Archer International Grand Prix - NE

Buckinghamshire, UK, April 15, 2007

Main Page Results

Gaywood hits the target in Archer race

By Gerry McManus

Simon Gaywood wins.
Photo ©: Gerry McManus

Simon Gaywood (Plowman Craven/Evans) out sprinted his two remaining breakaway companions to win the Archer GP in Buckinghamshire, UK this Sunday April 15. Gaywood exploded past Matt Talbot (Rapha Condor) and Andy Roche (Yellow RT) on the uphill finishing straight in the village of Winchmore Hill to punch the air with delight as he crossed the finishing line.

Gaywood has been a proven sprinter in the past using his ability to win many criterium races. His talent was largely untested in major endurance events but the Leighton Buzzard rider was still able to unleash the power again after five hours of racing to take a well deserved victory.

"Someone described this event as tough but that's understatement," said Gaywood: "The climb at Whiteleaf is horrendous to say the least but we managed to roll over five times without too many problems. I was more worried about the finishing circuit where the drag on the main road is pretty hard. I was in the break on my own and I felt a bit isolated with three from Team Corley and two from Rapha teams. Luckily I have got a bit of a gallop and that helped. The last few couple of laps were hard with the Rapha riders ‘one-twoing' us. Andy Roche took his chances on the last lap and I thought he was going to sneak off on his own when he got the gap. But we managed to bring him back."

Roy Chamberlain
Photo ©: Gerry McManus

"There were only three of us left on the final climb," Gaywood continued: "And I pulled my foot out and almost went into the back of Talbot. Thankfully I got my foot back in and managed to get back up to him. Talbot just stuck the hammer down which gave me the perfect lead out. The race distance had worried me but I have put a lot of training in this year and it paid off today. Plowman Craven is great team and there is good camaraderie between the riders and we are all supported really well. It all helps around my job and stuff like that."

Roy Chamberlain picked up the prize for the Rudy Project Prince of Points competition and also picked up £140 for fifth place. "I just cramped up on the last lap," said Chamberlain: "I would have probably been fifth in the sprint anyway."

"There wasn't much between the five of us really," continued the 42 year-old from Milton Keynes: "We knew there was a chase on but we didn't know how close they were so we just had to ride hard. I am very pleased to pick up the points prize."

How it unfolded

Russell Downing (HealthNet)
Photo ©: Gerry McManus

Gaywood, Talbot and Roche had featured in the race long break that went clear on the first ascent at Whiteleaf. Only 31 riders from 100 starters finished the tough 115-mile event with the winner's time at five hours and six minutes.

Matthew Higgins (Team Corley) unwittingly started the break after he had rocketed up the Whiteleaf climb to win the first of the points on his way to winning the Plowman Craven King of the Chilterns prize. Higgins was joined by Danny Axford (Arctic Shorter) and Richard Wilkinson (Rapha Condor) and the trio were re-enforced by nine other riders on the flat ridge section through Lacey Green. Talbot, Roche, Roy Chamberlain (Team Corley Cycles), Richard Cartland (Team Corley Cycles), Henry Furniss (Bike and Run), James Sampson and Ryan Bonser quickly set to work with the others and they quickly developed a gap of over three minutes by the time they reached the summit on the second of five ascents at Whiteleaf.

Meanwhile the race behind had split into three. The first and second chase groups merged to contain pre-race favourites Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven), Russell Downing (HealthNet) and Chris Newton (Recycling.co.uk). All the major teams were represented in the front group and the chasers were not making the strongest effort. The rest of the race was fragmenting with many riders retiring after they were dropped from what was left of the bunch.

Chris Newton
Photo ©: Gerry McManus

The leaders ploughed on reaching speeds of 36 mph on the flat roads on the run from the Whiteleaf summit to Nap Hill. When they reached the finishing circuit it was Chamberlain, Roche and Wilkinson who reached the top of the hill at Penn Street village first leading by a handful of seconds but their freedom was short-lived. All twelve were back together leading the race by two minutes. Graham Briggs (Recycling.co.uk) emerged round the corner next with the Downing brothers, Malcolm Elliott (Pinarello RT), Newton and David Clarke (unattached) firmly fixed to his wheel. McCauley was now missing from the chase group presumably retired.

