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British Championships - CN
Beverley, Great Britain, June 24-25, 2006
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Day 2 - June 25: Elite men road race, 187 km
Haynes comes home for victory
By Gerry McManus in Beverley
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Hamish Haynes (Jartazi/7-Mobile) charged across the line first to take victory in the Elite Men's British road race championships on Sunday. The Belgian based rider unleashed an explosive sprint at the end of the tough 116-mile race to beat Roger Hammond (Discovery Channel) and Geraint Thomas (Recycling.co.uk-SIS) for the top podium position.
The race had largely stayed together in the early stages despite the best efforts of Hammond and Jeremy Hunt (Unibet). The first hour must have been close to an average of 30mph as riders attacked on the flat roads out to the big circuit. Hammond, Russell Downing (DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed) and Duncan Urquhart (Agisko-Dart-Cycling.tv) were mixing it up on the long drag up to Middleton on the Wolds causing chaos as the echelons spread along the road behind.
The first major split came on the first of the big circuits when eleven riders went clear to gain 30 seconds on the bunch. Hammond, Hunt, Urquhart, Russell Downing, Rob Hayles (Team KLR), Matt Stephens (Sigma Sport) and team mates Kristian House, Rob Sharman and Ben Greenwood (Recycling.co.uk) had all made the cut. By the end of the next lap the leaders were surprisingly brought back, but riders were strewn behind as the effort had taken its toll. Steve Cummings (Landbouwkrediet) was the most relieved after he had missed the split and wouldn't make the same mistake again.
The riders headed back towards Beverley with the hardest challenge in store on the climb at Nunburnhome. Jonathan Dayus (Arctic Shorter Rochford) and Russell Downing had no time to look back at the Yorkshire scenery as they scaled the mile-long 1-in-10 average ahead of field. Haynes was the next to surface at the top but the gaps weren't significant enough and the main front group came together on the descent.
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The front group reached the finishing circuit and on the second lap Urquhart went clear and was soon joined by Haynes. The two maintained a slender lead until Thomas, Hammond and Dale Appleby (recycling.co.uk) jumped across and Hammond drove it clear from the front. The five stayed clear working together right to the sprint and Haynes got the verdict. Appleby and Urquhart finishing fourth and fifth respectively.
Haynes lives and races in Belgium and is largely unheard of in the UK. The 32-year-old has ridden a massive amount of races on the continent in preparation for the event and felt quite comfortable throughout the race. "In the last 200 metres I thought I was going to win," said Haynes. "I rode fairly conservatively for most of the day. I was always trying to sit on a wheel and try to avoid doing too much work but worked when I had to.
"I knew my speed was good and I that the other riders didn't know that I could sprint strongly," Haynes continued. "Roger (Hammond) doesn't come up against me very often. I have been racing a lot and every race over in Belgium is over 200km so today was a short race for me.
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"Roger and Jeremy in particular were really attacking in the first 50km. There was always a possibility they would get away. They always want to have ten riders away from the beginning and over the whole race their strength will tell. If it doesn't work then they have wasted a lot of energy.
"I go back to Belgium on Wednesday and back to racing in Switzerland on Saturday and France on Sunday."
Roger Hammond was philosophical about finishing second. "The course was tough," said Hammond: "There were a lot of straight roads and when we got into a break where we got 30 or 40 seconds lead, you could still see everybody. It was hard to get away because we were like a carrot for everybody. All the efforts we put in to blow the race to pieces didn't really accomplish anything. I had decided to make it hard to try to isolate Russell and the Recycling boys and split them up."
"I kept attacking on the finishing circuit and got over to Haynes and Urquhart with Geraint. It was myself and Geraint that kept us away. Geraint was much stronger than Hamish and I feel sorry for him to get worked over like that. If I had been beaten by Geraint I wouldn't have minded because he had put everything on the line and rode for the win. I made a bit of mistake in the sprint as I should have gone earlier. It's quite a while since I have been sprinting for a win. I have been riding ProTour races with Discovery and you end up riding races in a very different way."
