Report/Results/Photos: The Grand Prix of Wales

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Mike Northey made it two wins from two races when he backed up the win in the Abergavenny Crit with victory in the Welsh GP.

THE BIG! PHOTO ALBUM
(click the play button below to see the slideshow of 267 pictures from the race – exclusive on VeloUK. Thanks to Graham Harper for ferrying me about to bring you these pictures… awesome job G)

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Premier Calendar Standings

1 Evan Oliphant Team Raleigh 291
2 Tom Stewart Team Raleigh 239
3 Mike Northey Node4 – Girodana Racing 215
4 Steve Lampier Node4 – Girodana Racing 166
5 Marcin Bialoblocki Team UK Youth 153
6 Chris Opie Team UK Youth 146
7 Peter Hawkins Team IG – Sigma Sport 139
8 Niklas Gustavsson Team UK Youth 111
9 Lachlan Norris Team Raleigh 108
Richard Handley Rapha Condor JLT 108

Report

The race was on from the word go and after a small break got established before the Tumble, the mountain blew the race wide open with Oli Beckingsale (Endura) going from the peloton to the front of the race on his own. A lot of small groups came together on the descent of the Tumble to create a group of around 30 riders. It was then attack attack attack until a small group formed off the front with Steve Lampier, Mark Christian and Mike Cuming.

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The chase was led by Rob Partridge, Oli Beckingsale and Liam Holohan with Ian Bibby having plenty of digs to get away but it was Mike Northey who managed to do that with two laps to go. The Kiwi crossed to the leaders and then Mike Cuming was the first to crack before on the bell lap, Steve Lampier had a dig before the feed and he distanced Mark Christian.

That left just Lampier and Northey out front and it was Northey who got his hands in the air for the second time in three days to win his first Premier, something he was pretty pleased about afterwards.

Video Summary

Report in pictures

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The race stops to remember Ben Carroll who was killed last week at this spot near Abergavenny.

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First attack – Jake Martin of Pedal Heaven 

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The first break which came about when Alex Peters stepped hard on the pedals on the climb after Monmouth and forced a group with three from Metaltek. Riders included Mark Christian (Raleigh, Rob Partridge (UK Youth), Rhys Lloyd, Dale Appleby, Steve Lampier, James Moss (IG Sigma Sport), rider from Spin Rotor Primal as well Peters.

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Harry Tanfield leads the chase …

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On the Tumble, Oli Beckinsgale (Endura) came cruising past us…

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The rest of the race was soon in bits as expected….

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Oli Beckinsgale takes the KoM points with what’s left (not much) of the break in the background. He from the peloton to the front on his own all on the Tumble … awesome ride a week before his British champs

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The descent saw a regrouping of around 30 or more riders

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Little moves came and went on the dual carriageway. This one is led by Mike Northey from Lachlan Norris (Raleigh)

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Steve Lampier leads another small move with Niklas Gustavsson (UK Youth),  Lachlan Norris (Raleigh)

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Oli Beckinsgale (Endura), with no teammates, was doing a lot of work to try and get back to the front.

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Mike Cuming goes clear on the finishing circuit with Raleigh’s Mark Christian.

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Steve Lampier jumped across….

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And then Mike Northey did the same (in the background making contact with the leaders after a 2k chase)

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Then Steve Lampier made his move and Mark Christian cramps up to leave two from Node 4 in the lead.

Mike Northey Interview (Gary Baker)
MIKE Northey became only the second rider to complete the double at the Abergavenny Festival of Cycling on the weekend as he won both the Wales Open Criterium and Grand Prix of Wales titles.

Only Yorkshire’s Russell Downing in 2008 had won both races on a single weekend previously but it was no more than the New Zealander deserved after coming from the pack to land the big race on Sunday and, with it, some very valuable points as the race was round five of this year’s British Cycling Premier Calendar.

The race played into the 24-year-old New Zealander’s hands as only a few attacks provided any significant chances for real title-threatening breakaways. For a man who proved adept at circuit racing on Friday, the final laps of the Grand Prix of Wales around Abergavenny played nicely into his hands.

And he timed his attack for glory well, with three riders, including team-matte Steve Lampier, breaking away with three laps left only for Mark Christian and Michael Cuming to drop off the pace. It left Lampier and the surging Northey to battle out the last lap and decide who would take the glory.

They thought about riding through the finish line together but decided to race it out. Lampier, who had been at the front all afternoon in the nearly four hours race, did not have the legs to go with his team-mate and had to concede victory.

The competitors and officials also paid their own mark of respect to Cardiff rider Ben Carroll at the start of the Grand Prix by going out to the spot where he was killed on Tuesday in a club race for a minute’s silence.

