Hannah Payton (Kinesis UK) and Yorben Van Tichelt (Marlux-Napoleon Games) were the elite winners in the penultimate round of the British Cycling National Trophy Series at Trinity Park, Ipswich.
Payton crossed the line more than a minute ahead of her nearest rival to all but wrap up the Series win, while Van Tichelt secured his second win in the Series and is now tied on 188 points with rival Ian Field (Hargroves Cycles-Ridley) who placed second in Ipswich.
Elite Men
Yorben Van Tichelt (Marlux-Napoleon Games) took his second win of the British Cycling National Trophy Cyclo-cross Series - and the yellow jersey as he drew level with Ian Field (Hargroves-Ridley) on points.
But the Belgian rider won’t be taking to the start in the final round, allowing Field to retain the series title.
It was Roel Van der Stegen (TWC Maaslandster Zuid) and Dan Booth (Hope Factory Racing) who took the race away on the opening lap with the Dutch under-23 rider setting a blistering pace on the dry course.
Billy Harding (Oldfield-Paul Milnes) was equal to the pace and the pair took the long line of riders to the technical section.
Elite Men Gallery
With the race settling down it was Van Tichelt who took the race on, heading back to the finish on the tarmac road. Field had to respond to keep in touch with the leader, splitting the race apart. Harding matched Field’s pace and the trio set about defining the contest.
Van Der Stegen settled into a chase group with David Fletcher (Sherwood Pines) Jack Clarkson, Paul Oldham (both Hope Factory Racing) and Michael Butler (Hargroves Cycles-Ridley).
By the mid-way point the three leaders couldn’t be caught and the chasers had to be content with their own race.
Fletcher, Clarkson and Van Der Stegen made the effort to move away from the rest of the field and battle for fourth place.
With some 15 minutes remaining, Van Tichelt jumped again and would keep the gap to take the win.
Field was still working to get back to the leader but was unable to bridge the gap. Meanwhile Harding was finding the pace too hot and dropped back to the group fighting for fourth.
With the bell ringing for the final lap, Van Tichelt had the race in the bag and Field had to work hard after Van Der Stegen went on the attack and started to get across to the head of the race.
The Dutchman brought Harding and Fletcher with him and hung on to claim third place with Harding pipping Fletcher to fourth by a mere second.
“Ian is a really strong rider, we saw that in the last two rounds," said winner Yorben Van Tichelt.
"It was a fast track today, and I needed to take advantage of that as Ian couldn’t use his power on the uphill sections like he did in the other races. I tried my best and it was good enough so I am happy.
“Everyone always says that I’m really good on the long straight tempo riding but I don’t really like it myself! My corner was good and the turns felt good. I just felt good on a bike today and that’s what I needed to get the win.
“I can’t ride the final round unfortunately. I’m really sorry not to be able to but I have a contract with a Swiss team.
“I raced in Shrewsbury before and I think Ian would have the advantage there, so I think he would’ve won there anyway, but it would’ve been nice to race it and find out!”
Elite Women
Hannah Payton (Kinesis UK) took her third win of the series to increase her lead over Beth Crumpton (Boot Out Breast Cancer CC) and all but seal the title with a round remaining.
Payton made her move on the long finish straight coming into the second lap, getting a 12-second gap over the early leader, Annie Simpson (Hope Factory Racing).
Payton checked to see who made the move with her but, realising she was alone, set about putting time into the rest of the field on the flat, dry course. The Kinesis rider wasn’t troubled again and increased her lead over the duration.
Elite Women Gallery
Simpson remained in second spot throughout the race, unable to bridge to the leader whilst Ffion James (Abergavenny RC) held onto third place after making a strong start and taking the win in the under-23 category.
The race was evolving with a chase group forming including Megan James (Aberganny RC), Rebecca Preece (Leisure Lakes), Emily Wadsworth (Beeline Gener8), Maddie Gammons (RP Vision RT), Sophie Thackray (Oldfield Paul Milnes) and Elspeth Grace (Welwyn Wheelers CC).
The group were unable to bridge across to the lead three and changed places throughout the race but it was Grace, Thackray and Gammons who locked together for the final few laps, each working well in the trio.
The lead continued to change but it was Thackray who attacked on the long run up to the finish and had the legs to take the Yorkshire rider to the line ahead of the sprint for fourth. Grace threw her wheel across the line a few seconds ahead of Gammons.
“I wasn’t anticipating the race to go that way at all, it wasn’t part of my plan," said Hannah Payton.
"I sat in for the first lap, and there was a group of six or seven of us. I wanted it to be a much smaller group and for me to be able to sit on a wheel.
“The first time up the finish straight I took my opportunity to attack and nobody responded so I opened up a lead that went up to 12 seconds within a lap and I kept it going.
