Win for Rob Partridge in Welsh champs

Sunday, 31st May; Thanks to Steve Thomas (Abergavenny RC)

Above: Rob Partridge looks back to see the challengers are gone and the title is his again in Wales

A field of 47 riders, including four juniors lined up in a very warm and sunny Crickhowell to contest the Welsh Senior and Junior Championships over an 80 mile course in the rolling hills around Llangorse Lake and the base of the Brecon Beacons. After a (very) short neutralised section, Ian Bendall (Forza Cycles) went from the gun and got a lead of just over a minute almost straight away as the bunch ambled along the Usk Valley towards Talybont – no doubt warming the legs up for what was to come later.

As the race turned right in Talybont after 8 miles, and onto the A40 back towards Crickhowell onto the first (gentle) climb of the day to Bwlch, riders started getting dropped from the bunch. Over the top of the climb and down the descent to the finish area to start the first lap of the main 23 mile circuit, Bendall was joined by the promoting Club’s George Rose (Abergavenny RC), Christian Prior (agiskovinner.com), Richard Harris (Cwmcarn Paragon) and Rhys Lloyd (Rapha Condor) in what looked a very dangerous move.

This break never made it beyond that minute lead though, primarily due to repeated attacks by defending champion Rob Partridge (Halfords Bikehut) from the bunch, keeping the speed high and deterring further counter attacks. The break was reeled back in on the 4 mile climb to Pengenffordd and the feed zone whilst Partridge continued to attack repeatedly.

On the (lumpy) road through Llangorse to Talybont a small group of four, Anthony O'Boyle (Cwmcarn), Hugh Wilson (Forza), Ben Simmons and Lee Williams (both Team Wiggle) establish a lead which was 1:10 as the race came through the finish area to start the second lap. Again chasing furiously between the break and bunch was Partridge at 50 secs, obviously determined to defend his title. As the group turned left onto the Pengenffordd climb again, the bunch splintered with Lloyd and Rose joining Partridge to bridge the gap to the four leaders. This became the break of the day establishing a lead that yo-yoed between 30 seconds and a minute for the whole of the second lap.

Riders were shelled from the back of the main bunch continually through the first and second lap, especially on the main climb, but also in dribs and drabs along the back road to Llangorse/Bwlch. Basically, whenever the road went up, someone popped off the back! By the last lap however (once the break became properly established), there was little attrition from what seemed to be a fairly evenly matched ‘bunch’ of 15 or so riders. Many of those who'd been dropped from the bunch in singles, reformed into a grupetto that completed the course together, 16 minutes behind the race winner.

One ‘significant’ absentee from the break was Matt Rowe (CandiTV/Marshalls Pasta), who spent the rest of the race almost single-handedly driving or attacking the bunch, keeping the break pegged to somewhere between 30-50 seconds.  It never got to a minute, and for one moment, through the finish at the bell before turning left back onto the A40 at Bwlch, the bunch brought them back to under 20 seconds. It seemed guaranteed that it would come back together imminently.

But as soon as the break heard that time check, on the false flats before the climb, it was back up to 35 or 40 seconds once more. Up front in the early phase of the last lap, having no doubt heard the gap was once again coming down, the two pro's (and ex-team mates) Lloyd and Partridge began working together to get rid of their opponents one by one, systematically attacking one-two, one-two until they broke them.

Rob Partridge

First to go was Anthony O’Boyle mopped up by the bunch on the false flats to the base of the main climb followed swiftly by the two Wiggle boys Williams and Simmons – all three no doubt suffering from their efforts in the MTB races at Margam Park the day before. Simmons and Williams were caught by the bunch towards the top of the main climb, managing to hang in there to the finish whilst O’Boyle was caught and dropped and retired.

For the final time along the back road through Llangorse, Rose was eventually dropped. The pressure faced by 2nd Cat Wilson was then immense, as the two Pro’s continually attacked him. One went, he pulled them back. He got dropped, he came back – repeat! Eventually, between Llangorse and Bwlch with 8km to go, Partridge put in such a strong attack that Wilson couldn't follow it, and Partridge very quickly gained a good 30 second gap over the other two, soloing down the final 3 mile descent and onto the flat finish for the win.

Behind, Wilson and Rhys had slowed to such an extent playing a bit of cat and mouse that Rose started to come back, and almost caught them at the line finishing just 12 seconds behind them – Lloyd proving too strong for Wilson in the sprint for the line. In the bunch, there were quite a few little forays off the front over the last lap that came to nought, with Rowe eventually out-sprinting John Fitzpatrick (Abergavenny RC) for 5th place 2 minutes 29 secs behind Partridge.

Three Juniors remained (survived) in the main bunch to contest the Junior title with Rhys Gravelle (CMC) winning a tightly fought sprint, for 8th place on the day, from Sam Harrison (Planet X) with Jon Mould (agiskovinner.com) rolling in at the back of the bunch in 17th.

Thanks from the race organiser (Steve Thomas), to the marshals, helpers and Wales NEG, for assisting in making the event a safe and excellent race – and particularly the riders for racing positively, safely and providing a race where the result was always ‘in the air’ until Partridge made that final move on the last lap.

Full result with time gaps below
1. Rob  Partridge Team Halfords Bikehut Gold 3hr 18m
2. Rhys Lloyd Rapha Condor Silver  @ 56 s
3. Hugh Wilson Forza Cycles Bronze st
4. George Rose Abergavenny RC  01:08
5. Matt  Rowe CandiTV - Marshalls Pasta  02:29
6. John Fitzpatrick Abergavenny RC  st
7. Mire Cripps Army CU  02:33
8. Rhys Gravelle (Jun) Bynea CC Gold 02:38
9. Sam Harrison (Jun) Planet X Silver st
10. Thomas Ashford Cardiff Ajax  st
11. Christian  Prior agiskoviner.com  st
12. Arwel  Davies Bynea CC  st
13. Andrew  Williams Cwmcarn Paragon  st
14. Hefin Price CMC  st
15. Lee Williams Team Wiggle  st
16. Ian Sutcliffe Abergavenny RC  st
17. Jon Mould (Jun) agiskoviner.com Bronze 02:46
18. Ben Simmons Team Wiggle  st
19. Eifion Weinzweig UCK Vannes  02:50
20. Ian Bendall Forza Cycles  13:27
21. Richard Harris Cwmcarn Paragon  st
22. Guy Stevens Abergavenny RC  13:31
23. Grant Leavy Forza Cycles  st
24. Tom Collier Pendragon Kalas  16:21
25. William  Haynes (Jun) Energy Cycles  16:27
26. Eric DeGolier Energy Cycles  16:34
27. John Williams Cwmcarn Paragon  st
28. Jason Humphries Norwood Paragon  st
29. Jeremy  Rees Private Member  st
30. Conan Mayman Rhyl CC  st
31. Neal  Craig Forza Cycles  16:38
32. Richie Raymond Cwmcarn Paragon  st
33. Russ White Forza Cycles  st
34. Neil  Cox Abergavenny RC  st
35. Nicholas Ost Swansea Wheelers  45.35