Location: Harworth, Doncaster
Event: 22 September 2013
Report: Julie Rodman/Snowdon Sports
Paul Newton led home a Derby Mercury one-two as he and team-mate Jon Bonnett occupied the top two steps of the podium in the Doncaster Wheelers Autumn Road Race.
As the local road race season winds down, the race was held around the famous training grounds of Tom Simpson's home village of Harworth.
The riders signed on with the magnificent back drop of Tom's memorabilia in a glass case behind them.
It was a firm reminder of the talent of the man and subsequent riders that had emerged from the region.
The sun came out and caught the riders by surprise so the leg warmers were put away and they enjoyed riding in the autumnal sunshine on a nice clear day.
The small Serlby circuit certainly made the riders work for the well deserved points. With sight lines clear on the course, not many riders could get away and as soon as a break occurred, they were soon brought back again.
The first break came on the third lap with David Warrinder (York Cylceworks) and Mark Walker (Hull Thursday) gaining 23 seconds but these were to be brought back within the lap. The small rises on the course were certainly having an effect on the riders.
Martin, the organiser, made it more interesting by offering cash prizes as primes shown to the bunch by a whistle and him dangling a carrot at the side of the road.
The riders delivered with Adam Birsall (Hargreaves Cycles) taking the first one before he cruelly punctured out of the industrial estate.
The second prime went to local rider Martin Wheeldon (Doncaster Wheelers) and the third went to Peter Anderson (Elite CC).
With the third prime being won and riders looking at each other, Chris Last (Clay Cross RT) decided that he was best out on his own at the front and he attacked out of the industrial estate.
After the miles in his legs from recently being part of the winning team taking part in the race around Ireland, he certainly had the endurance for the win.
As the bell was rung, Chris' lead was reduced to eight seconds with three riders driving to get across to him.
Derby Mercury riders Paul Newton and Jon Bonnett, along with Martin Wheeldon, connected on the Blythe Road 2km from the finish. With the team mates working well to out-jump and out-manoeuvre the other riders, it was Derby Mercury's for the taking.
They didn't disappoint with Paul Newton taking the win from team mate Jon Bonnett in second, just holding off local Rotherham rider Chris Last who got third from Martin Wheeldon, the promoting clubs rider, in fourth.
Two riders came over for fifth and sixth - Paul Stubbs (Ferryhill Wheelers) and promising rider Tom Davison of Wakefield CC.
Andrew Richardson, who recovered from his crash the other week, won the bunch sprint for seventh place.
It was an excellently organised event by Martin Maltby and the Doncaster Wheelers team with friendly, smiling marshals and NEG out riders were worth their weight in gold, patrolling everything that moved.
The judging was spot on and the riders could go back and celebrate with a well deserved pint at the finish.
Results:
1 Paul Newton (Derby Mercury)
2 Jon Bonnett (Derby Mercury)
3 Chris Last (Clay Cross RT)
4 Chris Thompson (VS Cycles)
5 Paul Stubbs (Ferryhill Wheelers)
6 Tom Davison (Wakefield CC)
7 Andrew Richardson (VS Cycles)
8 Martin Wheeldon (Doncaster Wheelers)
9 Jon Harvey (Dinnington RC)
10 Jon Savage (Clifton CC)
11 Stuart Bannister (West Yorkshire Police)
12 Paul Hickman (Malton Wheelers)
13 Matthew Williams Jones (University of Sheffield CC)
14 Mark Scratchard (Dirtwheels)
15 Adam Smith (Beeston RC)
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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.
