47th Lincoln International GP - 1.5

Great Britain, May 12, 2002

2001 Results Preview Course description Start list Results Past winners

Preview

By Gerry McManus, cyclingnews.com correspondent

Michaelgate, 2001

It will take a great rider to break the grip that the Compensation Group RT has on the Premier Calendar series this year in the UK this weekend in Lincoln. John Tanner, Kevin Dawson and Mark Lovatt all ride the 104-mile event that uses the steep cobbled climb of Michaelgate 13 times in the picturesque city of Lincoln.

The riders won't have much time to study the scenery as they jostle for position on the flat smooth approach road before they enter the city limits and begin the ascent. On the early section, riders look for relief on the smooth sections either side of the road and it's first come first served on the tight 8-mile circuit.

Tanner won the event last year and with UCI points on offer, he will be certain to contest the race in the quest for a place in the English Commonwealth Games road team.

This event is the last major outing before the FBD Milk Rás in Ireland that starts on the 19th May but the Irish team had to withdraw from the event due to injuries and illness for Paul Griffin, Brian Keneally and professional David O'Loughlin. Last year's Rás winner Paul Manning rides in VC St Raphael club colours with the GB squad fielding a team of promising under-23 riders including Kieran Page and Steve Cummings.

Late entries now include Bradley Wiggins (Française Des Jeux) home from the continent on his introductory year into the professional ranks, where his role as a domestique in most events has not allowed any glimmers of the talent he showed in the Sydney Olympics to show through.

In the Commonwealth Games year, teams from the Isle of Man, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are also present. Ex professional Rob Holden rides for the Manx team fresh from winning the Tour of Ulster last week against strong opposition from both North and South of the Irish border.

Julian Winn (GS Pinarello) and Mathew Stephens (Sigma RT) second and third last year, return to make exciting race viewing on the partially closed circuit. The Dutch will be over in force with three teams in all, ensuring the full 1.5 UCI status for the event.

Weather prospects look problematic with rain in Eastern England forecast for Sunday, which may require the finest bike handling skills from all the contestants on the cobbled sections.

Introduction

By Ian Emmerson, OBE

This will be the 47th edition of the Lincoln Grand Prix Cycle Race which has run continuously since 1956. This will be the third time that the race has held full international status and the interest in the race from abroad increases year by year. As you will see from the list of entrants we have teams and riders from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Bermuda, Ireland, France and South Africa, all here to take on the best from the home nations.

Number one on the programme is last year's winner John Tanner making the relatively short trip from Doncaster to defend his title. Great Britain field their world championship track squad whilst the list of home riders contains all of the UK's elite but riding in the colours of their own teams. We welcome back from Holland both the Kennemerland and Marco Polo teams, Australia's Team Down Under and the Irish National Team, all of which provided excellent riders last year and return with even better ones in order to improve their showing. New this year are Dutch team Stitching WIN who also come with riders showing good form abroad and Team Sympatico a Canadian team who come to the UK for the first time before going on to Ireland for the Irish Milk Ras.

The Lincoln Grand Prix cycle race is now acknowledged as Britain's most popular one-day classic event. The 102 mile race takes place on an 8 mile circuit passing through the City's important tourist areas. Most notable is the 1 in 8 cobbled climb of Michaelgate which presents a severe challenge to the riders on each lap and there are 13 laps to be covered. International status for the event means a £600 first prize on offer and a total prize list approaching £2,700 to be allocated to the first 25 finishers in the event.

An event of this stature would not be possible without the full support of Lincoln City Council and Lincolnshire Police whose planning ensures a safe route for the riders whilst bringing inconvenience for other road users to a minimum. This is achieved by a system of road closures and temporary closures without which an event of this nature would not be a safe proposition. We hope that the City of Lincoln will continue to extend its welcome to the riders and be proud that its name and that of the Grand Prix is has become so well respected.

Course description

The riders start from the Yarborough Sports Centre at 11.30 am and leave via the cycle track and Breedon Drive to join the circuit on Burton Road. They then leave the City to Burton Village and descend Burton Hill to Fen Lane and the A57 where they turn left towards Lincoln. At the old Racecourse they turn left in to Long Leys Road passing St Georges Hospital to climb to Yarborough Road and a right turn to take them into West Parade. They then cross in to Motherby Lane, turn left in to Hungate to start the tortuous 1 in 6 cobbled climb of Michaelgate.

This leads them through to Wordsworth Street and a right turn in to Drury Lane and through Castle Square where the finish will take place after the 13th climb of Michaelgate. The circuit is completed by continuing in to Bailgate and Newport, turning left in to Yarborough Crescent and right in to Burton Road. The Grand Prix covers 13 laps of the circuit to finish in Castle Square at 3.15 pm.

