Nathan Draper (RST Racing Team) retained the leader’s yellow jersey as well as the King of the Mountain’s jersey after day two of the Junior Tour of Wales, final round of the British Cycling Junior Road Series.
The national road champion policed the day’s two flat stages well to remain top of the leader board, 15 seconds ahead of team mate Joey Walker who starts tomorrow in the KOM jersey.
Ethan Hayter (VC Londres) retains the best young rider jersey and Wales Joe Holt wears the Green sprinters jersey.
Stage three
Rob Scott (VCUK PH-MAS) took his first national win on the day’s first stage, out-sprinting Etienne Georgi (Giant CC-HALO Films) on the line at the end of the 32.7-kilometre course which used 11 laps of the Parc Bryn Bach circuit.
A fast opening couple of laps soon had riders dropping off the race, the slight incline after the finishing straight taking its toll on many riders on each lap. Matt Clements (Catford CC-Equipe/Banks) settled the pace down on the third lap, keeping the field as one. As they came back for a fourth time it was Rob Scott who attacked the field, but it was to be short-lived as Nathan Draper took the field up to the first year junior and nullified the attack.
At the mid-way point there was a group of four who got a small break, Etienne Georgi, Joe Fry(RST), Fabien Brennan (North City Velo) and Willem Bok (TWC Pijnenburg).
But it was Georgi who had the legs to jump again and got the break on his fellow escapees. Georgi kept a small gap on the front, RST policing any breaks to allow the Giant rider to stay away.
With four laps remaining Brennan and Bok went after the leader, but this time they had Scott along for the ride who was looking to make up for a disappointing stage two.
They hooked on to the leader, then dropped the chasers and on the penultimate lap, and it was Georgi and Scott who were away with the bunch not interested in a chase.
The two took the bell together, and as they came round the bottom corner for the final time Scott just took the win by a matter of inches.
Stage four
Adam Stenson (Nicolas Roche Performance Team) took the win on stage four after a fast 86 kilometres across the A40 from Abergavenny to Hardwick. Stenson was part of a sizeable group that got away with some 20 miles remaining.
A fast opening few kilometres on the road to Perpergwm set out the feel of the race. A group of eight riders including Louis Modell (Catford CC), Darragh O’Mahony (Munster Academy), Kieran Simcox and Max Williamson (both Bike Box Envelopemaster) attacked from the flag and soon had a 12 seconds gap. But it was to be short-lived and the field was back together for the first sprint which was taken by Michael O’Loughlin (Nicolas Roche PT).
With the race rolling on to the first run up the A40 dual carriageway it would start to split with small groups, such was the fast pace. But the race looked to settle and a group of 19 riders started to work at the head of the race, HMT Academy putting Alex Braybrooke and Karl Baillie in the mix, Catford’s Louis Modell and Matt Clements, Fabien Brennan and Matt Bostock (Manx Wheelers) all looking for a finish and were soon over a minute up on the bunch.
Although the group were working well together, RST were beginning to organise the chase with Draper on the front stringing the field out. The gap began to fall but with only a couple of miles to the line the break was caught only for a counter to go. Stenson, Charlie Quarterman and Harrison Jones went off the front the three hanging on to finish with the field breathing down their necks.
Day One reports are available here
Results:
Stage three (Parc Bryn Bach circuit):
1. Rob Scott (VCUK PH-MAS) 49.19
2. Etienne Georgi (Giant CC-Halo Films) same time
3. Matt Walls (Velocity Globalbikes) at 5sec
4. Owen Dudley (Manx Viking Wheelers) at 6sec
5. Willem Bok (TWC Pijnenburg) at 7sec
Stage four (Abergavenny to Hardwick):
1. Adam Stenson (Nicolas Roche PT) 1:56.18
2. Charlie Quarterman (Zappis RT) at 1sec
3. Harrison Jones (Pedal Heaven RT) at 2sec
4. Ethan Hayter (VC Londres) at 5sec
5. Joe Holt (Wales) same time
Overall after Stage four:
Yellow: Nathan Draper (RST RT)
Sprints: Joe Holt (Wales)
King of the Mountains: Nathan Draper
Young rider: Nathan Hayter (VC Londres)
