Haribo Beacon’s James Shaw won the Cadence Junior Road Race as the British Cycling Junior Road Race Series began in Brecon, Wales.

After two years of unseasonably warm spring weather and a cancellation due to snow, there was sunshine, snow, hail and rain for riders to contend with during the race

There were attempts to get away early on - Alexander Baybrooke of WD40 and Sean Noon of Team ASL 360 pulled out a handful of seconds on the opening lap – but the race was dominated by the Haribo Beacon Cycling Team with Tom Bayliss breaking away in the early stages.

As the race crossed the Wye on the second lap he had a lead of 20 seconds over pursuer Tristan Robbins of BH-Solidor-Wamyouth who was 30 seconds ahead of the pursuing bunch.

Bayliss continued to open out a healthy gap – peaking at a minute and a quarter a lap later, with Robbins back in the bunch. He held that for another lap and a half before going back to the group to be replaced by team mate James Shaw who quickly opened out a forty second gap over a bunch headed by his team mates.

That was a minute and a half by the following lap – ahead of team mate Levi Moody who was soon joined by Joe Evans. The three Haribo Beacon riders would maintain station at the head of the race until the end. The lead peaked at 3 minutes over Moody and Evans – with the bunch a further 30 seconds back.

The bunch was fracturing from the halfway mark but it completely broke apart on the last lap with Shaw finishing a comfortable two minutes and twenty seconds over Evans and Moody with Karl Baillie of Pedal Pushers and Louis Modell of Catford CC fourth and fifth, Bayliss’ early efforts were rewarded with 6th place. 

Shaw spoke to British Cycling after the race and said: “It was a great race. I looked at the weather forecast this morning and noticed that there was a fair bit of wind and a fair bit of hail that was due – and that did come – and that always plays a big part in bike racing.

"It always makes for a hard race – it never makes it easy – but working as a team the boys played it well. From my point of view, I think we nailed it. The guys were all riding fairly strong – and hopefully we can perform the same way throughout the season.

“Tom took the early kilometres early doors and it allowed me and the other two lads – Joe and Levi – to sit back and assess the race, let people bring the race to us.

"I think that everyone knew who we were and they were watching us, so...we said play it by ear and see how it unravels and there was an opportunity for Tom to go and he took it. And it turns out it was he right move.”

“It was hard today – it definitely wasn’t handed to me on a plate. I had to go out and earn it. That’s what I like - It makes it worth winning when everyone’s fighting for it. When everyone’s put in the hours over the winter and everyone wants that win – it makes it worth more.”

"It’s good for morale and good for my confidence to get a win and take it in to the season.”

Results

1. James Shaw (HARIBO Beacon Cycling Team)
2. Joe Evans (HARIBO Beacon Cycling Team)
3. Levi Moody (HARIBO Beacon Cycling Team)
4. Karl Baillie (Pedal Pushers)
5. Louis Modell (Catford CC Equipe/Banks)
6. Thomas Baylis (HARIBO Beacon Cycling Team)
7. Tom England (Private Member)
8. Joe Holt (County Cycles Racing Team)
9. Hamish Carrick (Speg - Project 51)
10. Dan Gardner (Speg - Project 51)