Start list

1 John Tanner (GBr) Compensation Group
2 Mark Baker (GBr) Great Britain
3 Ben Clark (GBr) Great Britain
4 Steve Cummings (GBr) Great Britain
5 Kieran Page (GBr) Great Britain
6 James Shaw (GBr) Great Britain
7 Owyn Wallace (GBr) Great Britain
8 Sander Lormans (Ned) BRC Kennemerland
9 Tino Haakman (Ned) BRC Kennemerland
10 Arjan De Heer (Ned) BRC Kennemerland
11 Francis De Jager (Ned) BRC Kennemerland
12 Jordy Vinke (Ned) BRC Kennemerland
13 Jeroen Lute (Ned) BRC Kennemerland
14 Tom Barras (GBr) Team Down Under
15 Ben Brooks (Aus) Team Down Under
16 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Team Down Under
17 Paul Redenbach (Aus) Team Down Under
18 Mark Roland (Aus) Team Down Under
19 Leon Vogels (Aus) Team Down Under
20 Josh Hall (Can) Team Sympatico (Canada)
21 Buck Miller (Can) Team Sympatico (Canada)
22 Bruno Nella (Can) Team Sympatico (Canada)
23 Andrew Randell (Can) Team Sympatico (Canada)
24 Dominique Rollin (Can) Team Sympatico (Canada)
25 Ryan Roth (Can) Team Sympatico (Canada)

30 Dean Downing (GBr) 
31 Russell Downing (GBr) iteamnova (Australia)
32 Rob Conijn (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Club
33 Marco Horden (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Club
34 Wilco Verwegen (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Club
35 Dirk van der Walle (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Club
36 Andy Reid (NZl) Marco Polo Cycling Club
37 Craig Thomson (NZl) Marco Polo Cycling Club
38 Erwin Goenga (Ned) Stitching WIN
39 Rik Sijm (Ned) Stitching WIN
40 Frank Van Rooijen (Ned) Stitching WIN
41 Jan Schilder (Ned) Stitching WIN
42 Guidi De Koning (Ned) Stitching WIN
43 Dirk Wolthuis (Ned) Stitching WIN
44 Rob Holden (IoM) Isle Of Man
45 Mark Kelly (IoM) Isle of Man
46 Andrew Roche (IoM) Isle of Man
47 Mac Innis Looby (Ber) Focal Communications (USA)
48 James Louter (RSA) In Gear RT
49 Ben Morrow (Irl) Northern Ireland
50 Rohan Davies (GBr) CC Abergavenny
51 Geoff Beetham (GBr) Angliasport
52 Paul Sheppard (GBr) Angliasport
53 Scot Gamble (GBr) Ashfield Road Club
54 Anthony Malarczyk (GBr) Atom Elite RT
55 Graeme Lackford (GBr) wwwbikeshopukcom
56 Mat Watch (GBr) wwwbikeshopukcom
57 Tim Buckle (GBr) SG Bollington
58 James Cambridge (GBr) Team Bradgate
59 Keith Haddon (GBr) Team Bradgate
60 Graham Parker (GBr) Team Bradgate
61 Stefan Rick (GBr) Team Bradgate
62 Oliver Wilson (GBr) Team Bradgate
63 Jaime Mason (GBr) British Universities
64 Jon-Kris Mason (GBr) British Universities
65 Mike Kiss (GBr) British Universities
66 Chris Spence (GBr) Caesarean Cycling Club
67 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) CO Chamalierois (France)
68 Kevin Dawson (GBr) Compensation Group
69 Mark Lovatt (GBr) Compensation Group
70 Julian Gromett (GBr) Cottingham Coureurs
71 Daniel Keena (GBr) Cottingham Coureurs
72 Mike Moss (GBr) Cottingham Coureurs
73 Stuart MacDonald (GBr) Cwmcarn Paragon
74 Jeffrey Capper (GBr) Cycle Centre RT
75 Greg Roche (GBr) Cycle Centre RT
76 Luke Anderson (GBr) Team Cyclewebcouk
77 Barry Marples (GBr) Deeside Olympic
78 Graham Biggs (GBr) Dinnington Road Club
79 Ian Furniss (GBr) Dinnington Road Club
80 Mark Wordsworth (GBr) Dinnington Road Club
81 Alex Coutts (GBr) Dommelstreek
82 Neil Cleminshaw (GBr) Hull Thursday Road Club
83 Dave Coulson (GBr) J E James Racing Team
84 Brendan Curry (GBr) J E James Racing Team
85 Gavin Evans (GBr) J E James Racing Team
86 Neil Smith (GBr) Velo Club Lincoln
87 Justin Hoy (GBr) Liphook Cycles RT
88 Roger Morgan (GBr) Liphook Cycles RT
89 Paul Watson (GBr) Loughborough Students CC
90 Simon Gaywood (GBr) Cycle Club Luton
91 James Flanagan (GBr) Team Milton Keynes
92 George Richardson (GBr) Team MI Racing
93 Darren Kay (GBr) MK Cycles
94 Stephen Small (GBr) MK Cycles
95 Neil Swithenbank (GBr) MK Cycles
96 Andrew Allan (GBr) Paul Moy Associates
97 James Frith (GBr) Pete Read Racing
98 Michael Hope (GBr) Pete Read Racing
99 Chris Newton (GBr) GS Pinarello
100 Julian Winn (GBr) GS Pinarello
101 Grant Bayton (GBr) PrestigeVCcom
102 David Worthington (GBr) PrestigeVCcom
103 Gethin Butler (GBr) Preston Wheelers
104 Matthew Armitage (GBr) Race Scene
105 Matthew Bottrill (GBr) Race Scene
106 Paul Dixon (GBr) Race Scene
107 Pete Hinchcliffe (GBr) Race Scene
108 Julian Ramsbottom (GBr) Race Scene
109 Gareth Jones (GBr) Club Rasio Mona
110 Mike Jones (GBr) Robert Grinsell Travel Team
111 John Stollery (GBr) Robert Grinsell Travel Team
112 Lee Davis (GBr) Team Ronhill
113 Stuart Wearmouth (GBr) Science in Sportcom
114 David Berkeley (GBr) Sigma Sport RT
115 Gary Dodd (GBr) Sigma Sport RT
116 Matthew Stephens (GBr) Sigma Sport RT
117 Bryan Rusche (GBr) Sigma Sport RT
118 John Charlesworth (GBr) South Yorkshire Police RT
119 Paul Manning (GBr) VC St Raphael
120 Stephen Ward (GBr) T-Rex
121 Mike Harrison (GBr) Tunstall Wheelers
122 James Kelly (GBr) Twickenham Cycling Club
123 Paul Rennie (GBr) Wallacehill Cycling Club
124 Tom Anderson (GBr) Wheelspincyclescom
125 Steve Barker (GBr) Wil-Lec Panoramic RT
126 Andy Portess (GBr) Wil-Lec Panoramic RT
127 Ian Holmes (GBr) Velo Club York
128 Paul Bridgen (GBr) Unattached
129 Martin Ford (GBr) Unattached
130 Bill Nickson (GBr) Unattached
131 Phil Smith (GBr) Unattached
132 Huw Pritchard (GBr) Angliasport
133 Chris Daddy (GBr) Cottingham CRT
134 Jason Macintyre (GBr) Team Velo Ecosse
135 Gary Willis (GBr) Team Velo Ecosse
136 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sport & Publicity
137 Bevan Williams (GBr) Asfra (Belgium)

