Masters 40+ & 50+ British Road Race Championships
July 19, 2009
Report and pictures Richard Robotham
Andy Tinsley who can often be seen racing in Elite level circuit races uses his sprint finish to good use to win the Category C title from Surrey's Garry Dodd and former professional Rob Hurd.
This year’s British Cycling National Masters Road Race Championship events for riders aged 40 plus and 50 plus were held on a tough couse near Long Crendon (Buckinghamshire). The circuit for the riders covered 10 miles per lap and contained three rather short, sharp climbs. The 40+ race would cover six and half laps and the 50+ race covered four and half laps.
The two races set off five minutes apart and the extreme weather conditions affecting the area made their intensions known right from the very start with the heavens opening almost as soon as the first race got under way.
Masters 40 Plus
Despite a torrential deluge at the start of the race, Stuart MacGregor (Dooleys Cycles Racing Team) and Paul Bell (Doncaster Wheelers) made an early break on the first lap of the 40+ National Masters Road Race, but it only lasted for half a lap as the main field reeled them in with ease.
Further small attacks came from riders in the bunch but none were successful as the tough course and the extreme weather conditions started to take its toll on the riders. At the half way point, the race had fractured into three groups as riders were being dropped rapidly out the back of the leading group as the pace, the conditions and the course took their toll.
Former professional in Belgium Rob Hurd (DHCyclesport.co.uk) broke away from the main field gaining a small 200m advantage and Martin Smith (AW Cycles.co.uk) was quick to respond and quickly tried to chase down the leader but couldn’t maintain the effort and went back tot he peloton as did Hurd eventually.
Up until two laps to go, the three distinct groups on the road continued to maintain the time gaps between them with none of them making headway on each other. However, with just over a lap to go, Gary Dodd (Sigma Sport) pulled away from the first group and quickly built up a lead of over a minute to his nearest chasers.
Gary Dodd was soon joined by Roy Chamberlain (Team Corley Cycles/Alpha RC), Andy Tinsley (Science in Sport.com), Rob Hurd (Dhcyclesport.co.uk), Wayne Coombs (VC Montpellier) and Andrew Guy (Science in Sport).
This lead group of riders showed great commitment for the last half of the lap but there was misfortune to come for Roy Chamberlain who punctured in the closing miles denying him the chance to contest the sprint finish that was to follow. The five remaining riders stayed together for the final sprint for the line where Andy Tinsley edged out Gary Dodd on the line by inches to take the race and his category's title.
Andy Tinsley (Science in Sport.com) said after the race that the conditions at the start of the race were really bad, so he tried to stay out of trouble over the first three laps while keeping a watchful eye on Roy Chamberlain and a few others.
The crosswinds and the savage climbs had split the race, so at two to go, he made his attack, and when he was joined by Roy Chamberlain, they worked together for the next 15km. "I led up the last climb and waited for Andy Guy, a team mate, to make his move but when it didn’t come, I was able to set myself up for the sprint.”
Andy went on to say that he had left it a little late in the sprint as Gary Dodd had forced him to go the long way round him, but he felt strong and managing to hold on to claim first place. Finally, Andy admitted that training in Italy recently helped him a lot during the day’s race and he was over the moon with his win.
1 Andy Tinsley Science in Sport.com
2 Gary Dodd Sigma Sport
3 Robert Hurd Dhcyclesport.co.uk / Colnago
4 Wayne Coombs Velo Club Montpellier
5 Andrew Guy Science in Sport.com
6 Richard Binks Holme Vally Wheelers
7 Martin Wheeldon Doncaster Whls CC
8 Stuart MacGregor Dooley's Cycles Racing Team
9 Colin Roshier Team Quest - The Bike Shop
10 Andy Eagers Derby Mercury RC
11 Mike Harrison Congleton CC
12 Tim Carter Virgin Active
13 Roy Chamberlain Team Corley Cycles/Alpha R.C
14 Martin Smith AW Cycles.Co.uk
15 Russell Bayliss G S Metro
16 Micheal Smith Lotto Olympia Team Interbike
17 Jon Stephenson Team Endura
18 Johnathan Griffin Team Endura
19 Edgar Medellin Finchley Racing Team
20 Neil Edwards Private Member
21 Ian Church Sherwood CC
22 Robert Jeffroy London Dynamo/Cyclefit
Masters 50 Plus Race
The 50+ National Masters Road Race started five minutes behind the 40+ race and the field in the 50 plus event stayed together for the first lap. Simon Edney (North Devon Wheelers) took a chance during the second lap by breaking away from the main field.
