2009 Bedford 2 Day Women's Tour

Sunday/Monday, May 3/4, 2009; Bedfordshire
A Women's Team Series Event
Photos by Larry Hickmott

Julie Cook (pictured above) has won the 2009 edition of the Bedford Women's 2 Day stage race held on Sunday and Monday of the long weekend. With a field of more than 80 riders, the winner had a tough battle to come out on top but her performances in the TTT, the second road stage and the stage 3 individual TT helped establish her overall lead which she held until the end.

Report -- Jon Miles
A stunning weekends racing for new team Squadra Donne saw them win the team award, win the race outright with Julie Cook and then place four riders in the top 10 on General Classification in the Luciano Cycles sponsored stage race. They laid the seeds for the race with victory in the 9.7 kilometre team time trial starting at Ravensden and finishing at the top of a drag up to Mill Hill, Keysoe - the finish hill which would be the finish of the afternoon's road stage - but in the opposite direction. Squadra Donne won by 21 seconds better from 2nd placed team Impsport Team A with 3rd placed Mischief Card.com 29 seconds further adrift.

After a brief rest, the riders got ready for the road stage around the Keysoe circuit. Although not a hard circuit, it would be enough to wear some legs down after 80 kilometres. A few explorative attacks were all nullified, a crash that saw several riders hit the tarmac and put paid to some ambitions including Katie Calvert who hurt a knee that was already hurting. Although there were no serious problems, it did mean that a group of riders caught up in the crash now became separated from the main field.

Into the final lap of that stage and an attack saw Julie Cook (Squadra Donne) and Natalie Creswick (Twickenham CC) go clear. By mid lap they had 23 seconds over the bunch but they worked well until the final long drag to the finish in Keysoe. Halfway up, Natalie had the better climbing legs and finished 7 seconds ahead of Julie Cook. Meanwhile tri athlete Paula Moseley (Altura Patterson Training) had also escaped the attentions of the bunch and was to finish in 3rd place, 16 seconds back. When the chasing bunch came into view, it was Jennifer O'Connor (Altura Patterson training) leading the charge.

Charlotte Blackman

Day 2
Monday saw the race not at its traditional home of the Millbrook Vehicle Testing track but the much used Cranfield/Astwood course. Although much gentler than Millbrook, it is hard enough to usually break up races but the fact is that women riders are far fitter and stronger than they were five years ago and the top 30 or so will be able to match each other - so tactics must play more in future races.

First course for the day in what would be a tasty meal was the newly introduced individual time trial of 3.7 kilometres. Charlotte Blackman (London Dynamo) covered the distance in 5 minutes 6 seconds to claim victory with Julie Cook (Squadra Donne) 3 seconds adrift but with enough time in hand to have donned the race leaders yellow jersey, if there had been one. Race organiser Jon Miles explained that a promised supply of jerseys did not arrive in time and probably would never arrive now so it was disappointing not to see the various leaders jerseys in the bunch.

With the stronger riders matching each other plus team tactics, the 71 kilometre race always looked like a bunch sprint although horses on the course looked like changing that situation. No rider was able to get away however and so the final charge up the hill in Astwood duly took place and it was a finely judged sprint win for Laura Trott - Impsport Team A just edging out team mate (for the weekend) Leanne Thompson with Danielle King - Squadra Donne in third place.

So ended another Team Series race and the organiser was quick to praise the help he had received from sponsors Dudley Samuels of Luciano Cycles and Han Luenk from Holland. A special mention must be made of the Beds Road Club who supplied the marshals. They were expecting just to marshal the men's race but stayed on to help with the women's race as well - outstanding.

Laura Trott wins the final stage up the hill at Astwood.