Past winners

2001 John Tanner (GBr) Ribble/ProVision
2000 Chris Newton (GBr) Middridge CRT
1999 Saulius Ruskis (Ltu) Team Oktos - MBK
1998 Chris Lillywhite (GBr)
1997 John Tanner (GBr)
1996 Kevin Dawson (GBr)
1995 Mark Walsham (GBr)
1994 Chris Walker (GBr)
1993 Keith Reynolds (GBr)
1992 John Charlesworth (GBr)
1991 Paul Curran (GBr)
1990 Brian Smith (GBr)
1989 Mark Gornall (GBr)
1988 Paul Curran (GBr)
1987 Paul Curran (GBr)
1986 Paul Curran (GBr)
1985 Darryl Webster (GBr)
1984 Neil Martin (GBr)
1983 Malcolm Elliott (GBr)
1982 Mark Bell (GBr)
1981 Phil Thomas (GBr)
1980 Steve Joughin (GBr)
1979 Geoff Taylor (GBr)
1978 Steve Lawrence (GBr)
1977 Dave Cuming (GBr)
1976 Bill Nickson (GBr)
1975 Tony Gornall (GBr)
1974 Steve Heffernan (GBr)
1973 Dave Vose (GBr)
1972 Phil Edwards (GBr)
1971 Dave Allen (GBr)
1970 Tom Mullins (GBr)
1969 Pete Smith (GBr)
1968 Doug Dailey (GBr)
1967 Des Thompson (NZl)
1966 John Clarey (GBr)
1965 Arthur Durha (GBr)
1964 Albert Hitchen (GBr)
1963 Albert Hitchen (GBr)
1962 Jim Grieves (GBr)
1961 John Perks (GBr)
1960 John Perks (GBr)
1959 Ron Coe (GBr)
1958 Ron Coe (GBr)
1957 Ron Coe (GBr)
1956 Bob Eastwood (GBr)