Gaywood was outnumbered by some of the other teams but continued to share the workload and helped to bring back a number of attacks as the race started to reach its conclusion. Gaywood, Roche and Talbot proved to be the strongest in the final laps with their breakaway companions falling backwards just as Newton, Russell Downing and Elliott were charging forwards. Wilkinson and Chamberlain held on to finish fourth and fifth respectively with Newton thirty seconds behind finishing in sixth spot and extend his lead overall in the British Cycling Premier Calendar series.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

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

Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven Evans Cycles) playing down his chances before the race.
Alex Dowsett (100% ME).
Chris Newton (recycling.co.uk) serious before the start.
Russell Downing (HealthNet) home for a couple of weeks.
Tom Murray (Kinesis UK) leads the race winning break on the first lap.
Dean Downing (Rapha) attempts to jump to the leaders.
The main field ride steady in the early laps.
Danny Axford (Artic Shorter) and Roy Chamberlain (Team Corley Cycles) lead the break.
The chase group start to show some urgency on lap two.
Chris Newton (recycling.co.uk) leads Russell Downing (HealthNet) in the third group on the road.
The leaders make the ascent at Whiteleaf.
Matthew Higgins (Team Corley Cycles) climbs clear to take maximun KOM points.
Roy Chamberlain on the Whiteleaf climb.
Riders look for more drinks on the hot day.
The chasers on Whiteleaf.
Gordon McCauley rides tempo on the climb.
Ben Hallam (Bike and Run) maximises his oxygen intake.
Andy Roche (Pinarello) leads the break on Whiteleaf.
David Clarke leads Russell Downing and Chris Newton on the Penn street climb.
Graham Briggs (recycling.co.uk) leads Dean Downing and the chase group at Penn street.
Newton puts the hammer down on the Penn street climb.
Danny Axford (Artic Shorter).
The pain on the ascent at Whiteleaf.
Simon Gaywood (Plowman Craven) wins the three-man sprint and the Archer GP.
Simon Gaywood wins.
Chris Newton takes sixth spot.

Results - 185 km

1 Simon Gaywood (Plowman Craven Evans Cycles RT)               4.46.08 (38.79 km/h)
2 Matt Talbot (Rapha Condor RT)                                       
3 Andy Roche (PinarelloRT /Rudy Project/Most/Continental)             
4 Richard Wilkinson (Rapha Condor RT)                             0.14
5 Roy Chamberlain (Team Corley Cycles/Trek)                       0.55
6 Chris Newton (Recycling.co.uk)                                  1.31
7 Russell Downing (Team Health Net/Maxxis)                            
8 Malcolm Elliot (Pinarell RT/Rudy Project/Most/Continental)          
9 Matthew Higgins (Team Corley Cycles/Trek)                       1.39
10 David Clarke (BC Private Member)                               1.40
11 Danny Axford (Arctic Building Services/Shorter Rochford RT)    4.50
12 Richard Cartland (Team Corley Cycles/Trek)                     4.54
13 Alex Higham (Bike & Run London.Maximuscle/Look)                    
14 James Sampson (Kinesis UK)                                     5.05
15 Ryan Bonser (Recycling.co.uk)                                  5.15
16 Robin Sharman (KFS Special Vehicles/Sunday Bicycles)           7.00
17 Dean Downing (Rapha Condor RT)                                     
18 James Stewart (KFS Special Vehicles/Sunday Bicycles)               
 
One lap behind
 
19 Dan Staite (Bike & Run London.Maximuscle/Look)                     
20 Pete Williams (Kinesis UK)                                         
21 Alex Atkins (Glendene CC/Biketrax/Maxim/Specialized)               
22 Liam Holoham (Merlin RT/Bikelab.co.uk/Pearl Izumi)                 
23 Matt Kipling (Inkland/MTS Cycle-Sport)                             
24 John Charlsworth (New Brighton CC)                                 
25 Lee Davis (PinarelloRT /Rudy Project/Most/Continental)             
26 Tom Murray (Kinesis UK)                                            
27 Ashley Brown (Sportscover-Planet X)                                
28 Stuart Gordon (New Brighton CC/Abesco)                             
29 Adam Bonser (Recycling.co.uk)                                      
30 James Williamson (Wills Wheels CC/Astra Signs)                     
31 Mark Wordsworth (JE James RT/Giant)