HSBC-UK British Cycling Spring Cup 2017 Round 1 | Klondike GP
02 April 2017 – Words & Images by Chris Maher
Hoping to carry his winning streak forward, Team WIGGINS Chris Latham takes the win in the inaugural new Klondike GP, the opening race in the 2017 HSBC-UK British Cycling Spring Cup.
Latham travels to Hong Kong next weekend for the UCI Track World Championships April 12-16th missing round two of the four-race early season openers in the Spring Cup Series which moves South to Louth in Lincolnshire for the Tour of the Wolds another new edition.
A large crowd had assembled on Guisborough High Street to watch the one-hundred-and-forty rides get away on the one-hundred-and-forty-nine kilometre race at twelve-noon.
No sooner had the race officially started and a pile-up on the run-in-to Carlin How saw the race halted before re-starting some fifteen minutes later.
Riding in an anti-clockwise direction the race re-joined the A171 Whitby Road near Scaling Dam before heading back down to the coast and north bound towards Saltburn-by-the-Sea.
Three rides went free Sam Harrison for Team WIGGINS, Dan Fleeman for Metaltek Kuota Racing Team and Charlie Tanfield for Brother NRG Driverplan quickly establishing forty-four seconds before joining forces.
As the gap grew to around a minute, Matt Holmes for Madison Genesis bridged across for the second lap and they extended their lead to over five minutes at one point.
Approaching the final lap, a matter of urgency saw the time drop below two minutes advantage before Matt Holmes was the only rider left out front.
The course, a tough start to the season according to local lad Harry Tanfield dwindled the Peloton by half and an attack by Hayden McCormick for One Pro Cycling on the run in was joined by Alistair Slater for JLT Condor, Liam Holohan for Metaltek Kuota Racing Team and Taylor Gunman for Madison Genesis.
With only a few kilometres remaining it looked like a bunch sprint was inevitable with the victory going to Chris Latham by a narrow margin.
Race won in 3.59.16
1: Chris Latham Team WIGGINS
2: Enrique Sanz Team Raleigh GAC
3: Harry Tanfield Bike Channel Canyon
4: George Harper One Pro Cycling
5: George Pym Metaltek Kuota Racing Team
6: Sam Lowe Bike Channel Canyon
7: Jacob Tipper Brother NRG Driverplan
8: Zachery May Metaltek Kuota Racing Team U23
9: Tobyn Horton Madison Genesis
10: Hayden McCormick One Pro Cycling
U23: Zac May Metaltek Kuota Racing Team
KOM: Charlie Tanfield Brother NRG Driverplan
Official Results by British Cycling
Official Klondike GP Website