Endura Racing’s great start to the season continued today in Essex when the team’s Frenchman Alex Blain won the first Premier Calendar event of 2012.Â
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VeloUK Report using Exclusive Picture from within the race (thanks to Graham Harper)
Daniel Holloway (Raleigh GAC) makes the first break for freedom.
 
Matt Jones (Corley Cycles) and Marcel Six (Scott Metaltek) lead a small group away. It didn’t last.
 Steve Lampier (IG Sigma Sport) makes his move while the race was still on the outward leg and has a few miles of freedom.
In the lowlands and narrow lanes which are very exposed, Endura Racing en mass pile on the pressure and splits start to open up behind. Had there been some wind, who knows what carnage would have occurred.
First time through the sector on the circuit and Scott Thwaites was looking dangerous as he lead the field through.
A rider from Scott Metaltek had a fair few miles of freedom before being reeled in.
Key break — Sam Harrison (GB) had attacked on the second circuit and Chris Opie (UK Youth) joined him and then what proved to be the winning break joined them. Race over for the rest.
Alex Blain (Endura racing) leads the decisive break along with Italian Roberto Cesaro (Meridiana Karmen).
Richard Tanguy (UK Youth), blood seeping from a wound to the knee, and obvious marks from a fall on his right hand side, chases the break. One of many great rides in the race.
We heard that the chase group was three minutes back, so we went had a look and found Dean Downing (Rapha Condor Sharp on the attack. A lap later, on the return leg, the riders were by the side of the road and cheering the leaders on … strange!
Last time on this sector on the circuit and Blain goes for it again to reduce the numbers in the break some more.
Sector six and Marcel Six looks in vein for a service vehicle having punctured. He did get back to the break.
Sector seven and Simon Richardson leads Alex Blain as they emerge from the longest sector, the Byway, out front.
Along with Alex Blain, Ian Wilkinson was the rider of the race, from start to finish attacking and chasing. Here he draws the sting from the chasers for his teammate Alex Blain.
Think this is Owain Doull attacking in the closing stages, impressive as last year he was a Junior rider for Hargroves Cycles.
Three miles to go and Matt Cronshaw is hurting as he drives the race as the five up group try to stay clear of the chasers in the background.
Cronshaw opens the sprint, too far out after 100 miles of hard graft, and Alex Blain launches with Ben Grenda on his wheel.
Alex Blain wins the 2012 Maldon Dengie Tour for Endura Racing.
Top three, Matt Cronshaw (3rd), Alex Blain (1st) and Ben Grenda (2nd)
Teammates! Alex Blain gives Ian Wilkinsons help in the closing stages the thumbs up
Preview: Maldon Dengie Tour.
See the pics and a report of some of the teams preparing for the big race on the Saturday by clicking here
1. Alexandre Blain Endura Racing 3-56-05
2. Ben Grenda Rapha Condor Sharp st
3. Matt Cronshaw Node 4 – Giordana st
4. Roberto Cesaro Meridiana Kamen st
5. Simon Richardson IG Markets-Sigma Sport st
6. Marcin Bialoblocki Node 4 – Giordana st
7. Sam Harrison 100% ME st
8. Marcel Six Metaltek Scott st
9. Evan Oliphant Team Raleigh st
10. Owain Doull 100% ME st
11. Jason White Metaltek Scott @57s
12. Stephen Adams Cycle Premier
13. Ian Wilkinson Endura Racing
14. Richard Tanguy Team UK Youth
15. James Lowesley-Williams Team UK Youth
16. Tom Last IG Markets-Sigma Sport
17. Dean Downing Rapha Condor Sharp
18. Pete Williams Node 4 – Giordana
19. Simon Yates 100% ME
20. Yanto Barker Team UK Youth
21. Rob Partridge Endura Racing
22. Christofer Stevenson Team UK Youth
23. Chris Jennings Rapha Condor Sharp
24. Dave Clarke Node 4 – Giordana
25. Ben Greenwood Vanillabikes.com
26. Jonny McEvoy Endura Racing
27. Andrew Griffiths IG Markets-Sigma Sport
28. Simon Wilson Metaltek Scott
29. Andrew Hawdon Team Herbalife
30. Russell Falder Cycle Premier
31. Dean Shannon Twenty3c-Orbea
32. Tom Moses 100% ME
33. Matt Jones Team Corley Cycles RT-Blue
34. Liam Jones Team Corley Cycles RT-Blue
35. Jon Mozley Cycle Premier
36. Joseph Kelly 100% ME
37. George Harper Felt Colbournes
38. Ashley Cox Team Corley Cycles RT-Blue
39. John Crellin Team Wallis
40. Andy Coupe Team Herbalife
41. David Mclean Meridiana Kamen
42. Mike Smith Team Corley Cycles RT-Blue
43. Alistair Slater 100% ME
44. Chris Mark Velo29
45. Dan Booth Team Hope Factory Racing
46. James McCallum Rapha Condor Sharp
47. Felix English Rapha Condor Sharp
48. James Moss Node 4 – Giordana
49. Paul Oldham Team Hope Factory Racing
50. Erik Rowsell Endura Racing
51. Michael Berling Cycle Premier
52. Simon Gaywood IG Markets-Sigma Sport
53. David McGowan Team UK Youth
54. Wouter Sybrandy IG Markets-Sigma Sport
55. Richard Lang Rapha Condor Sharp
56. Luke Mellor Rapha Condor Sharp
57. Niklas Gustavsson Team UK Youth
58. Russell Hampton Team Raleigh
59. Steve Lampier IG Markets-Sigma Sport
60. Daniel Lloyd IG Markets-Sigma Sport
61. Liam Holohan Team Raleigh
62. Zak Dempster Endura Racing
63. Enrico Rossi Meridiana Kamen
64. Tobyn Horton Team Raleigh
65. Ian Bibby Endura Racing
66. Chris Opie Team UK Youth
67. Robert Willcocks Primal Europe
68. Ben Stockdale Metaltek Scott
69. Sam Jackson Vanillabikes.com
70. Tom Stockdale Primal Europe
71. Dave Collins Team Hope Factory Racing
72. Jamie Scott Spin Rotor
73. James Stewart Team UK Youth
74. Simon Holt Team Raleigh
75. Bernard Sulzberger Team Raleigh
76. Rico Rogers Node 4 – Giordana
77. Philip Lavery Node 4 – Giordana
78. Andy Lyons Twenty3c-Orbea
79. Dillon Byrne Vanillabikes.com
80 Michael Nicholson BCF PM
The LIVE Photo Album
Live pictures from the race by Larry Hickmott on a motorbike can be seen below