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One a small end note, when the riders went to sign on for the race they were faced with a ban on overshoes and oversocks. The race organisers had received an official request from British Cycling to issue the instruction as the UCI had introduced a ban that morning.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Gerry McManus/www.gerrymcmanus.co.uk
- Instructions for the riders following the new UCI rule
- Roger Hammond (Discovery Channel) shares a joke with Rob Hayles (Team KLR) before the start
- Defending Champion Russel Downing (DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed) on the start line
- No champion's jersey but defending champion Russel Downing starts as number 1
- Battle commences - Duncan Urqhart (Agiskoviner.com), Russell Downing (DFL Cyclingnews) and Roger Hammond (Discovery Channell) watch each other.
- The main field drags itself up the first long climb of the day
- Hammond leads Russell Downing as the echelons develop behind on the long climb towards Middleton on the Wolds
- Hammond and Hayles lead the break on the first lap of the big circuit
- Hamish Haynes (Jartazi - 7-Mobile) keeps vigilant as the race starts to break up
- Shaun Snodden (Recycling.co.uk) leads one of the chase groups on the first circuit as the race starts to break up
- Daniel Lloyd (Giant Asia) and Martin Ford (Team Lloyds) lead the main field on the second big lap.
- Jeremy Hunt (Unibet) leads Roger Hammond and the early break
- Recycling.co.uk in action chasing down the early break
- Under 23 champion Peter Bissell (Arctic Shorter Rochford)
- Jonathan Dayus (Artic Shorter Rochford) and Russell Downing get away on the steep climb at Nunburnholme
- Hamish Haynes (Jartazi/7-Mobile) battles on the steep climb to close down on the two leaders
- Steve Cummings (Landbouwkredit) leads Roger Hammond on the Nunbunholme climb
- Tough going on the Nunburnholme climb for Dale Appleby (Recycling.co.uk)
- Hamish Haynes and Duncan Urqhart (Agiskoviner) get away on the finishing circuit
- Then there were five - Roger Hammond (Discovery Channell) leads the break on the finishing circuit
- Hamish Haynes (Jartaz-/Mobile-7) takes the sprint and the gold medal
- Hamish Haynes (Jartazi) celebrates his victory
- Family business - Hamish Haynes with his father
- Hamish Haynes (Jartazi) proudly displays his gold medal
- Roger Hammond (Discovery Channel) out of practice riding for himself
- Bronze medallist Gerraint Thomas (Recycling.co.uk)
Images by Andrew Kennedy /www.kennedyimages.co.uk
- Team Re-cycling.co.uk - SIS manager John Herety briefs the team at event HQ.
- Roger Hammond (Discovery Channel Pro RT) looking relaxed at the start.
- Early morning mist as the peloton roll out across the Yorkshire Wolds.
- Malcolm Elliott (Plowman Craven) comfortable in the peloton.
- Jeremy Hunt (Unibet) figured in the early attacks
- Matt Stephens (Sigma Sport) was aggressive during the early part of the race.
- Stephen Cummings (Landbouwkredit) was wary of early moves and kept a close watch on developments.
- 20 year old Geraint Thomas (Recycling - SIS) featured in the early breaks.
- Eventual winner Hamish Haynes (Jartazi) rode a sensible race, he took shelter but then rode hard to cross the gaps.
- Jonathan Dayus (Artic-Shorter-Rochford) and defending champion Russell Downing (DFL-CyclingNews-Litespeed) attack the field up Nunburnholme the last climb of the day, gaining a small gap, and splitting the whole field.
- Hamish Haynes was quick to react, and chases after the breakaways.
- Cummings, Hammond and Thomas lead the remainder of the peloton.
- Geraint Thomas leads the small break onto the final finishing circuit.
- With defending champ Downing and Stephen Cummings in pursuit.
- Hammond drives the break on the last lap of the small finishing circuit. With Hamish Haynes tucked well out of sight.
- Hamish Haynes snatches victory from Hammond and Thomas
- After the finish Hammond possibly reflects on towing Haynes to the finish.
- Hammond manages a smile as Hamish Haynes celebrates his success.