Results

Stage 1
1. Squadra Donne
2. Impsport A
3. Mischief Card.com Team

Stage 2
1. Natalie Creswick
2. Julie Cook
3. Paula Moseley
4. Jennifer O'Connor
5. Danni King
6. Sarah Reynolds
7. Jessica Roberts
8. Laura Trott
9. Bernadette Hinds
10. Penny Rowson

OVERALL AFTER DAY 1
1. Julie Cook
2. Paula Moseley
3. Danni King

Stage 3
1. Charlotte Blackman 5.06
2. Julie Cook, 5.09
3. Lynn Hamel, 5.11
4. Laura Trott, 5.20
5. Ella Sadler-Andrews, 5.21
6. Leanne Thompson, 5.23
6. Corrine Hall, 5.23
8. Danni King, 5.26
9. Claire Thomas, 5.28
9. Jessica Booth, 5.28

Overall: Julie Cook

Stage 4

1. Laura Trott, Impsport Team A - Pink
2. Leanne Thompson, Impsport Team A - Pink
3. Danielle King, Squadra Donne
4. Katie Fearnehough, West Midlands
5. Claire Thomas, Impsport Team A - Pink
6. Kelly Moore, Squadra Donne
7. Jessica Booth, Serengeti Sisters
8. Marianne Britten, MAX Gear RT
9. Nicola Juniper, Serengeti Sisters
10. Bernadette Hards, MAX Gear RT

 

