48th Tour of the Cotswolds - 1.5

Gloucester, Great Britain, July 30, 2000

Report    Results    Past Winners

Introduction

In the South West of the UK, a stones throw from Wales, lies the historic city of Gloucester, on the edge of a range of hills called the Cotswolds. Based around the city of Gloucester, the Ecclesiastical Tour of the Cotswolds is one of the toughest, if not the toughest road race in the UK and was first run in 1952. Having seen the others like the Lincoln et al, to be frank, they are all tough! Ecclesiastical by the way is an insurance group.

As well as carrying UCI points, the Tour of the Cotswolds also counts towards the Premier Calendar Series in the UK (led by Jon Clay prior to this race) and has one of the richest prize lists of any event held in the UK. The winner takes home £600 and there are many more cash prizes on offer for the climbs on the course.

If that wasn't enough, the course covering 119 miles (190km) is severe to say the least. Climbs include the one-in-four ascent of Birdlip (right at the start of the race), and various other hills such as of Nailsworth, Bibury, Bourton, Corndean, Brockhampton, Kilkenny and the infamous Fiddler's Elbow. Names which only mean something to those whose legs have buckled trying to climb them but take a look at the profile to get an idea.

The race is organised by Malcolm Prince and the Severn Valley club. Last year, its winner was the national champion John Tanner, and the now twice winner of the UK title, is again on the start sheet along with a host of other names that ensure the race is not only going to be fast but hard as well.

Along with Tanner, the field reads like a who's who of UK racing with many "foreign" riders as well. To begin with, there is the rest of the ProVision/Planet X clan, namely Mark Lovatt and Wayne Randle. From Ireland, there's the Irish National Champion David McCann who was second to Roger Hammond in the Archer Grand in April of this year and the Manx International too. Kiwi Scott Guyton who did well in the Lincoln Grand Prix is also down to race as is the Linda McCartney Team with Ben Brooks, 2nd in the of the first Premier this year, the Oleum Grand prix, Giro hero, Matt Stephens, American signing Matt de Canio and Huw Pritchard along with riders from the under 23 squad.

Other hitters include Chris Walker (On the Edge/Extran), the inform Anthony Malarczyk (Real Cost Cars), Rod Ellingworth (Team McEll), and Julian Winn (GS Strada/ Rudy Project) who is favourite to take over at the top of the Premier Calendar table as Jon Clay is not present.

Some other interesting facts are that there are six division champions riding including Martin Ford (Arctic 2000) who rode the one I competed in (North London). The defending Tour of the Cotswolds champion, John Tanner (ProVison/PlanetX) was the Star Trophy (read Premier Calendar) winner in 1997, 1995 and 1994). The champions from the last two years in Ireland, David McCann and Tommy Evans (1999) compete in this event.

Grass Finish and Other facts about the Tour of the Cotswolds

Not something I would look forward to but the finish of the race, all 200 yards of it, is GRASS! Must make for some interesting sprints. Five world champions have ridden the event, Danny Clarke, Tony Doyle, Rudi Dhaenens, Stephen Roche and Colin Sturgess.

The race originally started and finished in Cheltenham (same region of the UK) but moved to Gloucester in 1962 when the event became linked with the Gloucester Carnival now called the Gloucester Festival.

The race has been an international event since 1973 and the shortest race was 96 miles and the longest, 125 miles. The total height climbed is nearly 7,000 feet with the highest point being 950 feet. The rider who has won the race the most is Les West with 4 wins.

The win that made the eyes water trophy has to go to Bob Wells who in 1976 rode the last 15 miles without a saddle, a feat that kiwi Gordon McCauley had to do it himself in Belgium this year.

Mark Lovatt - "The best win of the year!"

Mark Lovatt
Photo: © Larry Hickmott

The day started early with me leaving for Gloucester at 5.00am for the 2 hour drive to witness this year's Tour of the Cotswolds. How sweet it was driving on UK roads at that time of the morning and the 2 hours I had before the start also came in handy as I drove around Gloucester trying to find the "Park". Once I did, the race officials were already assembled and signing riders on but I was rather dismayed when I asked whether there was going to a result sheet after the event, to be met with a puzzled look.

