Post Race Interview: Laura Massey

After her win in the Ryedale GP on Sunday, VeloUk spoke to winner Laura Massey about the race

RST Cycle Clothing & Trigon Bikes

Post Race Interview: Laura Massey

After her win in the Ryedale GP on Sunday, VeloUK spoke to winner Laura Massey about the race

Second in the CiCLE Classic (Women), 8th in the Curlew Cup, 3rd overall and stage winner in the Tour of Reservoir; and now winner of the 2017 Ryedale GP, Laura Massey showed yet again she’s one of the top females in the British based peloton

When asked how the race on Sunday went for her, Laura, the winner replied “It was a bit of slog actually being quite windy and with all the climbing. Steph (Mottram) popped off the front early on and got quite a big gap and the peloton seemed happy to let her go.”

“Once the gap got to two minutes, there were some worried looks and a bit of a chase followed with some teams pulling the gap back and I benefited from being the only Drops rider in that I could just follow …”

As the group got ever smaller, Laura was still there following and waiting for her moment

Whilst Steph dominated the lime light out front and we at the finish, never saw any other breaks, Laura described the race by saying “it was a bit attritional in the peloton was getting ever smaller as the race went on but the standard of women’s racing has certainly gone up. I remember in this race when after the climb there would be 15 left but this year everyone was there still after the first few laps and even towards the end, after five times up the climb, there was still a big group coming into the finish.”

Talking about that finish, Laura says “I have done the finish a few times here at Ryedale and you have to put your nose in the wind to get a good position and then kick at the right time. Having done it before, I have learnt from mistakes in previous years where I haven’t kicked at the right time so it was a good one for me this year.”

After 61 starters, by the final laps, the group was down to a dozen or so

“Once Steph was caught on top of the climb the last time, there was a flurry of attacks on the climb, on the descent and then coming into the school grounds but I was just following at that point. Because it was windy, the sprint was quite straightforward. Chanel (Mason) from Storey Sport was on the front driving it and it was quite lined out so it wasn’t a messy sprint at all. It was quite organised until a few riders went early and I followed those and then kicked round them.”

When I said that experience counts when it comes to winning then; Laura replied, “definitely. You don’t want to go too early in the wind and its (the finish climb) is steeper than you realise so 100 metres gives you plenty of time!”

RESULT: Click here for the women’s result

2016_ShuttVeloRapideAdvert

AlpsCyclesMidstory

 

Send your results as well as club, team & event news here

Cero

Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)

Other News on VeloUK

Tags: ,