Drops fall whilst Ambitions have risen!
Claire Rose, Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa wins round three in Stoke-on-Trent from the bunch sprint some twelve seconds behind with Nikki Juniper taking second as-we-reach the midway point in the 2016 Matrix Fitness Grand Prix.
After an incident packed race around the drag-to one-point-four-kilometre town-centre-circuit that saw Emily Kay, Team Breeze and Sarah Bradford, Team Jadan-Weldtite clip the barriers on the first full lap, others coming off through-out the race and Points Jersey holder Annasley Park, Team Breeze and Nicola Moerig, Podium Ambition sliding out on the penultimate lap, it was a race of nerves for the girls.
A slight split in the early stages of the race were brought back together on the run-up to the first sprint of the evening with around thirty riders making the lead group.
National Criterium Champion Nikki Juniper took to the head of the field in the drag-to the finish line making sure she was in front of the green sprinters jersey of Annasley Park, second over the line.
Claire Rose took over the front of the field soon after, showing signs that Podium Ambition wanted to get something out of this round as they made their way through back markers along the way.
Nicola Moerig, Podium Ambition took over the front on the run-up to the second sprint with a nine-rider lead group going away.
Juniper went from the bottom corner up to the finish line once more, with Park resigning to second place again in the second sprint of the day.
More importantly in the Team Competition, Podium Ambition had four girls in this nine-man group, Grace Garner and Dame Sarah Storey joining the back of the group. Team Breeze had Park and Haley Jones, whilst Leaders Drops had Alice Barnes and Annie Simpson.
With less than two laps remaining Park and Moerig went down and Storey got caught behind them. This left only six riders in the leading group.
Passing over the start/ finish line for the bell lap, Rose powered away to the top corner thinking Garner was following. Looking behind her, she had a significant lead and decided to continue pushing hard all the way to the line.
The five chasers were ten seconds behind with Juniper taking the bunch kick.
The third Podium Ambition’s rider over the line in sixth was Storey, who was caught in no-mans-land. Fending off the final group finish, Storey had a minuets lead and team-mate Lauren Creamer eleventh position finish put Podium Ambition’s tally at one-hundred-and-three, claiming the Best Team Award on the night, moving them ahead of Team Breeze and into second place, behind Drops, who retain the overall.
Nikki Juniper had done enough to become the new Points Leader going Round Four in Stevenage on the Monday, with Croydon on the Tuesday and finally the last round in Portsmouth on Thursday 9th June everything was still to play for.
Individual Race Results for Stoke-On-Trent
1 10 Claire Rose Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 0:44:12.821
2 180 Nikki Juniper Team Ford Ecoboost 0:44:24.718
3 100 Alice Barnes Drops Cycling Team 0:44:24.750
4 3 Grace Garner Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 0:44:24.946
5 109 Annie Simpson Drops Cycling Team 0:44:26.913
6 142 Hayley Jones Team Breeze 0:44:27.955
7 12 Dame Sarah Storey Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 0:44:47.236
8 182 Charlotte Broughton Team Ford Ecoboost 0:45:49.677
9 255 Charlotte Alston Team 22 0:45:49.745
10 20 Lydia Boylan Team WNT 0:45:49.843
Team Results on the Night
1 Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 103
2 Drops Cycling Team 81
3 Team Ford Ecoboost 74
4 Team WNT 62
5 Team Breeze 59
6 Boot Out Breast Cancer Cycling Club 39
7 Sunsport Velo 27
8 Velo Schils – Interbike RT 23
9 Aprire HSS Hire 18
10 Team Jadan-Weldtite 10
11 Team Footon Velosport 6
Overall after Round Three
1 Drops Cycling Team 268
2 Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 255
3 Team Breeze 230
4 Team Ford Ecoboost 214
5 Team WNT 185
6 Sunsport Velo 97
7 Boot Out Breast Cancer Cycling Club 79
8 Aprire HSS Hire 62
9 Velo Schils – Interbike RT 56
10 Team Jadan-Weldtite 23
11 Team Footon Velosport 6
Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series Wrap Up
Tying up the final three rounds of the 2016 Matrix Fitness Grand Prix firstly was a visit to Stevenage. The one-kilometre course is primarily a flat two ended course with long straights. A fast race was in the order.
Starting off altogether across the line on the first lap, the peloton soon become some-what strung-out into a long line. A blow-out from a front tyre from Hayley Jones, Team Breeze put pay to her assault on the Team Prize, disrupting the long line of riders behind her.
Lydia Boylan, Team WNT out-sprinted Nikki Juniper for the first Points on offer, with Drops Rebecca Durrell third in-the-mix too.
Alice Barnes goes after bridging a gap to a couple of leading riders, sails past them and continues solo, collecting the second sprint on the day with almost a minuets lead on the rest of the field. Juniper second and Gabrielle Shaw, Podium Ambitions third. Nikki Juniper wins the sprints on the night along with the Green Jersey.
One-Two-Three for Drops Cycling! Sprinting from the bottom corner Rebecca Durrell and Laura Massey bring it home. Winning the Team Competition on the night, Drops extend their lead by fifty-three points clear of Podium Ambitions on 329 points and Team Ford Ecoboost move up into third with 294 points.
