The 2024 Lloyds Bank National Circuit Series arrived in style on Wednesday night, as Matt Bostock and Frankie Hall grabbed the Otley honours on a night of scintillating racing in West Yorkshire.
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Matt Bostock unleashed his trademark sprint to claim victory in the Rayner Foundation Otley Grand Prix, the Ribble Rebellion rider putting in a virtuoso performance throughout the frantic 50-minute race as he went on the attack throughout.
The bunch pulled away from the start at a rapid pace, drawn into a single line by Jacob Scott (REMBE Pro Cycling Team Sauerland). However, the group was all together when a major crash happened at the front of the peloton, Matthew Webster (Loughborough Students CC) coming down on a fast descent as riders jostled for position.
The battle lines were drawn early on between the big teams, Wheelbase-CabTech-Castelli chasing down a move involving a Ribble Rebellion rider straight away, the Cumbrian team themselves having two riders in a nine man group which then moved clear of the peloton.
Bostock, the 2022 national champion, then powered off the front as he made an audacious move, driving forward as a rider each from Sabgal/Anicolor and Trinity Racing made the junction to Bostock to form a powerful break at the head of the race.
The leaders then allowed the already small gap to close, and Alec Briggs (Tekkerz CC), winner of the Newark round last year, bridged across to the leading quartet, followed by a rider from Saint Piran.
The front of the race came back together, predictably with another counter attack soon after, but nothing would stick.
With no move being given much breathing room, Ben Wiggins was the next rider to counter, representing Hagens Berman Jayco and attacking through the finish line; his move only set up Dylan Westley (Saint Piran) to attack, bringing Callum Laborde (Wheelbase-Cabtech-Castelli) and the active Bostock with him. As the gap extended, the biggest of any move all race, James Hartley (Cycling Sheffield) made a big effort to bridge across, demonstrating his fine form of late.
Joined by Heal and another Saint Piran rider, the leading six headed into the final five laps with a shot at victory, only to have their hopes dealt a blow when they got mixed up with a group of lapped riders on one of the many technical corners on the 2.3km circuit.
With less than four laps remaining the break looked to be on borrowed time, the impressive Heal attacking uphill as Briggs sprinted to the rear of the group, bringing a strung out peloton with him.
With Wheelbase patrolling the head of the race as they looked to set up fast finishing Tim Shoreman for a sprint, Max Rushby (Ribble Rebellion) tried his luck with a brief attack, joined by the aggressive Ollie Rees, only to be brought back a few moments later.
With the race destined to be decided by a sprint finish, teams began to assemble their riders on a frantic final lap, and the front was dominated by the impressive three-man train of Ribble Rebellion, aiming to launch Matt Bostock to the line.
Leading into the crucial final corner, Bostock eased ahead in the final 100m, pulling clear of former teammate, Rob Scott (Tekkerz CC). Bostock’s teammate, Jim Brown, rounded out the podium to complete a near perfect night for the Ribble Rebellion team, who bounced back from a frustrating National Championships in style.
Women
Frankie Hall (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) claimed victory in the Santini Women’s Otley Grand Prix, outsprinting breakaway companion Danielle Watkinson (Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon) in a tense finish after the pair escaped halfway through the 50-minute race.
The race started cagily, with the bunch tackling the opening laps together, and it was only four laps in that the former National Champion, Megan Barker (Tekkerz CC), was the first to attack.
Immediately joined by single riders from the strong DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK team and Saint Piran WRT, the move was quickly neutralied, with the freshly crowned National Champion, Emma Jeffers (Liv-Alulua Jayco), present at the front of the bunch.
Movistar-bound Cat Ferguson (Shibden-Apex RT), one of the hottest prospects in world cycling, was next to move, but Jeffers was quick to react as a group of six prized themselves away. Sophie Lewis (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) kept the pace high as the chasing bunch behind was strung out over several hundred metres.
With Jeffers now back in the peloton, riders continued to fire themselves up the road and a small group eventually formed featuring three Shibden-Apex RT riders - the junior squad making their intentions clear, but to no avail as they were brought back once again.
Frankie Hall (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) was the next to try her luck. The Loughborough-based rider took control of the race and she was joined by Danni Watkinson, their gap extending to 18 seconds within the space of a lap.
The pair worked well together through the technical circuit with the bunch chasing hard behind. With two laps to go, Hall, who earlier insisted she was not a circuit race specialist, continued to pull through with Watkinson.
Time was running out for the bunch behind and the gap reached 28 seconds as the bell tolled for the final lap. Spectra Racing led the bunch through the line as they sought to lead out their sprinter, Samantha Fawcett. However, with no riders choosing a last ditch attack, the peloton increasingly looked like it was racing for third.
Up the road, the duo, who had shared the workload evenly so far, began to look at each other. Words were exchanged up the final climb as Hall slowly moved through, tightening her shoes as she prepared to lead out the sprint.
The DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK rider set a fast pace through the final kilometre, opening her sprint as the pair rounded the famous final corner. Hall looked around as she powered to the line to take victory ahead of Watkinson, and behind, Cat Ferguson won the bunch sprint for third.
Podiums
Open
- Matt Bostock (RIBBLE REBELLION)
- Rob Scott (TEKKERZ CC)
- Jim Brown (RIBBLE REBELLION)
Women
- Frankie Hall (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK)
- Danielle Watkinson (Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon)
- Cat Ferguson (Shibden-Apex RT)
