Event: CDNW Road Race League, Round 14
Venue: Dolphinholme circuit, Lancashire
Promoted by: Cycling Development North West
Date: Sun, August 14 2011
Report: Snowdon Sports
SPRINTING home ahead of his five breakaway rivals, Alistair Rutherford (Science in Sport.com) won the latest round of the CDNW Road Race League on the tough Dolphinholme circuit in Lancashire on Sunday.
Rutherford, 29 and from Manchester, held off the remains of a break which had gone away early in the race. But the high pace had taken many casualties, and newcomers attacking off the front of the remains of the bunch meant the break changed formation on most laps.
Team Raleigh's Matt Cronshaw had attacked on the climb on lap one which split the race up, and as they tackled the tough circuit around Abbeystead, which circles the Duke of Westminster's estate, more and more riders drifted off the back of the bunch and just 15 avoided being lapped.
And the supporting 3/4 event was no less of a tough battle.
The race split in half on the first lap as the tough circuit and high pace took its toll once again, and with one and a half laps to go, eventual winner Michael Ashurst (High On Bikes) attacked.
After dropping back to the bunch - perhaps having realised there was still a good few miles to go - he waited until the final circuit before attacking his rivals in search of victory.
He clung on desperately as his rivals chased him down on the uphill finish, and he took the win by just one second from Gareth McColville (Honister 92), who led in the bunch.
Results:
E/1/2/3:
1 Alistair Rutherford (Science in Sport.com) 2-54-17
2 Matt Cronshaw (Team Raleigh)
3 Stuart Reid (Herbalife-Wheelbase)
4 Ben Greenwood (Rapha Condor-Sharp)
5 Samuel Jackson (Cleveleys RC) all @ same time
6 Joseph Kelly (100 Per Cent ME) @ 35sec
7 James Gullen (Team Wallis CHH)
8 James Baillie (Sheffield Sports)
9 Ashley Finn (Cycle Premier-Metaltek)
10 Tom Armstrong (Wheelbase) all @ same time
3/4:
1 Michael Ashurst (High On Bikes) 2-21-45
2 Gareth McColville (Honister 92) at 1sec
3 John Findley (Bill Nickson Cycles RT)
4 James Rushton (Aire Valley RT)
5 Patrick Pennefather (VC Cumbria)
6 Mick Armitstead (Dirt Wheels)
7 Chris Taylor (Border City Wheelers)
8 Lee Brotzman (Wills Wheels)
9 Simon Hayes (Wills Wheels)
10 Edward Farnell (Manchester Wheelers)
