Location: Cyclopark, Gravesend, Kent
Event: 10 February 2013
Report and photos: Snowdon Sports

Josh Lawless, 22, said ‘au revoir’ to English cycling with style after taking a comfortable win in event seven of the SERRL Winter Series.

The Aprire Bicycles rider worked with his team mate Harold Evans to attack the bunch to good effect until Evans had to retire.

But Lawless went on to win comfortably after outclassing Ryan Visser (Redhill CC) and Antony Buchan (Team de Vers) in the sprint.

Josh said: “We had pretty tough conditions out there today but I had a team mate with me, Harold Evans, and we helped each other out a lot. After 25 minutes, we took turns to attack and put pressure on the group.

“Unfortunately, after 45 minutes, he had to pull out with a mechanical and that left me with Ryan and Antony.

I kept putting the hammer down on cross wind sections and made them suffer a bit and then I hanged off on the back and sprinted the last part.

“It was quite comfortable, after a couple of pedals of the sprint they were sitting up so I managed to get a good gap.

“I’m going to France now to race with there for a year. I’m riding for Union Cycliste Le Haillan and next weekend is my first race there.

“I’m looking forward to a good season, and I’m hoping to do some national French races but still come back to England for the Championships and things like that.”

Results:

1/2:
1 Josh Lawless (Aprire Bicycles)
2 Ryan Visser (Redhill CC)
3 Antony Buchan (Team de Vers)
4 Ben Knapp (Dulwich Paragon)
5 Philip Murrell (Finsbury Park)

3/4:
1 Lloyd Chapman Glendene CC
2 Mat Hammond Dulwich Paragon
3 Mike Hawkins Norwood Paragon
4 Scott Gilchrist 4T+ velo
5 Andrew Snook Kingston Wheelers
6 Steven Smith Clay Cross RT
7 Stuart Clarke Rollapaluza CC
8 Brian Hennessey Redhill CC
9 Richard Bayfield London Phoenix CC
10 Simon Barnes London Dynamo
11 Simon Bennett VC Deal
12 Tom Smith CC Hackney
13 Richard Birtwhistle Sydenham Wheelers C.C.
14 Owen Macknelly San Fairy Ann Cycling
15 Daniel Fagg Brighton Mitre

Please credit www.britishcycling.org.uk and link back if you use any of our race results.

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.