Hopefully in 2001, organisers all over the UK can take a leaf out of the way the organiser of the Lincoln Grand Prix's race results managed to get the results to assembled media within minutes of the race finish. But I digress as usual. The first thing when going on walk about was to look at the entrance and the picture says it all really. This has to be one of the most "interesting" finishes to a bike race.

After walking around the start and seeing who was assembled, plus taking the odd picture, I just managed to jump in the car and get ahead of the race to see them climb up the hill they call Birdlip which came after only 8km or 5 miles. This was one hell of a climb. Around a mile and half and at its worst, I'm told, 1 in 4. First to top the climb was Julian Winn (GS Strada/Rudy Project) along with Oli Beckingsdale (Scott UK). Chasing them were Tim Buckle (Paul Moy Associates) and Andrew Roche (EmyVale CC). The bunch behind was in single file and stretching a long way down the hill. Mark Lovatt came over to throw his shades to "wife to be" Karen. Irish champion David McCann and Ben Brooks (Linda McCartney) were looking a little worse for wear as were many of the Flanders riders from Belgium. Understandably, after riding the track titles the day before, Rod Ellingworth (Team McEll) too was suffering but then who wouldn't on such a brute of a climb.

As the course took in one big loop, I tried to make it to the next prime to see what had happened but the traffic congestion put paid to that so I went to prime climb number 3 which was around the 50 miles covered mark. At this point, eight riders were clear and as they came past, Wayne Randle (ProVision/Planet-X) was driving hard while teammate, Mark Lovatt looked comfortable at the back. Also in the break were Matt Stephens and David McCann along with a rider from Real Cost Cars and team Flanders.

Behind, the bunch was still very much together which was surprising considering the climbs. Every now and then a rider would take up the chase alone like Arctic 2000's Matt Holmes or Julian Winn, but within a few miles, everything would be back together again.

On the climb at Brockhampton, with around a 3rd of the race to go, the eight were now three with Matt Stephens (Linda McCartney) having helped dislodge the others. Lovatt was tackling the slopes in the saddle showing the benefit of the 160 mile rides I had heard about. Behind him, Stephens was grimacing out of the saddle and McCann too as the trio raced over the climb to the applause of a large crowd. Not exactly your "Belgium" sort of spectators but good to see nonetheless.

The peloton had meanwhile regrouped with the former members of the break, swallowed up as the pace increased in the bunch lead by national champion John Tanner (ProVision/Planet-X) and kiwi Scott Guyton (Flanders). When talking to one of the Flander's helpers at a feed station, it was said that this race was very much for Scott to show what he could do, and with it being contract time in Belgium right now, Scott was obviously trying to make sure he wasn't a forgotten man. Or perhaps he was trying to put one over his friend and fellow kiwi, Gordon McCauley!

I should also mention the great ride by Tom Rowan (Twickenham CC) who was also at the head of the affairs as they climbed after covering nearly a 100 miles. The deficit for the bunch however, was still almost 2 minutes and the next time I saw the motor bike time board as I followed the break down towards Gloucester at speeds of up to 80kph, the gap went up to 3 minutes as behind the bunch started to fragment as national champion John Tanner (ProVision) started to make his normal end of race move to get across to the leaders along with Scott Guyton (Flanders/NZ).

At the finish, with the race 7 minutes up on schedule, it was two up sprint as McCann had been dislodged on a small hill close to the finish much to the surprise of Lovatt. Both Lovatt and Stephens are not known sprinters but Lovatt didn't make any mistakes against a rider who now has a Giro (most of one anyway) and may other pro races in Europe under his belt, Matt Stephens. On the line the victory margin was ten lengths or so as Lovatt showed how much this win meant with a smile etched across his face.

