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Brentwood Town Centre Criterium - NE
Great Britain , June 8, 2008
Downing defends the family honour in Brentwood
By Gerry McManus
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Dean Downing (Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk) was the convincing winner of the third round of the British Cycling Elite Criterium series when it moved to the provincial town of Brentwood in Essex on Sunday 8th June. Downing took possession of the trophy won by his brother Russell (Pinarello RT) last year when he broke clear of the leading group and time trialled his way to victory on a hot and sunny afternoon.
The professional from Doncaster in South Yorkshire outwitted his breakaway companions when he attacked to take a prime and held on to win the race despite the efforts from Rob Hayles (Halfords-Bike Hut) who had set off in a lone pursuit. Hayles crossed the line in second and Jeroen Janssen (Pearl Izumi/PlanetX) won the sprint for third place and denied Simon Holt the chance of putting two Rapha men on the podium.
How it unfolded
Simon Richardson (Plowman Craven RT) took the first cash prime of the day and that was the only thing of note in the first fifteen minutes of the one hour plus five laps race. It was gruppo compatto after 20 minutes despite many attacking efforts until Janssen attacked with Tony Gibb (Plowman Craven RT) on the Dutchman's wheel and the pace went up and stayed high. Jody Crawforth (Arctic - Premier RT) took the cash for the second prime.
Downing went clear after 25 minutes of racing to win the points sprint ahead of Jon Mozley (Pearl Azumi-Planet X- High 5) and Warrick Spence (Cyclefit – Serotta) who was showing better legs than he did in London at the Nocturne on the previous night. Downing's effort produced the fastest lap of the race at 1min 34 seconds in the process.
Crawforth took the next cash prime after 35 minutes with the field still mainly together. Crawforth went too early for the next prime and Matt Holmes (Arctic - Premier RT) took home the £20 pocket money by winning the sprint.
The first serious break went after 45 minutes when six riders went clear with Downing, Spence, Crawforth, Matt Talbot (Glendene CC-Bike Trax) and Marcin Biaboblocki (Sports Beans – Wilier) opening up a gap and blasting the field apart. Spence fell back to the chasers led by Gibb and Hayles to leave five up ahead and the race split into three distinct groups spread by 28 seconds from front to back. Hayles was doing his best to get back into contention on the front of the second group as Downing won the prime. Hayles put the hammer down again to bring himself and Tom Barras (Plowman Craven RT) over to the leaders but Downing had already flown the coup when they got there.
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Downing mopped up the cash prime on his winning solo effort and his lead held firm at about 25 seconds. Gibb and Spence worked hard to bridge their way across to the first chase group and Hayles went off in pursuit of Downing on his own as the stopwatch approached the hour of racing. Downing gestured to the officials as he crossed the line eager to see the five laps to go board showing as he was anxious to see an end of the race but took another prime by way of consolation. Downing had plenty of time to raise his arms in victory as he crossed the finish line.
Downing was pleased with his victory but knows that there are some tough races coming up on the calendar. "After last nights nocturne in London I was determined to go one better and get on the podium today," said Downing. "Simon (Holt) and myself were outnumbered by the bigger teams today but so was Rob (Hayles) and it is a good result for our team.
"It was great to ride in front of fantastic crowds this weekend. The circuits are short and the racing is exciting to watch. I went for the early prime but went back to the bunch as I knew there was over half an hour to go but when I got the next prime I heard over the tannoy that there was only fifteen minutes left. I went hard for the prime and no one followed my wheel so I kept it going for a lap and I got a ten seconds lead. I could see that the race was breaking up behind me and my lead went up. I am very happy with the win today."
"I have got the national road race championships in three weeks," continued Downing: "The national road race is a completely different ball game to me. I have been putting in some appropriate training with some long rides and some motor bike work building up the nationals and the crits. My focus this year has always been the British Cycling premier calendar. I may have had to miss out on riding the Tour De Beauce in Canada this week but then the opportunity goes to the talent young guys on our team to get some international experience."
