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British Cycling Elite Circuit Series #3 - NE
Brentwood, Great Britain, June 10, 2007
Downing secures Brentwood victory
By Gerry McManus
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He may be stranded in the UK away from his US team-mates but Russell Downing wasted no time in filling the void in his racing calendar and sprinted to victory in Brentwood on Sunday afternoon. The Team Health Net professional was a late entry to the British Cycling criterium series event but was first across the line as he out-sprinted Warrick Spence (Cyclefit-Serotta), Simon Holt (Recycling.co.uk) and Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven/Evans Cycles) after an hour of tough racing.
The victory turned the Yorkshireman's weekend trip to the south of England into a profitable one when he added the victory to the sixth place he achieved in the Hillingdon Grand Prix won by Rob Hayles (Team KLR) on Saturday.
"Obviously it's great to win here but I am contracted to the team for a year and I want to get back there to race," said Downing. "I missed the opportunity to ride in the big championship today in Philadelphia. It's a good time to be home with the crit races and the Premier Calendar races to ride in so I will be able to enjoy it. I had a tough day yesterday with bike problems and I had been riding against friction all day. I didn't have it in my legs when it came to the sprint so I took things easier early on today. I borrowed a new set of wheels and I was going well today."
"I started sprinting for primes just for training really and then going over the top just after the prime when everyone was still gasping," Downing continued. "I can get round the corners well enough but Warrick (Spence) goes round them like he is on rails. I came round that last corner in totally the wrong position but the gap opened up for me and I managed to get through."
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Spence feels that he might have missed an opportunity to win. "I was in a daze as we were riding on the limit," he said. "I knew I only had enough for one last effort but when they went wide on the last corner I found myself on the front but wasn't in the right gear."
Spectators were describing Simon Holt's effort as the ride of the day after he soloed across the 20 second gap to the leaders. "I saw the break had gone and I just tried managed to get on the last lap but I didn't have the legs left at the finish," said the rider from Telford in Shropshire. "Chris Newton wasn't here because he is ill so it kind of gave me a free reign to get up there myself today. This is my first year as a senior. I was third in the BC junior series last year and I also won the green jersey in the junior Tour of Ireland."
Simon Gaywood (Plowman Craven/Evans) brought home the bunch with Rob Hayles (Team KLR) in sixth spot with enough points to consolidate his lead in the British Cycling series.
How it unfolded
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The sun shone on the field that started on the High Street circuit with tight turns at either end. The race was all together in the early laps until the primes started to spice things up. Dean Downing (Rapha Condor), Simon Gaywood (Plowman Craven/Evans) and Adam Blythe (Science in Sport RT) were the recipients of the first prizes. Holt and Dave Collins (Science in Sport RT) were keeping the pace high at the front.
The first sign of damage in the peloton came after Collins took a prime after 20 minutes of racing and went clear with McCauley and Matt Talbot (Rapha Condor). The contenders were beginning to show themselves and Hayles moved up to the front as the leaders were caught.
Jon Mozley (Merlin RT) and Holt were next to go clear at the start of the prime lap but it was Dean Downing who was first across the line next time round to build on his bank balance. Brother Russell took the next one as the race came back together with breaks being quashed as quickly as they were formed. Plowman Craven were looking strong with Tony Gibb and Gaywood attempting to gain freedom from the bunch.
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Three riders finally went clear after 48 minutes of racing. Downing, Spence and McCauley took off to gain a 20-second lead with only 15 minutes of the race remaining. The trio worked well together and largely shared the rest of the primes. Tom Barras (Merlin RT) and Hayles did their best to bridge the gap but received no help from the two biggest teams represented in the break. However, their efforts had a damaging effect on the bunch with riders dropped in the fast pace.
The gap steadied at 20 seconds and Holt decided that it was time to give it everything in pursuit of the leaders. Holt put the hammer down but seemed doomed to failure on his own. The crowd gave their vocal support to the 19 year-old Recycling rider as they received time gaps from the race announcer. After a ten minute chase Holt finally reached the leaders on the last lap much to the delight of the crowd with the bunch 23 seconds further back.
As the leading quartet reached the final bend it was McCauley who made the first move taking the tight line into the corner and taking Downing wide. At this point it was anybody's race and Spence and Holt found themselves at the front with 200m to go but Downing dug deep to overtake in the last few yards and was the clear winner.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Gerry McManus/www.gerrymcmanus.co.uk
- Matt Talbot (Rapha).
- Tom Barras rounds the turn on the high street.
- The bunch make the tight turn.
- Plowman Craven head the field.
- Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven) stays vigilant on the front.
- Alex Dowsett (100% ME) watches Dave Collins (Science in Sport).
- McCauley leads the field.
- Dean Downing (Rapha) attacks with Simon Holt.
- Tony Gibb (Plowman Craven) goes on the attack.
- Dave Collins grits his teeth.
- Tom Barras attacks the whole field.
- Holt goes off in pursuit of the leaders.
- Russell Downing.
- Rob Hayles on the front.
- David Clarke - talented but still without a team.
- Downing leads the break
- Spence on the turn.
- Hayles and Holt shake up the bunch.
- Downing heads the break in the closing stages.
- Holt in hot pursuit.
- Holt spurred on by the crowd.
- James Taylor (Plowman Craven) attacks at the bell.
- Russell Downing (Health Net-Maxxis) knows he has it won.
- Downing wins it.
- Downing was delighted to win the group sprint.
- Simon Gaywood (Plowman Craven) leads the bunch home.
- Gaywood takes fifth ahead of Rob Hayles (Team KLR)
- Simon Holt (recyling.co.uk) on the charge across the leaders.
- Jamie Newall (Evans RT) grits his teeth and attacks.
- Russell Downing talks to the race commentator Mike Clark.
- The podium (l-r) Warrick Spence, Russell Downing and Simon Holt.
- A Double trophy win for Downing.
Results
1 Russell Downing (Team Health Net - Maxxis) 1.10.03
2 Warwick Spence (Cyclefit - Serotta)
3 Simon Holt (Recycling.co.uk)
4 Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven -Evans Cycles)
5 Simon Gaywood (Plowman Craven -Evans Cycles) 0.23
6 Rob Hales (Team KLR - Parker Int)
7 Adam Blythe (Science in Sport RT)
8 Tom Barras (Merlin Racing Team)
9 Graham Briggs (Recycling.co.uk)
10 Tony Gibb (Plowman Craven -Evans Cycles)
11 Jon Mozley (Merlin RT)
12 Andy Tinsley (BioRacer)
13 Stephen Adams ( Merling RT)
14 David Clarke (unnattached)
15 Ian Hole (Felt RT)
16 Martin Smith (AW Cycles)
17 Liam Holohan (Merlin) 0.27
18 Dean Downing (Rapha Condor)
19 Geoff Beetham (Retrobike)
20 Dave Collins (Science in Sport) 0.31
21 Alex Dowsett (100% ME)
22 Rya Bonser (Recycling.co.uk)
23 Tom Smith (AW Cycles) 0.36
24 Tom Diggle (Recycling.co.uk)
25 Adam Bonser (Recycling.co.uk)
26 Jamie Newall (Evans RT)
27 James Taylor (Plowman Craven/Evans) 0.43