Simon Edney continued his lone break for a further two laps, until Roy Holmes (Hewitt Racing) bridged the gap, but an unfortunate puncture for Holmes on the last lap meant that Simon Edney (North Devon Wheelers) had to continue on his own once again, regaining a comfortable lead all the way to the finish.
Right: In the Over 50's race, Simon Edney of the North Devon Wheelers wins the race and his category.
After exchanging wheels on the roadside with a non racing cyclist, Roy Holmes (Hewitt Racing) finished just over a minute behind Edney. The first of the small chasing groups came in almost a minute and a half down on first place containing David Cuming (Macclesfield Wheelers) who finished 5th overall and was first in the 55+ category and Don Parry (Team Corley Cycles/Alpha RC) who finished 7th overall and first in the 60+ category.
Simon Edney (North Devon Wheelers) Speaking about his win after the race he said that due to the bad weather and road conditions, he thought it was safest to stay at the front of the race, and once he had made the break, hoped some of the other riders would join him. But no one did until Roy Holmes managed to reach him with two laps to go. Simon said he still felt strong at the end of the race and was extremely pleased to have won his first National Championship.
1 Simon Edney North Devon Wheelers
2 Roy Holmes Hewitt Racing
3 Philip Hargreaves V C Norwich
4 Nick Yarworth Malvern Cycle Sport
5 David Cuming Macclesfield Wheelers
6 Paul Allen Team Mark Pickford Cycles
7 Don Parry Team Corley Cycles/Alpha R.C
8 Berni Charlick Cycle Club Basingstoke
9 Costa Pierides Finchley Racing Team
10 James Rutherford Science In Sport.com
11 Ray Palin Team Mark Pickford Cycles
12 Christopher Baldwin Eagle RC
13 Tony Woodcock Glendene CC / Bike Trax
14 Brendan Heaslip Kenton Road Club
15 Bob Garlinge Team Quest - The Bike Shop
16 Pete Smith Team Milton Keynes
17 Keith Middleton V C Lincoln
18 Terry Meechan Coventry Road Club
19 Marlon McGready Kenilworth Wheelers CC
20 Martin Hulbert V C Meudon
21 Tony Farnell Penzance Wheelers
22 David Rutherford Solihull CC
23 Malcolm Whitehead Kingsnorth International Whlrs
24 Paul Doel Team Quest - The Bike Shop
25 Bob Moore V C Meudon
26 Keith White Cycle Sport Dynamo
27 Ken Haddon Bush Healthcare CRT
28 Terry Gradidge Sodbury Cycle Sport
29 Dave Churchill Bigfoot Bike Club
30 Michael Ives Team Endura
31 Bill Rains V C Bristol
32 Nigel Wood Dulwich Paragon CC
RESULTS BY CATEGORY (Provisional)
Race Category C 40+
1st Andy Tinsley Science in Sport
2nd Gary Dodd Sigma Sport
3rd Robert Hurd Dhcyclesport.co.uk
4th Wayne Coombs Velo Club Montpellier
5th Andrew Guy Science in Sport
6th Richard Binks Holme Valley Wheelers
Race Category D 45+
1st Colin Roshier Team Quest – The Bike Shop
2nd Andy Eagers Derby Mercury RC
3rd Jon Stephenson Team Endura
4th Jonathan Griffin Team Endura
5th Edgar Medellin Finchley Racing Team
6th Ian Church Sherwood CC
Race Category E 50+
1st Simon Edney North Devon Wheelers
2nd Roy Holmes Hewitt Racing
3rd Phillip Hargreaves VC Norwich
4th Nick Yarworth Malvern Cycle Sport
5th Berni Charlick CC Basingstoke
6th Costa Pierides Finchley Racing Team
Race Category F 55+
1st David Cuming Macclesfield Wheelers
2nd Paul Allen Team Mark Pickford Cycles
3rd Ray Palin Team Mark Pickford Cycles
4th Bob Garlinge Team Quest - The Bike Shop
5th Terry Meechan Coventry Road Club
6th Malcolm Whitehead Kingsnorth Intl Wheelers
Race Category G 60+
1st Don Parry Team Corley Cycles/Alpha RC
2nd Tony Farnell Penzance Wheelers
3rd David Rutherford Solihull CC
Race Category H 65+
1st Tony Woodcock Glendene CC/Bike Trax
2nd Bill Rains VC Bristol
Race Category I 70+
1st Ken Haddon Bush Health Care CRT
2nd Michael Ives Team Endura
