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Worcester News Road Race

Story posted August 2, Steve Dring (Team Echelon Spiuk)

Ian Knight (Virgin Active) wins Worcester News RR from Tony Gibb and Simon Wilson (www.cyclepremier.com-Metaltek).

Organised and marshalled by the Worcester St Johns Cycling Club, the Worcester News Road Race saw a full field of 80 riders set out for 125km over six laps of the Severn Stoke course.

On the second lap, the break that would dominate the race, escaped the bunch over the Severn Stoke climb. On the descent from the feed hill a few miles later, a runaway horse hindered the chasing bunch, requiring the race to be stopped.

When the race re-started, the 17 man break (including a few riders who cunningly made it across in the confusion), were credited with a 25 second head start over the bunch. This gap remained the same throughout the race as the break was too large to work smoothly and the bunch was led along at a good pace by a band of sacrificial workers, most notably Ben Anstie (Chippenham Wheelers) who gave his all to the chase.

Lee Davis leads for Motorpoint Marshals Pasta

With two miles to go, Gibb and Knight escaped the break and gained a few hundred metres that was enough to allow them to fight out the win up the final climb of Severn Stoke. Knight led it out and hung on to win by a length as Gibb finished runner up for the second consecutive year. Five seconds later, 2009 winner Simon Wilson led in the remains of the break with junior rider Matt Bailey (Kuota Road CC) finishing a creditable 4th.

The bunch sprint was won by Ian Rees (Wilier/Big Maggys) just catching the tail end of the break for 14th place. Afterwards Knight, a former elite rider and team mate of mine for the Terry Wright Cycles team in the late 90s, found the whole experience “surreal” enjoying his comeback season after 12 years out of the sport. The win was Ian’s third of the season and a first category licence beckons. Ian said afterwards “I really did not know what to expect at the start of the year, I am absolutely made up”

WInner, Ian Knight, collects his trophy for the win in the Worcester News Road Race.

Gibb was pleased with his team’s efforts to split the race but disappointed that he didn’t quite have the legs to secure the victory. Cycle Premier/Metaltek team mate Wilson was pleased to celebrate his 30th birthday with third place, a fine follow up to his win the previous year. Knight collected the Worcester News trophy, presented every year since 1958 to the winner of this summer classic and joined the list of notable winners including Bradley Wiggins, Matt Stephens, Steve Farrell and Darryl Webster amongst others.

Result

1 Ian Knight
2 Tony Gibb
3 Simon Wilson
4 Matt Bailey
5 Will Fox
6 Steve Guymer
7 James Stewart
8 Lee Davis
9 Andrew Magnier
10 Connor O’Brien
11 Thomas Collier
12 Ben Roach
13 Richard Harris
14 Ian Rees
15 John Cooper
16 Phil Starr
17 Ian Fagan
18 Steve Allen
19 Ben Luckwell
20 James Lowsley-Williams
Primes – Joint 1st Gibb and Stewart