Premier Calendar – Stockton Grand Prix 2012
Author: Chris Maher, Pictures Courtesy of Chris Maher | Photography
Stockton Festival of Cycling 08th July 2012
Preview
Stockon-On-Tees provides the backdrop to the penultimate Premier Calendar cycling road race event in the 2012 season. This inaugural event for Velo29, set along the riverside, is part of a weekends program celebrating a Festival of Cycling.
Starting off on the Friday night. The National Criterium Circuit Race was held on a 1.4km course on the High Street. This was followed by various Cycle Sportives on the Saturday venturing into the nearby North Yorkshire Moors. Finishing the event on Sunday was a selection of support events aimed at different abilities, along with a Go Sky Ride mass closed circuit pedal around the riverside course. Finally the Premier Calendar Stockton Grand Prix headed out of Stockton North Westerly and onto a seven lap undulating circuit passing through Carlton, Thorpe Thewles, Witton and Redmarshall before returning to the riverside circuit of six lap and a possible bunch sprint.
Race
One hundred and nine riders set off on the ninety seven mileStocktonGrand Prix. Dry conditions after a rain soaked Criterium on the Friday night saw a small break away form heading onto the first of the seven circuits. An error by one of the marshals saw the race black flagged and brought to a halt as the peleton failed to take a left hand turn. Once reformed, the leaders set off with the peleton in pursuit.
Team Raleigh GAC fired a couple of men off at the close of the first lap. This soon came back together for lap two. Metaltek Scott then tried to escape on the hillier rear side of the circuit before once again getting reeled in. Grant Ferguson of Boardman Bikes then made a bid for glory to hold a maximum lead of 45 seconds for a lap or two getting chased down by 100% ME and Team Raleigh GAC’s Evan Opliphant. As this break came back together, a nine man group formed to pick up the lead with most teams represented.
Approaching the final laps of the main circuit, 100% ME’s George Atkins managed a twenty second lead on the peleton, before once more a four man breakaway of Yanto Barker, Bernie Sulzburger, Iker Camano Ortuzar and Tom Moses lead them back on the run into the Riverside circuit.
The pace was fast and furious over the six laps around to the University and back again. Approaching the final two circuits, four men had a seven second lead, but the sprint teams of Metaltek Scott, Team Raleigh GAC and Endura Racing were forming behind them and the final push was on.
Team Raleigh GAC’s Graham Briggs outsprinted Endura Racings Scott Thwaites into victory for this round of the Premier Calendar, breaking Endura Racing’s domination of the series so far. Metaltek Scott’s Marcel Six came a close third followed by the main remnants of the peleton.
Race Results
- Graham Briggs Team Raleigh GAC
- Scott Thwaites Endura Racing
- Marcel Six Metaltek SCOTT
- Chris Opie TeamUKYouth
- Peter Hawkins IG Markets Sigma Sport
- Marcin Bialoblocki Node4 Giordana Racing
- Ian Bibby Endura Racing
- Adam Duggleby Sportscover Altura RT
- Ben Grenda Rapha Condor Sharp
- Richard Lang Rapha Condor Sharp
Standings after Round 5
- Scott Thwaites 429 Endura Racing
- Marcin Bialoblocki 306 Node4 – Giordana Racing
- Russell Downing 275 Endura Racing
Going into the final round. It has been confirmed that this years Champion is Scott Thwaites of Endura Racing who has amassed enough of a lead to be untouchable. Well done to Scott Thwaites…
British Cycling | Premier Calendar 2012 Series
01 April Maldon Dengie (Essex)
08-09 April Tour Doon Hame – 3Day
06 May Tour Of the Reservoir
13 May Lincoln Grand Prix
01 July Beaumont Trophy
08 July Stockton Festival of Cycling
12 August Wilton Grand Prix (Event Cancelled due to pressure by the police and their Olympic commitment)
Standings as per Stockton Festival of Cycling… The Next Event is in 2013!
Flickr Photo’s (View)
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British Cycling Reports (View) & You Tube Videos (Watch)
Friday Nights Elite Criterium Photo’s on Facebook (View)
Thanks to Geoffrey Lloyd for access over the weekend…
