The Newbald road race circuit, used by Neil Prendergast for this year’s Keith Carter Memorial Road Road, is one of the most challenging courses in the area.

This was proved in Sunday’s race when 56 riders set of steadily in the neutralised section to the start/finish area. Just another six laps up this hill to complete 56 miles.

Conditions were good; fine, dry and sunny but with a strong westerly wind which contributed greatly to the way the race would pan out. Joe Wilkinson (Albarosa CC) attacked almost immediately and his efforts, particularly into the wind on the back road down into Newbald village, saw him cross the line at the end of the first lap alone in 21’ 30”. Veteran Mel Blackford (Bridlington CC), a regular animator in local road races, was chasing hard and was 40 seconds behind Wilkinson and 1’ 10” in front of the peloton.

The rouleurs were making an obvious effort up the climb with the wind up their chuff, and the bunch was stretched to a single file cresting the hill with small gaps appearing and quite a few already hanging off the back. I heard it said that it was faster going up the hill than it was going down the other side into the wind.

A good Belgian racing tactic this: string out the bunch, take the corner fast into a cross wind which will cause the string to break into pieces, keep pushing hard into the wind to make it hard to bridge the gaps. Failure to bridge quickly results in an early shower.

Wilkinson was still at the head of affairs by the completion of the second lap that he’d done as a solo effort in 22’ 42”. I’m sure he’d have stayed away if he’d had some early company. Blackford had returned to the pack which was trailing some 50 seconds.

 

Lap three, covered in 21’ 53”, saw the main protagonists come to the fore. Alex Fold (PA-MAS) took the prime from Marc Mclean (Out of the Saddle) and Ian Russell (Arrow Cycles) was chasing 10 seconds behind; the three having caught and passed Wilkinson just before the prime. Richard Binks (PH-MAS), determined to get to this break was trailing 50 seconds but had gained 15 seconds on the peloton which was thinning rapidly.

 

With only two laps to go Mclean (who took the prime) and Russell had been joined by Mel Blackford who’d bridged across on the climb. The lap time of 22’ 15” showed only a slight slowing,; obviously these three were working together quite slickly. Josh Asquith (Arrow Cycles) and Alex Fold were only 20 seconds behind with the peloton now down to 21 riders (Beachill, Mumford, Walker, Myers, Ellis, Preston, Jackson, Wallis, Robbins, Saxton, Dumont, Posnett, Boyes, Wilkinson, Worontowski, Flather, Brown, Young, Firth, Rudd and Newbould) at 1’ 30” behind the leaders.

At the prime on the bell lap it was uncontested as Mclean led through with Russell and Blackford on his wheel. A group of 12 riders were 1’ 05” behind and another bunch of 13 riders were 2’ 30” behind the leaders. Not quite sewn up yet but a good bet the winner was to come from this trio. Lap time was 22’ 25”.

Legs were aching on the final climb which resulted in a fine win for Marc Mclean, a few lengths ahead of Mel Blackford, with Ian Russell, having given his all in the break, trailed in behind. Richard Binks won the sprint from the peloton with Mark Walker finishing a meritable 10th and Dan Posnett 15th.

As a race this ran perfectly. The organisation went like clockwork, it was a doddle to sort the finish, the riders raced hard and I know Keith Carter would have appreciated everyone’s efforts.

Jim Sampson
Senior Coach

 

Club members’ photos of the event on Flickr

 

Official photos of the event by Craig Zadoroznyj

 

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