Premier Calendar | The Stockton Grand Prix 2013

Ian Wilkinson leads the front of the race across the Princess of Wales bridge… to start the riverside circuits.

Team UK Youth’s “Superman” Ian Wilkinson wins the bunch sprint on the Riverside

Team Raleigh across the Princess of Wales Bridge with the Millenium Bridge in the background… on the River Tees

Premier Calendar 2013 Velo29 – Altura Stockton Grand Prix…

Plenty of fluids on this hot summers day… And a helping hand

Chasing peleton reeling the escapees in…

Leading group still ahead, but chasing peleton getting closer…

Chasing Peleton in the early stages of the race…

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