British Men's Junior and Espoir road championships - NE

Long Crendon, Great Britain, May 27-28, 2006

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Stage 1 - May 27: Juniors, 121 km

Hampton finally tastes victory

By Gerry McManus

Russell Hampton (Glendene CC)
Photo ©: Gerry McManus

Russell Hampton (Glendene CC / Bike Trax) sprinted clear of a small but select breakaway group to reach top spot on the podium as British Junior Men's Road Race Champion for 2006. The 18 year-old from Basildon in Essex finally broke his curse of finishing second in national championships to earn his first gold medal in a tough event. Jonathan McEvoy (Kinesis UK) had enough strength left to hang on to second spot ahead of Hampton's team mate Peter Kennaugh.

The race started in the rain with Alex Dowsett (Glendene CC) showing his form at the head of the field on the climb with Kevin Barclay (Merlin Development Squad) Barclay stayed clear to gain a two minute lead until he was joined by another Glendene rider Andrew Griffiths. Dowsett set off in pursuit but the whole field was together at the end of lap five.

Glendene's Matt Rowe made the next attacking move taking Matt Green (Crawley Wheelers) and Louis Charity (Team Corridori) with him for company. A brave Alex Wise (Agiskoviner.com) finally made contact after a solo chase for the best part of a lap. The gauntlet was thrown down by the quartet as they built a lead of three minutes over the main field for over 70km staying clear onto the larger finishing circuit.

Meanwhile the strong Glendene team's individual attacks fail to break the elastic to the main field and they resorted to trying to organise a chase but found little help from the other teams.

All smiles
Photo ©: Gerry McManus

Wise was the first to drop away from the lead group on the steep one-mile climb up to the Village of Ashendon on the finishing circuit. Wise was clearly suffering cramp in his calf when the bunch caught him too. It was here that Glendene finally broke the will of many as Dowsett, Kennaugh, Griffiths and Hampton tore their way through the leaders' margin on the climb, with McEvoy latching on.

Adam Bonser (Le Coq Sportif – Dolan) jumped across the gap to the chasers. Green had already been dropped when they finally made contact with only 18km to go.

At the top of the final climb while the riders were watching each other, Jonathan Bellis came from behind using his momentum to take his chance going straight through with only about 3km to go. Hampton bided his time and followed the wheels chasing Bellis and attacked with 300m to go. He had time to raise his arms in his victory celebration in the fast finishing sprint.

Hampton was clearly delighted with his win. "I had a tough start to the season," said Hampton: "I got an infection which put me back a month and I have spent most of this season trying to build myself up working for other members of the team. I have come second best in the past to a lot of people. Last year I came second in the junior points race championships on the track and came second to Alex Dowsett in the 10-mile time-trial championships too. I just took my opportunity with about 300m to go when the others just started hesitating and it paid off."

Hampton has come along way since he started cycling at the age of 14 and has already clocked up a short 20 minute results in 10-mile time trials.

"I'd love to become a pro in the future," Hampton continued: "I know it would be tough but I just love riding my bike. Next week I am in Newport (Wales) at the track with the British Olympic Development Squad and then off to Switzerland to compete with the GB junior team in a tour over there."

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Gerry McManus/www.gerrymcmanus.co.uk

