Location: Braithwell, Rotherham, South Yorkshire
Event: 25 August 2013
Report: Snowdon Sports/Julie Rodman
Local knowledge paid dividends for Graham Briggs (Team Raleigh) as he sprinted to victory at the head of a four-man break in South Yorkshire.
Recovering from a first-lap puncture, 30-year-old Briggs – from nearby Doncaster – took the verdict ahead of Mike Northey (Node4 Giordana Racing), Ryan Mullen (Team IG-Sigma Sport) and Alistair Rutherford (Wheelbase Altura MGD) after ten laps of a circuit based on Braithwell, near Rotherham.
Overcast conditions did not detract from an excellent promotion by Out of the Saddle RC which drew a quality field of 57 riders.
Attacks started as soon as the was de-neutralised and by the end of the first lap a lead group had established and had an advantage of 39 seconds with all the top team represented.
After 21 miles, averaging 27mph, a group of 16 riders had a lead of 1-26 and contained Briggs, former winner Pete Williams (Team IG-Sigma Sport), Jon Dibben (100% ME), Node 4 riders Northey, Roman Van Uden, Nathan Edmundson and Richard Hepworth, IG-Sigma Sport’s, Mullan, James Moss and George Harper, Wheelbase Altura MGD duo Tom Barras and Rutherford, James Simpson (Herbalife) and Ian Wilkinson (Team UK Youth).
They were joined a lap later by five others and with all the places for points taken and teams represented, the lead stretched out from 2:05 to 3:43.
With four laps to go the leaders split under various attacks, leaving a dozen at the front and working well together with the pressure definitely on from Node4 Giordana and IG-Sigma Sport.
Two chasing riders got to within 43 seconds two laps out, but Briggs and Dibben had other ideas and with constant attacks made sure the leaders stayed clear.
The small rises over the motorway and increasing wind were taking a toll, and on lap 12 Rutherford, Mullen, Northey and Briggs moved clear as the leading group split.
Briggs and Northey broke clear on the run to the finish on the edge of Braithwell with Briggs comfortably taking the sprint, raising his arms aloft, and Mullen getting the better of Rutherford for third with Williams leading in the rest around half a minute later.
Result:
1 Graham Briggs (Team Raleigh) 2:51:39
2 Mike Northey (Node 4 Giordana Racing)
3 Ryan Mullen (Team IG-Sigma Sport)
4 Alistair Rutherford (Wheelbase Altura MGD) all same time
5 Pete Williams (Team IG-Sigma Sport)
6 Roman van Ouden (Node4 Giordana Racing)
7 Rob Partridge (Team UK Youth)
8 Jonathan Dibben (100%ME)
9 Tom Barras (Wheelbase Altura MGD)
10 James Moss (Team IG-Sigma Sport)
11 Nathan Edmondson (Node4 Giordana Racing)
12 Dan Barry (Node4 Giordana Racing)
13 Ian Wilkinson (Team UK Youth)
14 James Sampson (Herbalife-Leisure Lakes Bikes.com)
15 Matt Cronshaw (Team IG-Sigma Sport)
16 George Harper (Team-IG Sigma Sport)
17 Rich Hepworth (Node4 Giordana Racing)
18 Dave Shackleton (Wilson Wheels)
19 Matt Holmes (Team Raleigh)
20 Sam Lowe (100% ME)
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