British Cycling - Road Premier Calendar

Premier Calendar – Stockton Grand Prix 2012

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

  1. Graham Briggs                  Team Raleigh GAC
  2. Scott Thwaites                 Endura Racing
  3. Marcel Six                    Metaltek SCOTT
  4. Chris Opie                     TeamUKYouth
  5. Peter Hawkins                 IG Markets Sigma Sport
  6. Marcin Bialoblocki             Node4 Giordana Racing
  7. Ian Bibby                     Endura Racing
  8. Adam Duggleby                  Sportscover Altura RT
  9. Ben Grenda                     Rapha Condor Sharp
  10. Richard Lang                 Rapha Condor Sharp

 

Standings after Round 5

 

  1. Scott      Thwaites                    429  Endura Racing
  2. Marcin      Bialoblocki            306  Node4 – Giordana Racing
  3. 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!

 

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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…

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