Pearl Izumi | Tour Series – Durham 2013

Race one winner Yanto Barker (L) & Ian Bibby (C)

Neutral Lap starts the 2013 Pearl Izumi Tour Series in Durham

Race Winner Kristian House watching all the moves

Pearl Izumi Red Jersey Team Leaders – Team Raleigh

Pearl Izumi Tour Series 2013

Round 2 – Durham – 16^th May

Author: Chris Maher, Pictures courtesy of: Chris Maher | Photography

The Tour Series cycle race returns for its 5^th year. This fast & furious city centre circuit race is played out twice a week over 11 rounds starting in Kirkcaldy, Fife & finishing in Ipswich on the 14^th June.

This season we have 10 teams of 5 men, challenging for the (Pearl Izumi) Tour Trophy. Although local guest teams will fill out the field. The race is run over an hour and five laps, with three Costa Express Sprints per round. There is a stage winner, but the Team who collects the most points by finishing three of their men closest to the top as possible will win the (Tour) Series trophy. The leading Team were the Red Pearl Izumi leaders jerseys. This is a Team event, so finishing the event will prove crucial as the points amass towards the final rounds.

What’s new?

The second round is back in the city of Durham. This demanding & technical circuit is probably the most physically challenging of the series once more. With cobbled streets, acute corners & a steep 1:6 climb, the course twists & turns through narrowed sections. Not only will the riders strength play a part, but also the mechanical reliance of their machines riding over these harsh road surfaces. This year and for this round only, because of the amount of lapped riders and mechanical failures last year, they will be no time or laps out. If you puncture you will have to get a wheel from one of the two available pits and chase back to the race leaders to win. This is going to be difficult unless you are really close to the pits. Lapped or non essential team members will be removed in the final five laps to assist the officials and speed up the points process at the end of the race.

The Race.

The 1.4 kilometre circuit race got underway as usual at 7.00pm with a sighting lap. The course was dry this year so not so many crashes. The early laps saw a steady ride around this clockwise circuit, but still at a pace that put many riders under pressure. Team Raleigh in the Red Leaders Jerseys marshalled the front of the race as riders began to put pressure on at the front. It was Raleigh’s Evan Oliphant that took the lead going into the first sprint lap, but lasts years winner Rapha Condor JLT’s Kristian House charged up the cobbled climb and into the start/ finish straight a claim the first five points on offer for the evening. Team mate to House, Olympic Champion Ed Clancy dropped into a chasing group that finished a lap down by the end of the night.

The race settled down once again as around thirty or so riders formed the leading bunch. Round One race winner Team UK Youth’s Yanto Barker had mechanical issues and dropped out of the leading bunch. Although he chased around the circuit several times, he eventually retired. The pace was kept high again with help from Team UK Youth and back markers were already been lapped. As the second Sprint Lap approached Team Raleigh’s Tom Scully attacked on the cobbled climb. He was quickly followed by House and Team UK Youth’s Niklas Gustavsson and the three went clear. It was Scully that took Sprint Two with House picking up another four points. Round One Gold Sprint Jersey Winner, Node4 Giordana’s Mike Northey was left to pick up the pace and chase the escapee’s. As the bunch once again re-formed, Madison Genesis’s Andrew Tennant went on the attack. The group once again re-formed, but team mate Ian Bibby took up the pace and began to break free close to sprint lap number three.

House once again responded and soon bridged the gap to join Bibby. House collected the final five points of the Costa Express Sprint competition to claim the Gold Jersey on the evening. The duo began to see daylight between themselves and the chasing group, but Bibby couldn’t hold House’s relentless pace and eventually dropped back into the bunch. Kristian House took his second consecutive win in Durham, realising his all important Team Mates were further back in the field. It was Team Raleigh that stuck together throughout the race that won the main event on the evening.

Standings After Durham

Team Raleigh 20
Team UK Youth 16
Madison Genesis 15
Node4 Giordana Racing 15
Rapha Condor JLT 14
MG Maxifuel 8
Metaltek – Knights of Old 7
Team Hope Factory Racing 7
Team IG Sigma Sport 6
Spin Roto – Primal – C-Originals 2

Durham Race Top 10

Kristian House Rapha Condor JLT
Tobyn Horton Team UK Youth
Roman Van Uden Node4 – Giordana Racing
Andrew Tennant Madison Genesis
Tom Scully Team Raleigh*
Evan Oliphant Team Raleigh*
Lachlan Norris Team Raleigh*
Ian Bibby Madison Genesis
Steve Lampier Node4 – Giordana Racing
Richard Handley Rapha Condor JLT

Round 1 – May 14^th – Kirkcaldy

Team UK Youth’s Yanto Barker wins the race

Team Raleigh are the first Team to pull on the Pearl Izumi Tour Series Red Jerseys.

Team Raleigh 10
Team UK Youth 9
Rapha Condor JLT 8

Round 2 – May 17^th – Durham

See Above.

Round 3 – May 21st – Stoke-On-Trent

Team UK Youth’s Yanto Barker wins the race.

Team UK Youth 10
Madison Genesis 9
Rapha Condor JLT 8

Team UK Youth take over the Pearl Izumi Tour Series Red Leaders Jerseys with 26 points

Natalie Creswick wins the Women’s Johnson Health Tech Grand Prix.

Round 4 – May 24th – Aberystwyth

Rapha Condor JLT’s Ed Clancy wins the race.

Team UK Youth 10
Madison Genesis 9
Rapha Condor JLT 8

Team UK Youth retain their Pearl Izumi Tour Series Red Leaders Jerseys with 36 points

Round 5 – May 28th – Torquay

Rapha Condor JLT’s Ed Clancy wins the race.

Team UK Youth 10
Rapha Condor JLT 9
Madison Genesis 8

Team UK Youth extend their lead so far to hold the Tour Series Red Leaders Jerseys with 46 points.

Round 6 – May 30^th – Colchester

Team UK Youth’s Jon Mould wins the race.

Team UK Youth 10
Team Raleigh 9
Node4 Giordana 8

Team UK Youth extend their lead further with a fourth consecutive win. Now at 56 points.

MG Maxifuel’s Hannah Barnes wins the Women’s Johnson Health Tech Grand Prix.

Round 7 – June 04^th – Redditch

Team Raleigh’s Tom Scully wins the race.

Metaltek – Knights of Old 10
Team Raleigh 9
Node4 Giordana 8

Team UK Youth retain their Tour Series Red Jerseys after finishing fourth with 63 points.

MG Maxifuel’s Hannah Barnes wins the Women’s Johnson Health Tech Grand Prix to lead with the Series with 27 points.

Round 8 – June 06th – Canary Wharf

Team UK Youth’s Chris Opie wins the race.

Team UK Youth 10
Node4 Giordana 9
Rapha Condor JLT 8

Team UK Youth extend their lead again and now have 73 points. Team Raleigh in second place have 63 points, whilst Madison Genesis in third place have 61 points.

Round 9 – June 11th – Woking

?? wins the race