Simon Yates (100 Per Cent ME) won the Twinings Pro-Am Tour, penultimate round of the Premier Calendar Series staged near Salisbury in Wiltshire on Sunday.
The 19-year-old former junior world Madison track champion from Bury, near Manchester, sprinted home inches ahead of Team Raleigh rival Richard Handley at the end of the 101-mile race.
The pair had been part of a seven-rider break which had gone clear with 15 miles remaining, and they extended their lead over the final three laps of the five-mile long finishing circuit.
As they headed for the line the group of seven - which included Handley, his Team Raleigh colleague Matt Cronshaw, Motorpoint's Jonny McEvoy, Dan Craven from Rapha Condor-Sharp, Endura rider Evan Oliphant and Yates's team mate Mark Christian - split up with Yates and Handley gaining five seconds in the gallop for the line.
Behind them, Cronshaw ensured a second podium spot for Team Raleigh with third place, 12 seconds off the pace.
The day had started with Rapha Condor Sharp rider Jonathan Tiernan-Locke leading a break of four that gained nearly two minutes advantage on the large hilly loop of Fovant Down and Windwhistle. The Ryedale Grand Prix winner loves to be at the front of a race and was forcing the pace on the long climb of Fovant Down. Niklas Gustavsson (Team UK Youth), Luke Rowe (100% ME) and Sigma Sport rider Russell Hampton completed the line up but on the last lap of the long circuit the breakaways were pulled back by Team Raleigh, Endura and Motorpoint who had all missed out on the move.
The sun was out in Wilton town centre and the race had brought out large crowds to see the peloton and race convoy pass through twelve times. Onto the six laps of the finishing circuit and the race was back together.
With the difficult climbs behind them the speed was up and splits began to appear in the line of riders as attacks started off the front. The young team of 100% ME riders who are all part of the British Cycling Academy under the watchful eye of Chris Newton and Keith Lambert were in the thick of the action, with riders Simon Yates and Mark Christian being part of the winning break.
Former junior world Madison track champion Yates proved to be the best of the break with a well timed sprint to win by a convincing margin from a disappointed Richard Handley. Speaking to British Cycling afterwards Yates said he was very concerned about the older and more experienced riders in the break like Dan Craven and Evan Oliphant, but was happy he was able to use his sprint to take the win.
With series leader Ian Bibby missing out on the big points, he will have to wait until the final round - the Richmond Grand Prix next week - before bidding for the overall series victory.
Results (provisional):
1 Simon Yates (100 Per Cent ME) 3:52:02
2 Richard Handley (Team Raleigh) @ 1sec
3 Matt Cronshaw (Team Raleigh) @ 12sec
4 Russell Hampton (Sigma Sport) @ same time
5 Evan Oliphant (Endura Racing) @ 13sec
6 Mark Christian (100 Per Cent ME)
7 Dan Craven (Rapha Condor-Sharp) all @ same time
8 Luke Rowe (100 Per Cent ME) @ 1:11
9 Marcin Bialoblocki (Motorpoint Pro Cycling)
10 Tobyn Horton (Motorpoint Pro Cycling)
11 Graham Briggs (Rapha Condor-Sharp)
12 Andrew Tennant (Rapha Condor-Sharp)
13 Tom Barras (Cycle Premier-Metaltek) all @ same time
British Cycling would like to thank the organising team, officials and everyone else who helped promote this event. Our sport could not exist without the hundreds of people, many of them unpaid volunteers, who put in many hours of hard work running events, activities and clubs.
