt County Cycles Racing Team 1M
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