British Cycling - Road Premier Calendar

Premier Calendar | The Stockton Grand Prix 2013

 

Premier Calendar Round 4 – Stockton Velo29 Grand Prix

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

The 2013 Stockton Velo29-Altura Grand Prix – Stockton-On-Tees 05th July

 

Preview

Back for the second time in Stockton-On-Tees, the British Cycling Premier Calendar Stockton Grand Prix returns. Adding this, another great venue to the popular northern half of the United Kingdom. This undulating course favours a bunch sprint. Heading north out of town, the main course soon picks-up, with a ten lap clockwise circuit of Thorpe Thewles, Carlton, Redmarshall, Whitton and brushing into Stillington. Before a brief run downhill towards the Castle Eden walkway and a loop along the old road under the old railway viaduct heading back into Thorpe Thewles.

The course then heads back towards the Riverside circuit across the Princess Of Wales bridge, past the Universities and along to the Tees Barrage roundabout and back again six times, to complete 111 miles.

 

Result

Setting off on a glorious Summers day, the riders were out of town in no time and beginning their first circuit. A group of ten riders broke free including Yanto Barker Team UK Youth, Tom Scully Team Raleigh, Michael Cummin Rapha Condor JLT and Sam Harrison100%ME and soon began clocking up the laps. They had just over forty seconds in the early stages, and almost came back together climbing out of Thorpe Thewles on lap five.

After some hard chasing the group re-formed in the last few circuits before another group of around seventeen broke free. With forty seconds advantage again, two chasers were trying to bridge the gap, and the peleton began to splinter.

Heading back into town and across the Princess Of Wales bridge for the first circuit was Team UK Youth’s Ian Wilkinson leading a group of thirteen riders, including last years winner Graham Briggs. It looked like Team Raleigh had played their cards right and positioned themselves for continental style lead-out. The circuit finish had changed from last year, so instead of finishing very fast down hill off the bridge, and a short straight, the finish was on the oppersite side of the duel carriageway so a couple of hundred meters of flat sprinting would be required either side.

Node4 Giordana’s Mike Northey was the first to make a bid for glory and led most of the short circuits through the Universities picking up the sprint prize along the way. But the frenzy for a sprint finish saw Team UK Youth’s “Superman” Ian Wilkinson beat Team Raleigh’s Graham Briggs and Evan Oliphant across the line and clinch the victory. Local lad Herbalife Leisure Lakes Bike’s Harry Tanfield finished a respectable sixth.

 

Senior Result

  1. .Ian Wilkinson                                     Team UK Youth                     100 points
  2. .Graham Briggs                                   Team Raleigh
  3. .Evan Oliphant                                    Team Raleigh
  4. .Ben Stockwell                                     Metaltek Knights of Old
  5. .Peter Williams                                    Team IG-Sigma Sport
  6. .Harry Tanfield                                   Herbalife Leisure Lakes Bike
  7. .Mike Northey                                     Node4 Giordana
  8. .Tom Stewart                                       Team Raleigh
  9. .Tobyn Horton                                    Team UK Youth
  10. .Simon Yates                                       100%ME

 

Standings After Round 4

 

  1. .Evan Oliphant                        Team Raleigh              246 points
  2. .Tom Stewart                          Team Raleigh              227
  3. .Chris Opie                              Team UK Youth         146
  4. .Peter Hawkins                        Team IG-Sigma Sport 139
  5. .Mike Northey                         Node4 Giordana         115
  6. .Marcin Bialobloki                  Team UK Youth         114
  7. .Niklas Gustavsson                 Team UK Youth         111
  8. .Peter Williams                        Team IG-Sigma Sport 102
  9. .Peter Kennaugh                     Isle Of Man                 100
  10.  .Dean Downing                       Madison Genesis         100

 

The next event in the Premier Calendar is the penultimate round, the Grand Prix of Wales on the 14th July.

Flickr Photo Set (Look)

Facebook Pictures Updated (Look)

Official Results from (British Cycling)

Special Thanks to Race Director Geoffrey Lloyd for Media Access.

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