Surrey League Revolutions Five Day - NE

Great Britain, August 17-21, 2001

Stage 1 - August 17: Leigh, 98 miles/157 km

Dring takes all in stage one of Britain's longest stage race

By Gerry McManus

Steve Dring (Stilton) took the final sprint on a great day for him in the first stage in the Surrey League 5 Day on Friday 17th August.

On the first lap, on the first of three circuits, Dring escaped with Jeffrey Capper (Cycle Centre RT, Roger Morgan (Liphook Cycles), Geoff Beetham (Prestige VC), Martin O'Loughlin (London Irish) and Rowan Horner (VC St Raphael). This proved to be the winning break, as they stayed away for over 90 miles in the 98-mile stage around the Newdigate in Surrey.

A flurry of activity behind saw five groups created at one stage, with the nearest at two minutes. At around half distance. Gethin Butler (Gore Bike Wear) and teammate Paddy Moriarty (Irl) took to the front of the bunch and started mopping up all bar two of the groups ahead. An inevitable 'auto-bus' had been created, languishing behind to eventually finish 15 minutes down.

The front group continued to work together with Dring taking the majority of the points in the king of the mountains and sprint competitions on his way to the stage victory in the village of Leigh.

Saturday's 97-mile stage two is based around Hellingley, just north of Eastbourne in Sussex.

This event is now the longest on the GB calendar and it is apt that they will tackle the Ashdown Forest stage on Tuesday, where both the Tour De France and the Prutour have been previous visitors.

Results

1 Steve Dring (Stilton Tal RT)              3.54.25
2 Geof Beetham (Prestige VC.com)
3 Martin O'Loughlin (London Irish)
4 Rowan Horner (VC St Raphael)
5 Roger Morgan (Liphook Cycles)
6 Jeffrey Capper (Cycle Centre RT)
7 Paul Pickup (Liphook Cycles)                 0.27
8 Gary Dodd (Sigma Sport)
9 Timmie Barrie (London Irish)
10 Chris Spence (Caesarean CC)
11 Danny Axford (Prestige VC.com)
12 Richie Carhill (Gore Bike Wear)
13 Dave Berkeley (Sigma Sport)
14 Justin Hoy (Liphook Cycles)                 0.37
15 Robert Enslin (Twickenham)
16 Jason Streather (Angliasport)
17 Stuart Blunt (Team Corridori)
18 Grant Bayton (Prestige VC.com)
19 Matt Ellis (Cycleways)
20 Martin Smith (Army CU)
21 Dave Creegan (VC Meudon)
22 James Williamson (Fast Track Racing)
23 Steve Gowar (Festival)
24 John Ibbotson (cycleweb.co.uk)
25 James Kelly (Twickenham)
26 John Horgan (Gore Bike Wear)
27 Giles Henry-Stogdon (Pearson Cycles)
28 Dave Worthington (cycleweb.co.uk)
29 Nichols Cheetham (Dulwich Paragon)
30 Gethin Butler (Gore Bike Wear)
31 Paddy Moriarty (Gore Bike Wear)
32 Iain Roche (Cycle Centre RT)
33 Paul Watson (Cycle Centre RT)
34 Simon Whiten (Twickenham)                  15.27
35 Matthew Melville (BCF PM)
36 Jeremy Uphill (Pearson Cycles)
37 Tim Melville (Cambridge Univ)
38 Marcus Brueton (N Paragon)
39 Mark Scoular (Liphook Cycles)
40 Oscar Challis (Dulwich Paragon)
41 Luke Myers (Portsmouth North End)
42 Graeme Stirzaker (Angliasport)
43 Mathew Swift (Old Portlians)
44 Guy Pearson (Pearson Cycles)
45 Richard Smith (Prestige VC.com)
46 Ross Colson (Prestige VC.com)
47 Jon Johnson (Festival)
48 Tony Gordon (Pearson Cycles)
49 Caspar Bull (Festival)
50 Nic Hutchings (SP Systems/Wightlink RT)
51 Peter Kench (Liphook Cycles)
52 Alex Rowe (cycleweb.co.uk)                 15.52
53 Stuart MacDonald (Cwmcarn Paragon)
54 Stuart Lemanski (Team Omega)               41.43
55 Alex Peach (Dulwich Paragon)
56 Stephen Coles (Festival)
57 Warren Jesse (VC Meudon)