Northey said that was very respectful. He said: “It as nice that we could do that.”

As for the race, the Kiwi added: “I got myself up to the front and then, when we got on the laps, it was my style of racing – circuits – which I enjoy.”

The Node 4-Giordona Racing ace struggled up The Tumble Mountain, the main climb of the Grand Prix and admitted: “That is definitely not my forte. As soon as they attacked from the bottom, I just rode it at my own pace and luckily I had my team-mate with me to help to get to the front end of the second group.

“It was less than a minute going over the top so it was going to come back at us. I have always been told to be on the front foot and, once we got onto the circuits, I was aggressive. We (team) did it really well and set me up to go across the gap to the leaders.”

When there was just Northey and Lampier, they decided to race between each other. “We decided to go for it.”
Lampier was there or thereabouts all the way but heard from a photographer in the final laps that Northey was closing in on the front group.

“When I got away with the group, a photographer said ‘Mike is coming across (the gap)’. So I sat on the back of Michael Cuming and asked ‘How are you feeling?’ He said: “Good”. So I attacked and dropped Mark (Christian). There were then three of us (Lampier, Northey and Cuming) and I had another go but Michael got a bit of cramp.

“I said to Mike (Northey) 500 metres out ‘What are we going to do?’ He said: “Let’s race it out”. But I didn’t have the legs left.”

Results

1. Mike Northey, Node4 Giordana 3.52.52
2. Steve Lampier, Node 4 Giordana @ 3 secs
3. Mark Christian, Raleigh @ 22 secs
4. Richard Handley, Rapha Condor JLT @ 53
5. Rob Britton, Raleigh
6. Roman van Uden, Node4 Giordana
7. Evan Oliphant, Raleigh
8. Marcin Bialoblocki, UK Youth
9. Ian Bibby, Madison Genesis
10. Rhys Lloyd, Metaltek Knights of Old
11. Robert Partridge, UK Youth
12. Lachlan Norris, Raleigh
13. Liam Glen, Wheelbase
14. Liam Holohan, Madison Genesis
15. Tom Stewart, Raleigh
16. Yanto Barker, UK Youth
17. Dale Appleby, Metaltek Knights of Old
18. Oli Beckingsale, Endura MTB
19. Hugh Carthy, Rapha Condor JLT
20. George Harper, Felt Colbournes Hargroves Cycles

21. Kit Gilham, MMetaltek Knights of Old
22. Alex Coutts, Herbalife
23. Daniel Pearson, Zappis
24. Luke Dunbar, Equipe CMI
25. Mark O’Brien Raleigh
26. Mike Cuming, Rapha Condor JLT
27. Dante Carpenter, Pedal heaven
28. Ed Laverack, Rapha Condor JLT
29. Martin Ford, Herbalife
30. Andrew Hawdon, Herbalife

31. Gruff Lewis, Metaltek
32. Will Bjergfelt, MG Maxifuel
33. Tom Barras, Wheelbase
34. Antoine Gaudillat, Spin Rotor Primal
35. Harry Godding, PMR Toachim House
36. Robert Smail, Metaltek
37. Pete Williams, IG Sigma Sport
38. Perry Bowater, MC Maxifuel
39. Matt Clarke, Halesowen A CC
40. Will Stephenson, Rapha Condor JLT
41. Michael Ashurst, Biketreks
42. Mike Smith, Corley Cycles
43. Dan Patten, Smartshop
44. Gary Handy, Herbalife
45. James Lowsley Williams, UK Youth
46. Anthony Moye Velo29 Blackhawk
47. Adam Duggleby, Wheelbase
48. James Gullen, Hope Factory Racing
49. Elliott Porter, Rapha Condor JLT
50. Steven Lawley, The Bicycle Works
51. Ben Stockdale, Metaltek
52. Giles Drake, Herbalife
53. Dan Barry, Node4 Giordana
54. Sebastian Bayliss, Madison Genesis
55. John Whittington, Team Diabetes
56. Richard Hepworth, Node4 Giordana
57. Russell Falder, Biketreks
58. Mark Baines,Spirit
59. Jonathon Cregeen, Biketreks
60. Joe Moses, Sportscover Bioracer
61. Nathan Edmondson, Node 4 Giordana
62. Ben Greenwood, Hope Factory RT
63. Andrew Whitehall, Velo Ecosse
64. Shem Roger, Node4 Giordana
65. Andrew Tennant, Madison Genesis
66. Tom Scully, Raleigh
67. Chris Opie, UK Youth
68. Dean Downing Madison Genesis

Points: Steve Lampier
King of the Mountain: Oli Beckinsgale

 

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