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The British Cycling Women's series race was won by 17-year-old Alexandra Greenfield after she escaped from the front group after 40 minutes of racing and time trialled her way to victory on the 45 min plus 5 lap race. Her lead grew to 15 seconds before Katie Colclough (Halfords-Bike Hut) realised the danger and managed to escape from the nine strong chase group and tried to reach the lone leader. With three laps to go, Greenfield's lead was down to ten seconds and Colclough had eight more on the chase group led by Lucy Martin (Dolan RT). Colclough ran out of road and had to settle for second place. Hannha Mayhao (Longstaff Cycles) took the final podium place by winning the group sprint.
Greenfield was delighted with the win. "I was feeling good today and decided to attack," said the junior rider from Barry in South Wales: "When I was brought back the first time, all I was thinking was just hanging on to the end for the sprint. Then I got a little gap on the bottom corner and they let me get away again which was good. Crits are always hard but there was a lot of attacking today too. We all knew it would be tough to beat the likes of Laura Trott (VC Londres) if it came to a sprint so we wanted to make the race hard."
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Gerry McManus/www.gerrymcmanus.co.uk
- Alexandra Greenfield wins the women's race
- 17-year-old Alexandra Greenfield wins the women's race with a solo breakaway.
- Greenfield holds on to her slender lead
- The women's bunch starts to hesitate in the closing stages
- The podium Mayho, Greenfield, Colclough
- Downing strolls to the line with hands held high after his big breakaway.
- Hayles in overdrive in pursuit of the lone leader
- Downing goes flat out in his solo breakaway.
- Hayles breaks clear from the chase group
- Spence goes on the attack
- Downing goes clear
- Racing in Brentwood High Street
- Racing in Brentwood High Street
- No sign of sore legs for Richardson at the start
- The winners podium Janssen, Downing, Hayles
- Downing signs his autograph for a young fan
- Ouch...it is hurting Kiwi Spence on the front
- It is hurting Downing too
- Simon Holt drives the bunch
- Janssen goes for the prime
- Crawforth...always in the thick of the action
- Welcome to Brentwood High Street
- The sprint behind Downing and Hayles was hotly contested.
Results
Elite Men (1 hour + 5 laps) 1 Dean Downing (Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk) 1.09.54 2 Robert Hayles (Team Halfords Bikehut) 0.28 3 Jeroen Janssen (Pearl Izumi - Planet X - High 5 Racing Team) 0.44 4 Simon Holt (Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk) 5 Tom Barras (Plowman Craven RT - Pinnacle - Leica) 6 Marci Biablocki (Sports Beans - Wilier) 7 Jody Crawforth (Artic - Premier Racing Team - Premier Cycles) 8 Douglas Dewey (Team for 2000 / Overt Locke / Torq / Scorpion CS / White Lake) 9 Warwick Spence (Cyclefit - Serotta) 10 Raphael Deinhart (Pearl Izumi - Planet X - High 5 Racing Team) 11 Tony Gibb (Plowman Craven RT - Pinnacle - Leica) 12 Evan Oliphant (Plowman Craven RT - Pinnacle - Leica) 13 Darren Barclay (Artic - Premier