Results
1 Hamish Haynes (Jartazi/7-Mobile) 4.51.08 (38.54 km/h) 2 Roger Hammond (Discovery Channel Pro RT) 3 Geraint Thomas (Recycling.co.uk -SIS) 4 Dale Appleby (Recycling.co.uk ) 0.03 5 Duncan Urquhart (Agisko-Dart-cyclingTV) 0.06 6 Kristian House (Recycling.co.uk) 0.08 7 Stephen Cummings (Landbouwkredit) 8 Daniel Lloyd (Giant Asia RT/Jamijo) 9 Ian Wilkinson (SIS) 10 Jonathan Dayus (Arctic-Shorter Rochford RT) 11 Matt Talbot (Glendale CC Bike Trax) 12 Russell Downing (DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed) 13 Johnathan Rosenbrier (UC Aubenas) 14 Andrew Jackson (C Gambetta Orleans) 15 Robin Sharman (Recycling.co.uk) 16 Matthew Stephens (Sigmasport) 17 Martin Ford (Team Lloyds TSB) 18 Kevin Dawson (Agisko-Dart-cyclingTV) 19 Alex Coutts (DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed) 0.12 20 Jeremy Hunt (Unibet.com) 0.27 21 Phil Dixon (SIS) 0.28 22 Ian Stannard (Recycling.co.uk-SIS) 23 Ben Greenwood (Recycling.co.uk) 24 Dean Downing (DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed) 7.08 25 Neil Jones (Gateway RT) 7.12 26 Roy Chamberlain (Team Milton Keynes) 7.16 27 Evan Oliphant (Recycling.co.uk) 7.26 28 David Clarke (Team Nippo KFS) 29 Alistair Stoddart (Bouwelse Wielervrienden) 30 Rick King (VC Briganti) 8.48 31 Mark Wordsworth (J E James RT) 32 Danny Axford (Arctic-Shorter Rochford RT) 8.50 33 James Dobbin (Arctic-Shorter Rochford RT) 34 Peter Bissell (Arctic-Shorter Rochford RT) 35 Alex Higham (Agisko-Dart-cyclingTV) 8.52 36 Mark McKay (Glendale CC Bike Trax) 8.54 37 Malocolm Elliott (Plowman Craven RT) 38 James Williamson (Agisko-Dart-cyclingTV) 39 Robert Partridge (Recycling.co.uk) 40 Mark Lovatt (Planet X) 9.00 41 Chris Daddy (J E James RT) 11.25 42 Matthew Kipling (VC Briganti) 43 Chris Belsham (J E James RT) 44 Richard Williamson (VS Quimper) 45 Tobyn Horton (Team Lloyds TSB) 46 Alistair Kay (York Cycleworks) 47 Sean Polson (VC Avvurri) 48 Andrew Guy (Preston Cycling Club) 12.52 49 Mike Harrison (Sigmasport) 12.56 50 Henry Furniss (Ride Beyond / Bike & Run) 12.59 51 Tim Wallis (Arctic-Shorter Rochford RT) 52 James Taylor (Plowman Craven RT) 13.01 53 Adam Weaver (Doncaster Wheelers) 13.03 54 Richard Cartland (Team Milton Keynes) 55 Matthew Higgins (J E James RT) 56 Dave Coulson (J E James RT) 57 Jules Birks (US Montauban 82) 13.08 58 Gary Hand (Agisko-Dart-cyclingTV) 13.09 59 Shaun Snodden (Recycling.co.uk) 60 Stephen Feeney (Chester RC) 24.09 61 Richard Wilkinson (Rapha Condor) 62 Christopher McNamara (Wildside Rt) 63 Richard Sykes-Popham (Llandovery CC) 64 Danial Davies (www.agisko-viner.com) 65 Kit Gilham (Clifton CC) 66 Ian Holmes (York Cycleworks) 24.21 67 Tim Lawson (SIS) 68 Gregg Roche (Team Nippo KFS) 69 Lewis Meadows (Cleveland Wheelers) 29.31 70 Sean Newington (North Beach / Dooleys) 71 Ben Swift (Recycling.co.uk - SIS) 72 Richard Dean (Halfords Bikehut) 73 Kieran Page (AVC Aix) 74 Thomas White (Kuota Biemme) 75 Steve Gibson (VC Briganti) 76 Glen Turnbull (VC Briganti)
