Matt Bostock and Sophie Lewis sprinted to victory at the Beverley Grand Prix in the final round of the Lloyds Bank National Circuit Series, as Rob Scott and Eilidh Shaw were crowned the series winners.
Women
Sophie Lewis (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) continued where she left off in Colne on Tuesday night, sprinting to her second consecutive victory in the Wren Kitchens Women’s Beverley Grand Prix ahead of Eilidh Shaw (Alba Development RT), who clinched the series victory on the cobbles of Saturday Market in Beverley.
The race got underway with the peloton of 59 riders remaining largely intact throughout the opening exchanges. The DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK squad assembled towards the front of the bunch, their intentions clear from the outset with Lucy Lee leading in the opening stages.
The attritional nature of the race continued as the clock ticked down, the riders continuing to lap in a little under two minutes as more teams started to show their intentions 15 minutes in. Former national champion Jo Tindley (Pro Noctis-200 Degrees Coffee-Hargreaves Contracting) was one of the riders to put in an injection of pace as the bunch thinned down, with series leader Shaw religiously sticking to her wheel as she remained vigilant among the threat of attacks.
As the halfway mark passed, the Alba Development Road Team, who have impressed with their strength and tactical nous throughout the seven round series, came to the fore to lift the pace. Beth Morrow applied the pressure that threatened to split the leading group, which had been whittled down to just 31 riders as a result of her efforts.
Frankie Hall (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) continued to pile on the pressure at the head of affairs, her teammate Robyn Clay then attacking with Shaw in a dangerous move. The pair were immediately chased down by Lucy Glover (Shibden-Apex), the impressive junior sprinter quickly realising the danger and dragging the bunch back to the duo within the space of a lap.
Lewis was the next to move clear, again with Shaw attached to her wheel. Their move suffered the same fate as the previous one, and Lee was the next DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK rider to attack as they looked to put Shaw under pressure.
With three laps remaining, Hall put in a big attack, although it was Samantha Fawcett (Team Spectra Racing) who this time brought the race back together. Keira Bond (Alba Development Road Team), an impressive solo winner in Sheffield last week, showed her power on the front in the closing stages as she moved to set up her teammate Shaw for the win.
Coming into the finishing line on the cobblestones of Saturday Market, it was Lewis who again demonstrated her fast finish, taking another fine win ahead of Shaw - the 19-year-old Alba Development RT rider also taking an impressive series win - ahead of Glover who rounded out the podium.
Shaw's American teammate Bond took second overall in the series, with Lucy Lee’s consistency helping her to third.
Lewis’ win helped DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK in the team classification. The stalwart team were comfortable victors having raced aggressively throughout the series to take victory in three of the rounds. A breakthrough season for Shaw’s Alba Development Road Team earned them second, with Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon in third.
Open
Matt Bostock spinted to his fourth win in seven races in this year’s National Circuit Series, taking the Wren Kitchens Open Beverley Grand Prix courtesy of a blistering last lap, finished by his trademark sprint as he beat Ribble Rebellion teammate Jim Brown and Alec Briggs (Tekkerz CC) to the line.
The race was set for a showdown between Bostock and Rob Scott (Tekkerz CC). The Manxman Bostock was trailing his former teammate by 18 points in the race for the title after the duo had taken five of the six wins in the series before the race.
Bostock would be without the services of teammate Cole Davis, the American rider one of a number of non-starters ahead of the next round of the National Road Series on Sunday, the Lancaster Grand Prix.
With the race off to a typically fast start, Callum Laborde (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) was among the early aggressors, dragging away a small group including Bostock and Scott, the duo wheel to wheel throughout the early exchanges.
After only nine laps Bostock made his move, powering off the front of the breakaway group with Briggs in his wheel, the duo quickly opening up an advantage over Laborde, Jacob Scott (REMBE Pro Cycling Team Sauerland), and Bostock’s Ribble Rebellion teammate Max Rusby, as the series leader found himself in danger in the next group on the road.
The pairs advantage out front continued to go out. By the halfway mark, it was 16 seconds, as Bostock continued to drive the pace. Meanwhile, Briggs was playing the perfect team role for Scott, firmly glued to the wheel of the Ribble Rebellion rider.
Series leader Scott was now part of a large group chasing behind led by Wheelbase CabTech Castelli, the Cumbrian squad racing hard with the chance to usurp Ribble Rebellion in the team classification on the cards.
Joseph Smith (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) decided attack was the best form of the defence as he attempted to bridge to Bostock and Briggs, getting within 13 seconds of the pair before he was reeled in. The peloton’s deficit was slowly stretching out to over 20 seconds as they struggled to form the cohesion needed to reel in Briggs and Bostock.
Will Roberts (Saint Piran) decided to go at it alone, launching himself clear of the dysfunctional chase and making the junction to Bostock and Briggs with consummate ease as the laps ticked by. Roberts’ move seemed to focus the minds of the chase however, and long-time series protagonists Toby Barnes (Spectra Racing) and Tom Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) threw their weight behind the pursuit and the gap closed significantly to just five seconds shortly after he made contact.
With the race back together and only five laps remaining, the advantage was again with Scott, who was safely in the leading group of over 20 riders containing all the pre-race favourites.
However, this was all about to change in the finals. Armstrong was looking to capitalise on his recent good form by sealing third overall in the series, and he made a move with only three laps to go. Tom Couzens (Ribble Rebellion) bridged to him and the two quickly opened up a significant gap of 11 seconds.
Barnes and Roberts sensed the danger and began a furious chase at the front of the peloton, cutting the deficit to only four seconds as the bell rang to signal the final lap. Bostock himself took up the chase, aiming to lead out teammate Brown for the win.
Armstrong and Couzens were caught deep into the final lap, but Bostock continued to press on, unleashing his fast finish as the riders hit the cobbles of Saturday Market, beating his teammate Brown to the line with Briggs sprinting to third to round out the podium.
Rob Scott came home in sixth, enough to take the series overall by only eight points ahead of Bostock, who achieved victory in four of the seven rounds, while Sheffield Grand Prix winner, Toby Barnes, secured third place overall.
Ribble Rebellion confirmed their status as the team to beat as overall winners of team classification, extending their advantage over Wheelbase CabTech Castelli courtesy of Bostock’s and Brown’s impressive finish, with Tekkerz CC rounding out the podium.
