Report: King crowned again in Stoke-on-Trent

Twelve months on from victory in the Horizon Fitness GP, Dani King wins again in The Potteries

Wednesday 8th June 2011

Dani King repeated her victory of twelve months previously, to take the honours in Round Two of the new-for-2011 Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series, while a second successive second place elevates Helen Wyman into the lead of the standings.

King once again won alone in Stoke-on-Trent, some distance ahead of Wyman, with Hannah Rich narrowly pipping Horizon Fitness RT teammate Joanna Rowsell on the line for third place, as the Stoke-on-Trent took victory on home roads to also move into the lead of the team competition.

The Halfords Tour Series in Stoke Photo Album

Having been comprehensively beaten by Motorpoint in the opening round of the Series at Peterborough, Horizon Fitness were keen to make amends in their home city, with their quintet of riders highly visible throughout the race and making all of the key moves.

Dani King laps a group of riders on her way to a repeat victory in the Stoke Women’s GP.

Also prominent throughout was Wyman, taking second behind Rich at the first sprint, before being the most persistent chaser of lone leader King for much of the second half of the race.  Crossing the line second, Wyman’s reward was the Johnson Health Tech leader’s jersey, having finished as runner-up in both Peterborough and Stoke-on-Trent, to move her seven points clear of erstwhile leader Hannah Barnes.

Barnes also lost charge of the sprints jersey to Rich, while Motorpoint slip to second in the standings, nine points behind the Horizon Fitness team.

Best placed Motorpoint rider on the night was Lucy Garner, taking sixth in the bunch sprint, one place behind Hannah Leyland of the VC St Raphael team.  Rounding out the top ten was Corrine Hall, For Viored Brookvex duo Amy Roberts and Rohan Battison and Condor Cycles’ Estelle Rogers.

Highlights of the second round of the Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series will be shown as a part of The Halfords Tour Series highlights on ITV4 at 20.00 on Wednesday 8th June, with a repeat on Thursday 9th June at 11.00

Helen Wyman on her own chasing King, finished second.

Rider Reactions

Ceri Dipple (Twenty3C-Orbea) -  “It was really great to race on such a stage. It’s rare that something like this happens in the UK where there is a great atmosphere and great crowd and that makes a difference for women’s racing.” Talking as a sponsor of one of the men’s teams, Ceri says “I can see what it is like for them  and also see them race afterwards from the pits.”

“The women’s races in these events are a lot more aggressive. The run up to it was the Hillingdon GP which was quite aggressive and that set the mark really and the girls in these events are attacking from the go.” Working in the Twenty3C shop in Stony Stratford, I asked does Ceri get time to train for these events? “Not a massive amount, probably only doing seven hours a week but coach Gary Palmer at Sportest is great, six days a week in the shop makes it hard so its intervals for me, hard work but they have to be done!”

Helen Wyman (Kona Factory Racing) “It is really important for Horizon Fitness based here in Stoke to put a good show on for the home sponsors  and all the people that work for them are here. It’s really exciting. Dani’s attack was perfect. She took Hannah Barnes (Motorpoint) with her but she blew and dropped back.” “Hannah Rich went for a sprint and we had a gap and started to work and then some how, I ended up on my own and thought oh my god, I’d better knuckle down and get on with it. I got close to Dani at one point but she was too strong and good on her.”

“The Horizon Fitness Prendas Ciclismo team were  amazing tonight. Everyone worked so hard, leading out Hannah for the sprints and doing a brilliant job and it’s fantastic to see”.

Dani King (The Horizon Fitness Prendas Ciclismo) – “The attack was planned. I wanted to go straight after the sprint and Hannah Barnes had a bit of a gap so I went and she was on my wheel to start with so I nailed it up the climb and looked behind and she was nowhere to be seen. I just kept the gas on and it was a repeat of last year.”

“I was on the front from about 13 minutes in so it was long way to go but I managed to do it so I’m really really pleased. I am doing aright on the track and that’s what it is about at the moment, London 2012. These are amazing events for the team though and they did an amazing job tonight and I’m really proud of them. It was a team victory and I think we’re untouchable when we work together like that”.

Round Three of the Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series takes place in Oldham on Thursday 9th June at 17.00, with Woking host the Grand Finale to the four-round Series on Tuesday 14th June.

Round Two, Stoke-on-Trent, Results

Individual Results
1 Dani King     Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo
2 Helen Wyman   Kona Factory Racing
3 Hannah Rich    Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo
4 Joanna Rowsell    Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo
5 Hannah Leyland   VC St Raphael
6 Lucy Garner     Motorpoint Pro Cycling
7 Corrine Hall      Team Corridori / Specialized
8 Amy Roberts    For Viored Brookvex
9 Rohan Battison    For Viored Brookvex
10  Estelle Rogers      Condor Cycles
11  Penny Rowson     Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo
12  Nikki Juniper    Condor Cycles
13  Hannah Barnes Motorpoint Pro Cycling
14  Lydia Boylan    Look Mum No Hands
15  Rebecca Curley    For Viored Brookvex
16  Sarah Byrne     VC St Raphael
17  Annie Simpson    Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo
18  Hannah Walker Motorpoint Pro Cycling
19  Marianne Britten   VC St Raphael
20  Tanya Hunt       Mule Bar Girls

Team Winner
Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo

Sprints Winner
Hannah Rich    Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo

Individual Standings, after Round Two
1 Helen Wyman   Kona Factory Racing        44pts
2 Lucy Garner     Motorpoint Pro Cycling        37pts
3 Hannah Rich    Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo      36pts
4 Hannah Barnes Motorpoint Pro Cycling        35pts
5 Rohan Battison    For Viored Brookvex        32pts
6 Penny Rowson     Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo      31pts
7 Nikki Juniper    Condor Cycles             23pts
8 Hannah Walker Motorpoint Pro Cycling        22pts
9 Corrinne Hall    Team Corridori / Specialized        20pts
10  Joanna Rowsell    Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo      19pts

Team Standings, after Round Two
1 Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo      103pts
2 Motorpoint Pro Cycling        94pts
3 For Viored Brookvex        79pts
4 Condor Cycles             43pts
5 Look Mum No Hands        9pts
6 Mule Bar Girls          3pts

Sprint Standings, after Round Two
1 Hannah Rich    Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo      12pts
2 Hannah Barnes Motorpoint Pro Cycling        11pts
3 Helen Wyman   Kona Factory Racing        10pts

The Halfords Tour Series and Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series are proud to be partnered with The Prostate Cancer Charity.  For your chance to ride a Prostate Cancer Charity Tour Ride, replicating a stage of The Tour of Britain, please visit www.tourride.co.uk