“Anything can happen in the overall standings, it’s not still in the bag.”
Other Categories
Nick Craig (Scott Racing) took his third win of the British Cycling National Trophy Series in the Over 40 Veterans race, retaining the series lead and all but securing the series title going into the final round at Shrewsbury in two weeks.
Dan Guest (Cotswold Veldrijiden) pushed Craig throughout the race, finishing a handful of seconds behind the winner after 40 minutes of fast racing on the flat course.
Guest set the early pace with Hope Factory’s Dave Collins and Ian Taylor (C and N Cycles) and split the race in the opening laps, taking the usual suspects along in the lead group.
Darren Atkins (Ride Coventry), Matt Barrett (Renvale RT) and Rob Jebb (Hope Factory) had to work hard to stay in contention, but as the race entered the final few laps, Craig had worked his way to the head of the race with only Guest able to stay on the pace. The pair rode up the long finish straight with plenty of time to look back at Dave Collins outsprinting Darren Atkins to take third.
Other Categories Gallery
In the Over 50 Veterans race it was Roy Chamberlain (Team Corley Cycles) who took the win after a race-long tussle with Steve Davies (Hargroves Cycles - Ridley).
Chamberlain, who was taking to the line for the first time this series, didn’t get an easy ride with Davies taking the lead on more than one occasion. But the Team Corley Cycles rider had the legs on the final two laps to give him the gap coming on to the finish straight.
Jimmy Piper (Iceni Velo) also put his name on the series standings, taking a fine third place in a sprint from Kirby Bennett (Team Jewson - M.I Racing). Pete Middleton rolled in to take fifth but still retains the leader’s green jersey going into the final round.
In the veteran women’s race, Isla Rowntree (Islabikes) took her second win of the series to retain the leaders jersey - but it could have gone to any one of four riders who shaped the race from the start.
Alison Kinloch (PH-MAS VCUK), Tracey Fletcher (Empella CC) and Maddi Smith (Bolsover and Dist CC) attacked each other throughout, but with Rowntree riding a single speed she had to make her move before the long drag to the finish line and attacked the group in the twisty part of the course coming out of the technical section to get a gap which saw her to the line. Alison Kinloch took second and her best result of the series, with Maddi Smith completing the podium.
With many of the series favourites away racing in Europe, the junior race would prove to be nonetheless exciting. The top three would be anyone’s guess looking at the start line but the racing still proved to be hard and fast.
As expected a brisk opening lap saw the race strung out before settling into a lead trio of riders at the head of the race. Dougal Toms (Iceni Velo), Matt Ellis (Steve Poole Plant Hire) and Toby Barnes (Lichfield CC) opened up a small gap on the opening lap and weren’t troubled again by the chasing Oldfield / Paul Milnes pair of Sam Moses and Euan Cameron.
The lead trio didn’t give an inch throughout and it would come down the final run up to the finish. It was Toms who had the legs to claim his first win of the series, outsprinting Ellis and Barnes who were second and third respectively.
Lewis Askey (RST RT) romped away in the under 16s boys race to claim his first win of the series. Askey took the race on from the front on the opening lap and with Charlie Craig (Scott Racing) and Oliver Draffan (Derwentside CC) soon had a lead over the rest of the field.
A chase group including Marcus Holmes (Lichfield CC), Oliver Stockwell (Welwyn Wheelers CC) and Alec Gregory (Leicester Roads Club) worked to try and bridge the gap but to no avail and had to be content with the battle for fourth.
Askey never looked troubled as the laps ticked down and took a lone victory but - as it has been all series - the battle between the Craig and Draffan didn’t relent until the final few metres, Craig just getting the better of Draffan to claim second and retain the yellow jersey to take to the final round.
Harriet Harnden (T-MO Racing) made it four wins from four to retain the blue leaders jersey in the Under 16s girls race. Harnden had a slow start but worked through to the head of the race on the opening lap, setting a pace that Ava Oxley-Szilagyi (PH-MAS VCUK) or Eluned King (Towy Riders) couldn’t make inroads to.
The race for second would come down to the final run up to the finish. On the grass there was no splitting the chase pair but Oxley-Szilagyi had the legs to jump away from the Towy rider in the closing metres to take her best result of the series.
Josh Giddings (MI Racing Academy) took his first win of the series in the Under 14s boys race. Giddings made light work of the circuit to claim the top step of the podium after a race long battle with Max Poole (Bike Box Alan) and series leader Finlay Pickering (Hull Thursday RC).
Millie Couzens took her fourth win in the under 14s girls race, but it was by no means an easy victory for the Zappis CC rider with just two seconds splitting the top three riders after five laps. Anna Wadsworth (Beeline Bikes) took second and Charlotte-Louise Mcgreevy (WXC World Racing) completed the podium.