The penultimate round in Croydon on the following evening is essentially a rectangle one-kilometre circuit. Through the centre of the town, the course was a bit slippy and rain had fell earlier in the day.
Grace Garner, Podium Ambition was the first to rider away from the peloton and went on the win the first Sprint Points away-out-in-front. Juniper was second in a powerful kick along with Barnes reeled Garner back as the lead group came back together.
Juniper kicks again for Sprint two, team-mate Charlotte Broughton second and Barnes third. Juniper wins the Sprint Competition on the night extending her lead.
An eleven rider group formed towards the back-end-of-the-race with all the usual players in the front group. A strong performance from Neah Evans, Scotland Cycling Team, Beth Crumpton, Boot Out Breast Cancer and Louise Laker, Aprire HSS Hire saw them mixing in at the front end of the race to.
Neah Evens led the group over the line for the bell lap as the girls prepared themselves for the final bunch sprint.
Drops had three girls in the bunch, but Boylan, Team WNT positioned herself on the front for the final corner. A powerful kick from Grace Garner, Podium Ambition took the victory a clear two-bike-lengths ahead of Barnes, Juniper third.
Another Team result for Drops Cycling with Ford Ecoboost a close second and one point down, Podium Ambition. Drops extend their lead to fifty-six points ahead of Podium Ambition for the final round in Portsmouth on June 09th.
A technical one-point-two kilometre course welcomed the riders for the grand final in Portsmouth.
A sunny day with double points on offer meant a lot still to play for. Nikki Juniper had the Green Sprinters Jersey sewn-up, a notable absence from the field was Alice Barnes, Drops Cycling who was her closest rival for the jersey and Annasley Park, Team Breeze, whom led in the earlier rounds.
The field held together for the first Sprint. Juniper, Garner and Boylan in that order.
The three push on, stringing the field right out, but still staying together the imputes drops.
Second in the Redditch round, Jessica Roberts, LIV Cycling Club – Epic Coaching decided to up-the-pace. Broughton and Team Breeze try to follow but a gap is already opened. Concentrating on the Team Classification, Roberts pushes off on her own, still a long way to the finish-line.
Roberts collects the final Points in the Series, Juniper second back in the bunch and Garner third, marking her move across the line.
A three rider group form off the front on the main group, Elizebeth-Jane Harris, Podium Ambition, Jo Tindlay, Team WNT and Charlotte Broughton, Team Ford Ecoboost. Team Breeze are left to chase it down with Emily Nelson doing all the hard work into the bell lap.
Roberts wins the race by twenty-seconds and the pace by the chasing bunch increases significantly on the run-up-to-the-line. A disaster for Drops as Rebecca Durrell slides out leaving Lucy Shaw driving the bunch. Garner is in close pursuit and Juniper trying to hang-on.
Garner sweeps past the three chasers on the road on the final corner, and that is enough for her to win the Individual Title for the Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series.
EJ Harris finishes third for Podium Ambitions with Gabriella Shaw’s eighth giving them the final Team win on the night and stealing the overall Series Victory from Drops Cycling, whom had led through-out the six-round event starting back in Motherwell.
Team Classification for Round 6
1 Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 204
2 Team Ford Ecoboost 166
3 Team WNT 140
4 Drops Cycling Team 118
5 Team Breeze 98
6 Team Jadan-Weldtite 66
7 Sunsport Velo 48
8 Aprire HSS Hire 36
9 Boot Out Breast Cancer Cycling Club 2
Team Overall Classification for Round 6
1 Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 623
2 Drops Cycling Team 593
3 Team Ford Ecoboost 551
4 Team WNT 441
5 Team Breeze 409
6 Sunsport Velo 166
7 Boot Out Breast Cancer Cycling Club 153
8 Team Jadan-Weldtite 147
9 Aprire HSS Hire 137
10 Velo Schils – Interbike RT 76
11 Team Footon Velosport 5
Sprints Overall Classification at Round 6
1 180 Nikki Juniper Team Ford Ecoboost 45
2 100 Alice Barnes Drops Cycling Team 28
3 147 Annasley Park Team Breeze 24
4 3 Grace Garner Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 22
5 20 Lydia Boylan Team WNT 8
Individual Round Classification for Portsmouth
1 235 Jessica Roberts Liv Cycling Club – Epic Coaching 0:47:37.197 27 80
2 3 Grace Garner Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa0:47:57.174 27 76