Looking back at the race, the top three had been at the front of the race for all but around 10 miles of the 119 mile event.

After the event, I asked Mark Lovatt how the break started "Up Birdlip I was wasted but I got in a group there as the bunch split and Wayne Randle (ProVision) lead over the top where there was some jumping around and that was it. We all worked well together until around 60 miles when there was a long drag and the work stopped. That's when the jumping around started I said to McCann, we'll need three and that was what we had when it settled down".

"They let me lead over the last climb and then up another hill near the end, Matt attacked and I couldn't believe McCann was dropped." He was missing the odd turn but I knew from the Milk RAS in Ireland (Lovatt was third overall in that) that McCann was strong and thought he was just hedging a bit. I was expecting him to launch an attack. When I asked him about bottles as it was a hot race, Mark said "he went though about five and should have had more really". Which means his finance Karen was kept busy looking after him.

When asked how he rated the win, Mark said " it was the best win of the year".

So around 7.00 pm, I managed to make it home feeling as though I had just ridden 100 miles myself (I had driven 300 by the end). It had been a grand day though. Having spent much of the day bumping into Lovatt's wife to be Karen, who was sharing a car with Peter Swettenham's (who finished in the bunch and was as "chatty as ever) wife to be, Gabby, it was great to see Lovatt rewarded for his efforts. That's not to say that I wouldn't have wanted an Irish victory with my wife being Irish or a win for Matt Stephens because they all deserved it after a hard attacking race. Sure enough, the Tour of the Cotswolds had been a great day in the same way the Archer, Lincoln and other premier calendar events have been.

The lingering memory will be of Lovatt's smile as he came down the finish straight arms aloft well clear of Stephens. The large crowds too on many of the climbs especially Birdlip. The only thing better for me would have been to have been in the field myself but I have neither the lungs nor the time to train for such a hard race. But I can dream...

Report and pictures from Larry Hickmott at www.echelon-velo.co.uk

Results

1 Mark Lovatt (GBr) ProVision-Planet-X
2 Matt Stephens (GBr) Linda McCartney
3 David McCann (Irl) Ireland
4 Scott Guyton (GBr) Flanders-Prefetex
5 John Tanner (GBr) ProVision-Planet-X
6 Christian Selin (Fin) Flanders-Prefetex
7 Anthony Malarczyk (GBr) Real Cost Cars
8 Thomas Evans (GBr) Ireland
9 Huw Pritchard (GBr) Linda McCartney
10 Mike Harrison (GBr) Tunstall Wheelers-Brian Rouke
11 Danny Axford (GBr) Real Cost Cars
12 Glyn Shirley (GBr) Rutland CC
13 Harry Lodge (GBr) Amore e Vita
14 Eugene Moriarty (GBr) Ireland
15 Julian Winn (GBr) GS Strada-Rudy Project
16 Kris Matthys (Bel) Flanders-Prefetex
17 Ronny Assez  (Bel) Flanders-Prefetex 
18 Julian Ramsbottom (GBr) Peter Read Racing-Caygill
19 Tom Barras (GBr) Linda McCartney
20 Ian Alexander (GBr) Cheltenham and County
 
1st Local Rider: Ian Alexander 

King of the Mountains

1 Mark Lovatt (GBr) ProVision-Planet-X
2 Matt Stephens (GBr) Linda McCartney
3 David McCann (Irl) Ireland

Past Winners

1986 Roger Dunne (A) (GBr)
1987 Paul Curran (GBr)
1989 Pete Longbottom (A) (GBr)
1991 Steve Farrell (A) (GBr)
1992 Andrew Perks (A) (GBr)
1993 Mark Walsham (GBr)
1994 David Rayner (GBr)
1995 Chris Lillywhite (GBr)
1996 Mark McKay (GBr)
1997 Tony Bracke (Bel)
1998 Colin Sturgess (GBr)
1999 John Tanner (GBr)

A = Amateur

Past winners by Mario Stiehl, Berlin