Final Overall
1.  Julie Cook Squadra Donne 2  4:33:20 @ 0:00:00
2.  Danielle King Squadra Donne 1  4:34:14 @ 0:00:54
3.  Laura Trott Impsport Team A - Pink J  4:34:21 @ 0:01:01
4.  Paula Moseley Altura Patterson Training    4:34:26 @ 0:01:06
5.  Natalie Creswick Twickenham CC 4  4:34:44 @ 0:01:24
6.  Kelly Moore Squadra Donne 2  4:34:50 @ 0:01:30
7.  Sarah Cramoysan Squadra Donne 2  4:34:57 @ 0:01:37
8.  Marianne Britten MAX Gear RT 2  4:34:58 @ 0:01:38
9.  Rachel Osborne MAX Gear RT 1  4:35:09 @ 0:01:49
10.  Penny Rowson Mischief Card.com Team J  4:35:11 @ 0:01:51
10.  Jennifer O’Connor Altura Patterson Training 3  4:35:11 @ 0:01:51
12.  Charlotte Blackman London Dynamo E  4:35:12 @ 0:01:52
13.  Louise Eden MAX Gear RT 2  4:35:17 @ 0:01:57
14.  Helen Gutteridge Mischief Card.com Team 3  4:35:18 @ 0:01:58
15.  Juliette Wigbold Squadra Donne E  4:35:23 @ 0:02:03
16.  Jeanette Caldicott MAX Gear RT 1  4:35:24 @ 0:02:04
17.  Jessica Roberts Mischief Card.com Team   4:35:29 @ 0:02:09
17.  Bernadette Hards MAX Gear RT   4:35:29 @ 0:02:09
19.  Jessica Booth Serengeti Sisters J  4:35:34 @ 0:02:14
20.  Ella Sadler-Andrews Twickenham CC J  4:35:37 @ 0:02:17
21.  Lynn Hamel Impsport Team B - Blue 3  4:35:45 @ 0:02:25
22.  Joanne McRae Impsport Team A - Pink 2  4:35:56 @ 0:02:36
23.  Sarah Reynolds West Midlands J  4:36:11 @ 0:02:51
24.  Nicola Juniper Serengeti Sisters 4  4:36:12 @ 0:02:52
25.  Angela Platt BCF Eastern Region 4  4:36:22 @ 0:03:02
26.  Ali Northcott Altura Patterson Training 2  4:37:08 @ 0:03:48
27.  Claire Thomas Impsport Team A - Pink 1  4:38:42 @ 0:05:22
28.  Jen Milsom PSUK Gigawave Racing Team 4  4:39:03 @ 0:05:43
29.  Ruth Bradbook Bad-Tri – Fred Baker Cycles 4  4:39:40 @ 0:06:20
30.  Maryka Sennema Surrey League 3  4:39:53 @ 0:06:33
31.  Jackie Garner MAX Gear RT 2  4:40:00 @ 0:06:40
32.  Karen Hathaway Bad-Tri – Fred Baker Cycles 4  4:40:18 @ 0:06:58
33.  Tracey Fletcher Mischief Card.com Team 2  4:41:28 @ 0:08:08
34.  Iona Sewell Squadra Donne 2  4:42:04 @ 0:08:44
35.  Ella Hopkins Twickenham CC 3  4:42:30 @ 0:09:10
36.  Emma Patterson London Dynamo 3  4:42:50 @ 0:09:30
37.  Corrine Hall Twickenham CC 2  4:43:14 @ 0:09:54
38.  Fiona Duncan PSUK Gigawave Racing Team 4  4:43:41 @ 0:10:21
39.  Gillian Palmer Impsport Team B - Blue 4  4:45:03 @ 0:11:43
40.  Carrie Bedingfield MAX Gear RT 2  4:47:47 @ 0:14:27
41.  Gail Aspden Serengeti Sisters 4  4:48:45 @ 0:15:25
42.  Nadine Spearing Altura Patterson Training 3  4:48:51 @ 0:15:31
43.  Hayley Edwards West Midlands J  4:49:09 @ 0:15:49
44.  Naomi Anderson London Dynamo 3  4:49:16 @ 0:15:56
45.  Phil Richards Bad-Tri – Fred Baker Cycles 4  4:50:19 @ 0:16:59
46.  Claire Beaumont London Dynamo 2  4:50:24 @ 0:17:04
47.  Kate Scotter BCF Eastern Region   4:51:43 @ 0:18:23
48.  Leanne Thompson Impsport Team A - Pink 1  4:53:22 @ 0:20:02
49.  Hannah Walker West Midlands J  4:53:50 @ 0:20:30
50.  Kirsty Bishop PSUK Gigawave Racing Team 4  4:54:50 @ 0:21:30
51.  Jody Conibear Twickenham CC 4  4:55:06 @ 0:21:46
52.  Annabel Simpson Altura Patterson Training 3  4:55:09 @ 0:21:49
53.  Nicky Russell Bad-Tri – Fred Baker Cycles 4  5:01:26 @ 0:28:06
54.  Estelle Rogers Surrey League 3  5:02:17 @ 0:28:57
55.  Helen Clayton Mischief Card.com Team   5:03:17 @ 0:29:57
56.  Jeanette Foster Serengeti Sisters 4  5:05:22 @ 0:32:02
57.  Tracy Corbett London Dynamo 3  5:06:25 @ 0:33:05
58.  Claire Leonard Surrey League 2  5:06:52 @ 0:33:32
59.  Katie Fearnehough West Midlands J  5:06:57 @ 0:33:37
60.  Gemma Havard PSUK Gigawave Racing Team 4  5:07:59 @ 0:34:39
61.  Stephania Magri Squadra Donne   5:09:05 @ 0:35:45
62.  Rebecca Sore Serengeti Sisters 4  5:14:00 @ 0:40:40
63.  Ann Marshall Twickenham CC 4  5:15:40 @ 0:42:20
64.  Genevieve Whitson Serengeti Sisters E  5:21:38 @ 0:48:18
65.  Alex Green Bad-Tri – Fred Baker Cycles 4  5:21:50 @ 0:48:30
66.  Averil Milligan BCF Eastern Region   5:26:00 @ 0:52:40
67.  Lizzie Leake Squadra Donne 4  5:26:53 @ 0:53:33
68.  Laura Davison West Midlands   5:33:19 @ 0:59:59
69.  Wiesia Kuczaj Twickenham CC 4  5:34:55 @ 1:01:35
70.  Debbie Knott Surrey League 3  5:47:30 @ 1:14:10

RACE STORY -- STAGE 4, PHOTOS


The start at Cranfield behind the lead car driven by Dick Selley.


A break on lap 1 sees riders going off the back as the chase hots up.


All together around the picturesque course near Cranfield


The bunch sprint for a hill prime.


A MaxGear rider tries to get away with two laps to go on the climb to the finish.