3 6 Elizabeth-Jane Harris Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa0:47:57.700 27 72
4 27 Jo Tindley Team WNT 0:47:58.068 27 68
5 182 Charlotte Broughton Team Ford Ecoboost 0:47:58.659 27 64
6 108 Lucy Shaw Drops Cycling Team 0:47:59.313 27 60
7 180 Nikki Juniper Team Ford Ecoboost 0:48:00.425 27 58
8 11 Gabriella Shaw Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa0:48:00.765 27 56
9 228 Clemence Copie Les Filles Racing Team 0:48:00.788 27 54
10 237 Harriet Owen Matrix Fitness 0:48:03.313 27 52
11 161 Verena Eberhardt Team Footon Velosport 0:48:03.501 27 50
12 105 Laura Massey Drops Cycling Team 0:48:03.664 27 48
13 44 Rhona Callander Team Jadan-Weldtite 0:48:03.848 27 46
14 187 Charline Joiner Team Ford Ecoboost 0:48:04.481 27 44
15 20 Lydia Boylan Team WNT 0:48:04.737 27 42
16 142 Hayley Jones Team Breeze 0:48:05.327 27 40
17 5 Bethany Hayward Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa0:48:05.510 27 38
18 65 Louise Laker Aprire HSS Hire 0:48:06.042 27 36
19 205 Alice Sharpe Sunsport Velo 0:48:06.423 27 34
20 148 Emiy Nelson Team Breeze 0:48:06.959 27 3
Individual Overall Classification
1 3 Grace Garner Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 233
2 180 Nikki Juniper Team Ford Ecoboost 218
3 182 Charlotte Broughton Team Ford Ecoboost 195
4 20 Lydia Boylan Team WNT 184
5 11 Gabriella Shaw Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 158
6 100 Alice Barnes Drops Cycling Team 152
7 228 Clemence Copie Les Filles Racing Team 145
8 142 Hayley Jones Team Breeze 144
9 27 Jo Tindley Team WNT 141
10 187 Charline Joiner Team Ford Ecoboost 126
11 205 Alice Sharpe Sunsport Velo 119
12 235 Jessica Roberts Liv Cycling Club – Epic Coaching 118
13 105 Laura Massey Drops Cycling Team 118
14 65 Louise Laker Aprire HSS Hire 115
15 6 Elizabeth-Jane Harris Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 113
16 103 Rebecca Durrell Drops Cycling Team 100
17 108 Lucy Shaw Drops Cycling Team 94
18 147 Annasley Park Team Breeze 92
19 5 Bethany Hayward Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 90
20 143 Emily Kay Team Breeze 89
21 44 Rhona Callander Team Jadan-Weldtite 89
22 109 Annie Simpson Drops Cycling Team 87
23 237 Harriet Owen Matrix Fitness 86
24 243 Neah Evans Scotland Cycling Team 76
25 120 Lou Bates Velo Schils – Interbike RT 76
26 24 Natalie Grinczer Team WNT 73
27 160 Madison Campbell Team Footon Velosport 71
28 161 Verena Eberhardt Team Footon Velosport 71
29 85 Kelly Murphy Boot Out Breast Cancer Cycling Club 70
30 81 Bethany Crumpton Boot Out Breast Cancer Cycling Club 67
31 148 Emiy Nelson Team Breeze 63
32 140 Megan Barker Team Breeze 59
33 28 Hannah Walker Team WNT 53
34 2 Lauren Creamer Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 52
35 110 Abi Van Twisk Drops Cycling Team 49
36 183 Henrietta Colborne Team Ford Ecoboost 47
37 238 Corrine Hall Matrix Fitness 44
38 10 Claire Rose Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa
40 = 256 Eileen Roe Lares Waowdeals
40 40 231 Laura Greenhalgh Les Filles Racing Team
40 41 255 Charlotte Alston Team 22 39
42 102 Ellie Dickinson Drops Cycling Team 32
43 47 Jenny Holl Team Jadan-Weldtite 30
44 12 Dame Sarah Storey Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 29
45 188 Adele Martin Team Ford Ecoboost 28
46 145 Manon Lloyd Team Breeze 28
47 245 Sian Botteley Starley Racing 28
48 41 Sarah Bradford Team Jadan-Weldtite 27
49 184 Julie Erskine Team Ford Ecoboost 27
50 104 Jennifer George Drops Cycling Team 25
51 111 Becky Womersley Drops Cycling Team 23
52 4 Amy Gornall Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 22
53 163 Suzetta Guerrini Team Footon Velosport 19
= 203 Josie Knight Sunsport Velo 19
55 8 Nicola Moerig Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 17
56 107 Hannah Payton Drops Cycling Team 16
57 68 Gemma Sargent Aprire HSS Hire 16
58 87 Bethany Taylor Boot Out Breast Cancer Cycling Club 15
59 204 Claire Mcllwaine Sunsport Velo 12
60 106 Rose Osbourne Drops Cycling Team 11
61 206 Maddy Scott Sunsport Velo 9
62 233 Nicole Oh Les Filles Racing Team 8
63 181 Melissa Brand Team Ford Ecoboost 8
64 221 Lauren Humphreys Bonito Squadra Corse 6
65 61 Lucy Chittenden Aprire HSS Hire 5
= 222 Maxine Filby Cannondale Girls 5
67 201 Anouska Edwards Sunsport Velo 4
68 208 Genevieve Whitson Sunsport Velo 3
69 186 Lizzie Holden Team Ford Ecoboost 2
70 62 Aoife Doherty Aprire HSS Hire 1
71 46 Annabel Fisher Team Jadan-Weldtite 1
= 84 Nikola Matthews Boot Out Breast Cancer Cycling Club 1
Official Results are on The Tour Series Website
Thanks to Pete & Grace for media access through-out the Series.
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