Racing Team - Premier Cycles) One lap behind 14 Jon Mozley (Pearl Izumi - Planet X - High 5 Racing Team) 15 Matt Holmes (Artic - Premier Racing Team - Premier Cycles) 16 Andy Tinsley (Pearl Izumi - Planet X - High 5 Racing Team) 17 Tom Smith (Awcycles.co.uk) 18 James Millard (Plowman Craven RT - Pinnacle - Leica) 19 Adam Duggleby (Shorter Rochford R.T.) 20 Simon Gaywood (Plowman Craven RT - Pinnacle - Leica) Primes At 20 minutes 1 Dean Downing (Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk) 5 pts 2 Jon Mozley (Pearl Izumi - Planet X - High 5 Racing Team) 3 3 Warwick Spence (Cyclefit - Serotta) 2 4 Robert Hayles (Team Halfords Bikehut) 1 At 40 minutes 1 Dean Downing (Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk) 5 pts 2 Jeroen Janssen (Pearl Izumi - Planet X - High 5 Racing Team) 3 3 Marci Biablocki (Sports Beans - Wilier) 2 4 Warwick Spence (Cyclefit - Serotta) 1 Juniors (1hour + 5 laps) 1 Joe Perrett (Glendene CC/Bike Trax/Specialized/Bio-Racer/Maxim) 1.09.30 2 Peter Dibben (GWR Team / Scott Wilson / Giant) 3 George Atkins (Pearl Izumi - Planet X - High 5) 0.06 4 Dexter Gardias (Torq Colnago) 5 Alexander King (GWR Team / Scott Wilson / Giant) 6 Sam Harrison (Cwmcarn Paragon R.C.) 0.10 7 Christopher Whorrall (Manx Road Club - Rudy Project) 0.12 8 Daniel McLay (Leicestershire R.C.) 9 David Nichols (Glendene CC/Bike Trax/Specialized/Bio-Racer/Maxim) 0.20 10 William Penn (Mammoth Lifestyle R.T.) 0.31 11 Luke Rowe (Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk) 12 Andrew Williams (Cwmcarn Paragon R.C.) 13 Erick Rowsell (Team Corridori) 14 Mark Christian (Team Isle of Man) 15 Joel Davidson (Glendene CC/Bike Trax/Specialized/Bio-Racer/Maxim) 16 Jack Kirk (Wyre Forest C.R.C.) 17 Jake Hales (Lotto Olynpia Team Interbike) 18 Blake Cowley (Go Sports Spex RT) 19 Nathan Edmondson (Glendene CC/Bike Trax/Specialized/Bio-Racer/Maxim) 20 Toby Meadows (Team Corridori) 21 Dominic Jelfs (Wyre Forest C.R.C.) 22 Ben Roach (Rugby Velo) Women (45 minutes + 5 laps) 1 Alexandra Greenfield (Pinarello R.T.) 55.32 2 Katie Colclough (Team Halfords Bikehut) 0.08 3 Hannah Mayho (Longstaff Cycles - BH) 0.23 4 Dani King (i-Team.cc) 5 Lucy Martin (Dolan RT) 6 Jessica Booth (Halesowen A. & C. C.) 7 Charlotte Colclough (Private Member) 1.24 8 Helen Clayton (C.C. Giro / Panache Managemet / Robert Grinsell Travel / Orbs / Mortgage Choices) 1.51 9 Laura Trott (V.C. Londres) 10 Sarah Reynolds (Team Swift Racing) 11 Corrine Hall (Twickenham C.C.) 12 Janet Birkmyre (XRT www.elmycycles.co.uk) 13 Wella Sadler-Andrew (Leisure Lakes) 14 Kate Calvert (i-Team.cc) 15 Jeanette Caldicott (Team Luciano - Kuata) 16 Hannah Rich (Pinarello R.T.) 17 Harriet Owen (Bicester Millennium) Primes At 15 minutes 1 Helen Clayton (C.C. Giro / Panache Managemet / Robert Grinsell Travel / Orbs / Mortgage Choices) 5 pts 2 Alexandra Greenfield (Pinarello R.T.) 3 3 Lucy Martin (Dolan RT) 2 4 Katie Colclough (Team Halfords Bikehut) 1 At 30 minutes 1 Jessica Booth (Halesowen A. & C. C.) 5 pts 2 Helen Clayton (C.C. Giro / Panache Managemet / Robert Grinsell Travel / Orbs / Mortgage Choices) 3 3 Hannah Mayho (Longstaff Cycles - BH) 2 4 Alexandra Greenfield (Pinarello R.T. 1
