Storey Shows Form Ahead Of National Time Trial & Road Race Championships In Northumberland Winning The First Stage Of The HSBC-UK British Cycling Women’s Road Series 2018 Third Round, The Northumbrian Water Alexandra Tour Of The Reservoir.
Dame Sarah Storey – Story Racing Time Trialled herself around the 65.5 mile course of Northumberland’s Derwent Water in round 3 of the HSBC-UK British Cycling Women’s Road Series the Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir. Part of a 3 rider breakaway, Storey was accompanied by Emma Cockcroft – Bianca Dama and Charmaine Porter – Cycle Team OnForm for the best part of 50 miles before Porter lost touch towards the top of the main climb of Bale Hill towards Meadows Edge leaving 2 rides at the front of the race.
Training hard recently back on her bike after giving birth to her second child – Charlie – eight months earlier said after today’s stage: “I was always going to be the Carrot – so-to-say, I need to keep putting the miles in my legs. So always the opportunity to keep pushing that form, and a bit of a weight loss programme as well. So if you are out front, then you are burning matches”. But no, I didn’t expect to win today. “I have the experience to win a bike race” she went on to say “given that opportunity. I was happy for it to come back together if the bunch did get their act together in that final lap. Equally I was ready to pounce on the last climb to win the race”.
Looking at Sarah’s schedule to get her back in shape she went on to say that I was hoping to be in reasonable shape by now ahead of next weeks Nationals. Also hoping for a good hit there too (targeting the Time Trial) which would set me up for the Para World Road Championships in early August. That would make Charlie nine-months-old. Roughly about the same time I won my first World title after (her first child) Louisa was born.
Putting money in the bank through hard training recently Sarah said that you can see where you are by doing races like this. So it’s a bit further ahead than I expected she said surprisingly. So that’s really nice.
Jo Tindley – NJC – Biemme – Echelon lit the peloton up early in lap 1 of the Reservoir circuit as over 90 riders took the start out of Edmundbyres early morning.
The main break of the day soon established with several riders trying to bridge across from the peloton. Fiona Hunter Johnston – Fushion RT – Veloperformance almost made the junction as the gap grew from 32s to over a minute across the first pass of the finish line.
Storey claimed the first Prime with Cockcroft, Porter and then Ruth Summerford – trainSharp Club and Tindley 5th. Winning the overall QOM on stage 1.
Leah Dixon – Cycle Team OnForm set about chasing the leaders as their lead extended to over two minutes second pass of the finish line.
The trio of leaders extended their lead going into the main climb, now over three minutes up.
An increase in pace from the peloton, saw the gap began to drop as they descended back towards Edmundbyers. Now down to two leaders, the middle chasing riders formed a group of five at 1m.18s and the peloton further back at 1m.55s as former Women’s Road Series winner Lizzy Banks – UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling drove the chase.
With only Illi Gardner – YRDP left chasing Storey & Cockcroft at 1m.01s the peloton sucked up the remaining riders with 9 miles to go.
Several more attacks in the final few miles came to nothing including Porter again, part of the original breakaway.
Storey made her move with 200m to go, Cockcroft finishing second. Nikki Juniper took the bunch sprint up to the finish line ensuring she remains at the head of affairs going into stage 2 on Sunday morning. This includes 2 ascends of Bale Hill, this time the opposite way round pushing the distance up to 75.7miles.
Provisional results
1. Dame Sarah Storey (Team Storey)
2. Emma Cockcroft (Bianchi Dama)
3. Nikki Juniper (NJC-Biemme-Echelon)
