2009 RIS Junior Tour of Wales
(Day 2) Brynback Park
Joshua Edmondson wins stage 3
Before the start of this stage, leader Tim Kennaugh was warning of a bun fight out on this difficult and hilly closed circuit and so it proved with riders being dropped on the opening neutralised lap.
First big attack came from Joe Perrett on lap 2, an attack that soon had the rest chasing hard and within a lap the race was in pieces. Perrett's Glendene CC teammate, Joshua Edmondson, joined the chase on his own and both he and Jon Mould were the only riders to get across to the leaders and the three opened up a gap quickly. Working strongly together, the leaders were about a minute up on the peloton where there did not seem to be a committed chase and the yellow jersey Tim Kennaugh looked isolated.
The break however never got too far ahead and the gap stayed steady at a minute and despite some strong attacks from the chasers in the final six laps, the break continued to hold the gap and in the sprint for the line, Joshua Edmondson outsprinted Jon Mould and Joe Perrett to take the stage with Jon Mould moving up to third overall.
Back at the HQ, I caught up with Tim Kennaugh who was still in the yellow jersey after the stage. "I knew some one was going to get away and thought that a break of three was going to be okay. I thought being out front would tire them out too and I didn't expect to lose much time to them on this circuit”
“No-one was really doing too much in the bunch while I was trying not to do too much whilst also keeping the momentum going. Having all the riders in the chase group was the energy that was keeping the bunch going and the gap down. There were a few times when Sam (Harrison) had a few digs and I had to grit my teeth to go with him but I knew also he could only go that fast for a certain amount of time."
After we finished talking, Tim then returned to one of the many cars in the car park where he joined one of his rivals Jon Mould who was busy reading the road book and another in Sam Harrison who was busy eating lunch. Tim explained when we spoke that although many of his friends were also his rivals, he still went out to win the race and that friendship, much of it coming from their time together on the Olympic Development Programme, didn’t stop them from racing each other dead hard for the victories in the big races.
Meanwhile, while parents and helpers were busy washing bikes in the car park ready for the next stage, back in the official’s room, they were kept busy looking at who had been lapped and how many times so they could come up with an overall before the afternoon stage. Then, after a podium presentation for stage 3, the riders lined up outside the school and the leader’s jerseys were presented with the Green jersey going from the shoulders of Chris Whorral to Jon Mould. Yellow went to Tim Kennaugh and Sam Harrison continued to wear the KOM jersey.
1. Joshua Edmondson
2. Jon Mould,
3. Joe Perrett
4. Dan McLay, @1.15
5. George Atkins,
6. Jake Hales
7. Simon Yates
8. Oliver Rossi
9. Adam Yates
10 . Sam Harrison
Overall after stage 3 provisional
1. Tim Kennaugh
2. Sam Harrison
3. Jon Mould
Jerseys and overall before stage 3 -- Sam Harrison (KOM and 2nd overall), Chris Whorral (Points), Tim Kennaugh (Yellow and leader of the race) and Marcus Christie (3rd overall)
Stage 4, Natyglo School to Brynmawr Town Centre
Peter Dibben celebrates an important victory ahead of David Nichols
The second stage of the day was a wet and windy road stage from the race’s headquarters at the Natyglo School to the Welsh town of Brynmawr with the toughest part of the stage coming at the end with the long climb to Brynmawr.
The race began with the riders being stopped after 10 miles or so and the riders given a lecture by the commissaire asking them to keep to their side of the road. After a restart, as they came to the Raglan roundabout, yellow jersey Tim Kennaugh was clear with a small group but only by a few seconds and that failed to stick. As the race approached the Raglan roundabout from the other direction after a 25 minute excursion out to Mitchel Troy, two riders were clear, Tom Lowe and Stuart Henry chased by a few other riders and then the bunch led by a rider from the Isle of Man.
We had to wait another 25 minutes before we saw the result of that which was a much larger break that included Andy Hargroves, Conor Dunne, Tom Moses, David Nichols, Stuart Henry, Tom Lowe, John Cooper and Mark Baxter. More riders joined them including eventual winner Peter Dibben and the Yates brothers, Adam and Simon who chased the break together and got across near Raglan.
The race was by now on its way back to Brynmawr, and most of that was uphill. It was hardly surprising then that by the time the race came into view at the finish where it was still raining, that only two riders were together, Hargroves Cycles’ Peter Dibben several lengths clear of Glendene CC rider David Nichols. Next in was Marcus Christie of Ireland who was third while Tom Moses was 4th.
Stage 4 podium -- David Nichols, Peter Dibben and Marcus Christie.
The following riders then crossed the line in ones and two and small groups, and safely in the main group was yellow jersey of Tim Kennaugh. The biggest winner on the stage, besides Peter Dibben who was delighted with the stage victory was Ireland’s Marcus Christie who had performed so well the day before on stage 2.
Stage 3 in the morning of day 2 though had not been good to Christie and he spent the day chasing the peloton with two of his teammates and lost his third place overall to Jon Mould. The Irish rider’s performance on stage 4 however should have helped put him back into contention.
After the stage, I spoke to Peter Dibben who explained that four riders were leading the race and he knew he had to get into a break before the climb to have a chance at the stage win. “I got across to it with two other riders and a few more joined us later on and I was feeling strong in the break. A lot of riders were sitting on and I was going through and trying to get people to work but they didn’t so I started to sit in because I really wanted the stage today.”
“On the climb, I felt dead good and went a couple of times and everyone went out the back apart from Dave (Nichols). I just waited for the sprint and did it. It was good to get something out of the race because I’m not really a climber. The finish on this stage, although it’s uphill, it is not too bad and where it’s gradual, you can do it on the big ring. It’s steady power climb.”
Stage result (provisional)
1. Peter Dibben
2. David Nichols
3. Marcus Christie
4. Tom Moses
Overall
Still awaiting results…
PHOTOS
King of the Mountains jersey holder Sam Harrison on the attack from lap 1 of stage 3.
Joe Perrett goes on the attack.
Joshua Edmondson gives chase on his own with Jon Mould and Sandy King a few seconds behind
The three leaders who were never caught.
Tim Kennaugh getting his yellow jersey rather dirty in the rain
One of the Yates brothers leads a small group away from the peloton
The Irish trying to limit their losses
British champion George Atkins tries an attack a few laps from the finish.
Dan Mclay leads a group of muddy faces across the line in the bunch sprint for fourth
Planning -- Tim Kennaugh fills the pockets of the Yellow jersey before it is presented to him on the start line.
Stage 4
The race leaves the start on stage 4 behind the lead car.
On the Abergavenny bypass, Joe Perrett is having a dig marked closley by Sam Harrison.
Joe Perrett again at the front of the race, this time a small break a few seconds clear of the peloton as they approach the Raglan roundabout..
Tom Lowe and Stuart Henry lead the race on the way back to Raglan.
Isle of Man lead the chase behind the two leaders and another two chasers just ahead of the peloton.
The big break of the stage on their way back to the finish before the long climb that was to prove decisive.
The peloton behind the leading group at Raglan, around 10 miles from the finish.
Joshua Hunt getting across the line before teammate Jake Durant.
