Location: Brandsby, North Yorkshire
Event: 26 May 2013
Report: Julie Rodman/Snowdon Sports
Teams from 100%ME, Herbalife, Sigma Sport, Wheelbase and Baku all took to the road for ten hard laps of the rolling Hambleton Hills.
On the first lap as riders got used to the undulating hilly circuit, the attacks started with five riders breaking clear of Adam Duggleby (Wheelbase), Dave Clarke (Baku), Andrew Hawden and James Sampson of Herbalife and Kit Gilham (Metaltek).
Local riders Kit and James know the roads well and after two laps had established a 30 second lead, which stretched to 45 second the following lap.
Sensing the danger, four more riders chipped off the front - James Gullen (Team Hope), Chris Mark (Velo 29), Mike Rowson (Kuota), Dillon Byrne (Champion System).
The next time gap on the road was the leaders having stretched to 1:05 up on the main bunch. This triggered off more escapes from the peloton with Jon Dibben (100%ME) Tom Barras (Wheelbase) and Joe Moses (Sportscover).
These were to be the decisive moves and the fragmented main bunch of 13 riders dropped down to a 3:05 gap.
Dillon Byrne unfortunately suffered a mechanical problem inbetween groups and couldn't make his way back into the bunch.
With three laps to go a group of nine riders had joined together including the original group of our plus Dibben, Barras, Moses and Jamie Kennedy (Paisley RC).
They started working well together and the main bunch were resigned to take up the minor places. However, Matt Holmes (Team Raleigh), along with Sam Lowe (100 %ME) jumped off the front of the main bunch shortly followed by Chris Daddy (Squadra RT).
The attacks were soon to come in the leading group with some riders dropping off the pace on the final lap.
It culminated in a superb win in the end for Jon Dibben who along with Tom Barras had read the race to perfection and timed their moves well, Kit Gilham held onto third place from Dave Clarke in a credible fourth. Ben Last deserves a mention for being the first third cat home.
A fantastically organised race by Andy Fraser and his team at York Cycleworks, this race lacked nothing.
It was well sign posted, including descents, and they even arranged the sunshine for the riders.
A special thanks must go out to the NEG who despite losing a fellow NEG rider yesterday in tragic circumstances, covered the race with exemplary ease.
This along with Rich Houghton's Community Traffic Management made it an excellent event and extremely safe for all the riders. A wonderful new course which certainly challenged the riders, with no negative comments heard on the course. Well done to all concerned.
Result:
1 Jon Dibben 100%ME
2 Tom Barras Wheelbase
3 Kit Gilham Metaltek
4 Dave Clarke Baku Cycling Project
5 Andrew Hawden Herbalife
6 Joe Moses Team Sportscover
7 Adam Duggleby Wheelbase
8 Mike Ashurst Bike-Trek
9 James Samoson Herbalife
10 Jamie Kennedy Paisley Velo
11 James Gullen Team Hope
12 Sam Lowe 100%ME
13 Mike Rowson Kuota Spinergy
14 Matt Holmes Team Raleigh
15 Joe Kirkham Hargroves
16 Chris Daddy Squadra RT
17 Matt Pilkington Metaltek
18 Simon Baxter Herbalife
19 Levi Moodie RST RT
20 Craig Battersby Team Leap Frog
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