Matthew Greaves (Bronte Wheelers) heads up to Chearsley on the first lap in the warm but wet conditions
All smiles for the peloton in the first lap on the climb up to Chearsley led by David Williams (unnattached)
Alex Dowsett (Glendene CC) lays down the challenge leading up the hill to Chearsley with Kevin Barclay (Merlin Dev Squad)
Kevin Barclay (Merlin Dev Squad) built a lead of over a minute and a half on the third lap
Steven Burke (Le Coq Sportif) takes up the challenge and leads the charge in pursuit of Kevin Barclay on the third lap
Hard going for the main field on the climb to Chearsley
Andrew Griffiths (Glendene CC) joins early leader Kevin Barclay (Merlin Dev Squad) ahead of the bunch by less than a minute
Alex Dowsett (Glendene CC) sets off in lone pursuit of the two early leaders Griffiths and Barclay
Matt Green (Crawley Wheelers) takes to the front pursued by Glendene CC's Matt Rowe
The main field stalls in pursuit of four leaders on lap 6 who gained over 3 minutes advantage
Matt Rowe (Glendene CC) leads Louis Charity (Team Corridori) in the lead quartet break who built up a three minute lead
The leaders - Matt Rowe, Louis Charity, Mark Wise (Agiskoviner) and Matt Green lead the race at mid point by over three minutes
A Glendene rider heads off in pursuit of the leaders at half distance
The Glendene CC appear to have given up the chase to the leaders with one of their team mates in contention for a medal
The Glendene CC go on the counter attack at the village of Chearsley as the leading break build a lead of over three minutes
Glendene go on the counter attack as the gap to the leaders grows to over three minutes
Tom Price (VC St Raphael) leads the bunch up through Chearsley Village
Russell Hampton (Glendene CC) outsprints his breakaway companions to win the Junior Men's National Road Race Championship
Alex Wise (Agsiskoviner) finally loses contact with the leading group and is later swallowed up by the bunch
The Glendene CC put on a display of strength to escape the bunch and bridge the gap to the leaders
The bunch struggles up the climb to Ashenden in pursuit of the chase group
The podium - Bronze medallist Peterr Kennaugh (Glendene CC), champion Russell Hampton (Glendene CC), and silver medallist Jonathan McEvoy (Kinesis UK)

Results

1 Russell Hampton (Glendene C.C./Bike Trax)                     3.39.28
2 Jonathan McEvoy (Kinesis UK)                                         
3 Peter Kennaugh (Glendene C.C./Bike Trax)                             
4 Alex Dowsett (Glendene C.C/Bike Trax)                            0.02
5 Adam Bonser (Le Coq Sportif-Dolan-SIS)                           0.03
6 Andrew Griffiths (Glendene C.C./Bike Trax)                           
7 Jonathan Bellis (Glendene C.C./Bike Trax)                        0.14
8 Matt Rowe (Glendene C.C./Bike Trax)                              0.26
9 Louis Charity (Team Corridori/Specialized)                       1.32
10 Liam Holohan (Batley C.C./Hargreaves Cycles)                    2.50
11 Tom Last (Evans Cycles R.T.)                                    2.51
12 Darren Tiffen (Unattached)                                          
13 Tom Smart (V.C.Deal/ActivFolkestone/HammondsDover)              2.53
14 Edward Griffin (Somer Valley C.C.)                                  
15 Mark McNally (Le Coq Sportif-Dolan-SIS)                             
16 David Williams (Unattached)                                         
17 Rhys Lloyd (Merlin Development Squad)                               
19 Alastair Carr (Wolverhampton Whirs/Fred William Cycles)             
20 Stephen Adams (Sherwood C.C.)                                       
21 Luke Allen (Universal C.C.Marsni Frames)                        2.58
22 James McNally (St. Helens C.R.C./A.T.Joinery/D. Sparrow)        3.06
23 Steven Burke (Le Coq Sportif-Dolan-SIS)                         3.11
24 Matt Green (Crawley C.C./evanscycles.com/R.O.K.)                    
25 Alex Wise (www.agiskoviner.com)                                     
26 Thomas Butt (i-Team.co.uk/Wheel2Wheef/Trek/OnEleven)           13.13
27 Billy-Joe Whenman (Marin UK/Marin)                                  
28 Shaun Hurrell (Glendene C.C./Bike Trax)                             
29 Tim Morris (Newcastle R.C.2001)                                     
30 Sam Webster (Kinesis UK)                                            
31 Ryan Smith (Sport City Velo)                                   13.17
32 Luke Clarke (Verulam C.C.)                                     13.19
33 Lewis Cowley (Plan-B R.T.)                                     13.31
34 Tom Price (VC St Raphael/Waite Contracts/Hewitt)               14.33
35 Matthew Ullmer (Evesham District Wheelers)                     18.53
36 Callum Wilkinson (Edinburgh R.C./The Bicyclework)              22.38
37 Ben Stockdale (Evesham Wheelers)                               25.40
38 Kevin Barclay (Merlin Development Squad)                            
39 Ross Yates (Pedal Power R.T./Adidas Eyewear/Tonac/Bell)             
40 Matthew Greaves (Bronte Wheelers/Neophix Eng/Keith Lambert)    27.08

1 lap behind

41 Christopher Dales (Wolverhampton Whirs/Fred William Cycles)