Results and Reports for July 15-16

Great Britain

Note : these pages are often updated, please hit "refresh" or "reload" on your browser for the latest version

BCF and WCRA Women's National Criterium Championship

Hillingdon Circuit, London, July 16, 2000

Frances Newstead wins her first national title on the road

Frances Newstead
Photo: © Larry Hickmott

Although generously sponsored by a bed company, Slumberland, Frances Newstead did anything but go to sleep in a race that saw her and Melanie Sears (Rudy Project/Alsager) dominate a great race.

The event in question, the National Criterium Championship (organised by David Taylor of Hemel Hempstead CC) had a strong line up with not only riders on the national squad taking part (such as Susan Carter and Melanie Sears) but also a string of other big names like defending champion and Echelon-Velo columnist, Sally Boyden (Clarke Contracts), top woman mountain biker Jenny Copnall (Berghaus-Cannondale), as well as top performers Angela Hunter and Melanie Szubrycht. In all, more than 30 riders took the start in cool, windy but dry conditions.

The championship was a dual event for both BCF (British Cycling Ferderation) and WCRA members, with medals from each organisation up for grabs and president of the WRCA, Molly Swann, in attendance to do the presentation.

The race started easily enough with the field being together for the first 12 or so minutes before the pace started to rise with Melanie Sears prominent on the front along with Susan Carter and Sally Boyden. Gore Bike Wear rider Leda Ray was also seen attacking down the main straight into the headwind that winner, Frances Newstead, described as being one of the hardest parts of the circuit.

It was also down the straight that Dianne Moss (Ashfield RC) tried her luck but the field soon brought her back and as if to teach her a lesson then proceeded to sit on her back wheel for most of the next lap.

It took until 20 minutes had passed before the field started to split though when a number of small groups were spat out the back and despite the peloton slowing dramatically at times, those dropped were never to get back to the main group again.

Two laps later and the race pattern started to develop in earnest as Melanie Sears (Alsager/Rudy Project) attacked alone and built up a small lead of around 10 seconds on a splitting bunch. First to try her luck to get across was Rachel Heal but as she was brought back, eventual winner, Frances Newstead stormed across the gap in next to no time to create a leading duo that was to remain at the head of affairs for the rest of the race.

Behind the break in the main group, Susan Carter (having her first race since arriving back from international duty 3 weeks ago), a teamate to Melanie Sears, was marking the chasers and it was obviously having an effect because as can be normal in these type of races, the chasing comprised of lone attacks one after the other, rather than a concerted effort by a series of riders.

The break winning the race was however, not a foregone conclusion, because the lead was very small for most of the race, holding steady around 20- to 25 seconds. A gap of this size was crossable and after being heavily marked, defending champion Sally Boyden finally broke clear with 9 laps to go. But the effort was short lived as the bunch soon came back to her, upon which another three riders went clear with the ever present Susan Carter among them.

Towards the end, the leading duo, despite playing cat and mouse themselves, still managed to increase their lead by around 10 seconds a lap. With both riders being non sprinters and the finish looming, Frances Newstead tried to go clear. This came after Sears had put in a strong effort at the front, but it was not to be and the race was decided by a sprint.

With the wind blowing into their faces down the long back straight at Hillingdon, the sprint was a very close run thing with Frances Newstead just managing to beat the rider who started the break, Melanie Sears.

Back in the bunch, many expected Sally Boyden, a quick sprinter with many years of experience, to take the bronze. However, a jubilant Melanie Szubrycht just managed to get over Boyden with a show of glee worthy of the winner herself. In fifth was non-sprinter Susan Carter who excelled herself in getting 3rd in the gallop after a race spent controlling the chase.

Afterwards, Newstead admitted to this being her first national title on the road, having won the ominium title on the track. She also said coming up to the sprint, that she expected Sears to beat her. Newstead, who has spent a lot of the year racing abroad in Holland and elsewhere is now setting her sights on the national track titles.

Newstead went onto say that she felt her track work had benefitted her today in a race where the speed at which she managed to cross the gap to Sears was probably the winning move on her part.

Her expereince also helped her as she said that she knew she had to get away to stand a chance of getting a medal. Getting away with Sears though was a bonus as Frances knew that Susan Carter (who Newstead said had the ability to bring the break back) would be blocking for Sears which in effect meant that she was blocking for her as well, and with only a few strong riders left behind in the chase group, the chances of the break succeeding were high.

The difference between the chasers and the break was the sharing of the workload. Newstead admitted that both her and Sears shared the work.

What next? 27 year old Newstead said a medal at the national track titles would be good, especially after not being on the World Performance Plan for a year and doing her own thing. She was full of praise for the help she has recieved abroad such as that in Holland which enabled her to race there for four weeks.

Now, in circuit races at least, the rider wearing the jersey of national champion will be a proud and very happy Frances Newstead. No doubt, with the win and help from a company such as Slumberland, Frances will certainly sleep well tonight.

Report courtesy of Larry Hickmott at www.echelon-velo.uk

Provisional results

1. Frances Newstead (AC Slumberland/Slumberland Beds)
2. Melanie Sears (Alsager/Rudy Project)
3. Melanie Szubrycht (BCF Private Member) 		1.00
4. Sally Boyden (Clarke Contracts/Sandy Gilchrist Cycles)
5. Susan Carter (Alsager/Rudy Project)
6. Sara Dean (Oxford City RC)
7. Angela Hunter (GS Strada/Rudy Project/Afford)
8. Jenny Copnall (Berghaus Cannondale) 
9. Michaela Fischer (Guernsey VC)
10. Joanne Cavill (Mid Lothian RT)
11. Leda Ray (Gore RT)
12. Rachel Heal (Birkenhead NE CC)
13. Lucy Jude (Cottingham Couriers/Cottingham Cycle Centre)
14. Josie Heffernan (Heffs Bike Shop)