Julie Erskine secures their first HSBC-UK Women’s Road Series victory for Cycle Team OnForm winning the 2017 edition of the Curlew Cup in Northumberland.
Chanel Mason defended her National Women’s Road Series lead as four rider’s contest the final run to the finish line.
Sprinting into view with two-hundred metres remaining, Erskine had got the jump off Payton’s wheel to win the sixth edition of the race that began back in 2012, briefly looking back, before raising her arms in celebration across the line.
“It’s good to get the win today going into the Nationals – as well – It’s quite a boost”.
Said Julie Erskine after the race. “The Curlew Cup is a hard race, with three times up the Ryal’s – it was always going to be hard – and it was so hot today aswell!”Going on to say “I knew if I could get over the Ryal the first couple of times, then we’ll (Cycle Team OnForm) see what happens. We were trying to follow any moves that went cause Sian (Botteley) was second in the standings”.
“Chanel from Storey went, I just sort of followed that – Georgina (Panchaud – Bianchi) and Hannah (Payton – Drops) came as well and we just opened up a gap”.
Conditions couldn’t have been any better for this fifth round in the series, mid-point, as clear skies and a warm ambient temperature greeted the eighty-two riders that had signed-on to the start-line in Stamfordham.
Set in the beautiful surroundings of the Northumberland National Park, this edition covered one-hundred-and-six kilometres, three laps, as the riders tackled the infamous Ryal’s climb with prize money on offer that included a Queen of the Mountains, Points Sprint over the finish-line and an U23 classification and a first Junior.
The race got underway at a gentle pace with splits forming on the first ascends of the Ryal. Around forty riders re-formed the main peloton and the first action came from Storey Racing’s Jennifer George on the back straight with forty-seven kilometres covered. Joined briefly by Keira McVitty and three more trying to bridge, it wasn’t long before they were all back together once more.
The second ascend of the Ryal saw a trio of riders cresting the QoM firstly with Melissa Lowther, Team Breeze leading the way over Beth Crumpton, Storey Racing and Annasley Park, Drops Pro Cycling. Chasing not far behind, Katie Archibald, Team WNT Pro Cycling and Laura Massey, Drops Pro Cycling as the five moved clear and gained around fifteen seconds. Again it wasn’t long before the five were reeled back into the fold of the peloton.
With the final ascend of the Ryal looming, Series leader Chanel Mason, Storey Racing made the decisive move that shaped the final outcome of the race. Joining her, Erskine, Georgina Panchaud, Bianchi Dama UK, and Hannah Payton, Drops Pro Cycling as they amassed a thirty-second lead in the final run in. Panchaud attacks!
Team Breeze’s Emily Nelson tried to bridge across the gap, but ran out of road before sight of the village.
Series leader Chanel Mason settled for fourth place, maintaining her individual series lead behind U23 year old Panchaud’s who rode into third place.
Archibald had done enough to secure the Queen of the Mountains and the Points classification bringing in the rest of the bunch in sixth place.
Sophie Thackray was the first Junior across the line in 23rd. for NCC Group Kuota Torelli.
Curlew Cup Results
1. Julie Erskine, Team OnForm
2. Hannah Payton, Drops
3. Georgina Panchaud, Bianchi Dama
4. Chanel Mason, Storey Racing
5. Emily Nelson, Team Breeze
6. Katie Archibald, WNT
7. Neah Evans, Storey Racing
8. Laura Massey, Drops
9. Mellisa Lowther, Team Breeze
10. Natalie Grinczer, WNT
11. Genevieve Whitson, Sorex CT
12. Eleanor Dickinson, Breeze
13. Annasley Park, Team Breeze
14. Charmaine Porter, Ford
15. Megan Barker, breeze
16. Abigail van Twisk, Drops
17. Elizabeth Banks, Storey Racing
18. Gabby Shaw, WNT
19. Rose Osbourne, Drops
20. Charlotte Colclough, Bianchi Dama
21. Bethany Hayward, Ford
22. Alice Sharpe, Kuota Torelli
23. Sophie Thackray, Kuota Torelli
24. Jennifer Powell, Ford
25. Jennifer George, Storey
26. Alicia Speake, Onform
27. Fiona Hunter Johnston, Fusion
28. Stephanie Mottram, Kuota Torelli
29. Mellisa Brand, Ford
30. Manon Lloyd, Breeze
31. Alana Prior, Edco Continental
32. Kelly Murphy, Ford
33. Molly Patch, Fusion
34. Molly Weaver, Sunweb
35. Sian Botteley, Onform
36. Amy Gornall, Secret training
37. Jennifer Hudson, Fusion
38. Anna Docherty, Epic
39. Emily Meakin, Lifestyle
40. Kim Baptista, Kuota Torelli
41. Sophie Enever, team 22
42. Gemma Sargent, Onform
43. Lynsey Curran, Dooleys cycles
44. Bethany Crumpton, Storey racing
45. Holly Flannery, Jadan
46. Minca Dew, Storey racing
47. Fiona Turnbull, Speedflex
48. Chloe Weller,
49. Ellen McDermott, Edco Continental
50. Christine Marshall, Vertex
51. Jennifer Batey, Edco Continental
52. Jessica Duffy, Bianchi Dama
53. Elana Spanou, Onform
54. Savannah Morgan, Team 22
55. Lily Greenhalgh Team 22
Individual Standings after round 5
1: Chanel Mason Storey Racing 84p
2: Hannah Payton Drops Cycling 64
3: Lizzy Banks Storey Racing 58
4: Grace Garner Wiggle High5 56
4: Laura Massey DropsCycling 56
4: Sian Botteley Cycle Team OnForm 56
7: Julie Erskine Cycle Team OnForm 52
8: Katie Archibald Team WNT 50
8: Emily Nelson Team Breeze 50
10: Natalie Grinczer Team WNT 43
Team Standings after round 5
1: Drops Pro Cycling 234
2: WNT Pro Cycling 175
2: Cycle Team OnForm 175
4: Storey Racing 127
5: Team Breeze 105
6: Team Ford Ecoboost 93
7: Bianchi Dama UK 56
7: Wiggle High5 56
Next Up round six, the Otley Grand Prix on June 28th
Previous Winners
2016 Nikki Juniper
2015 Laura Massey
2014 Katie Archibald
2013 Hannah Barnes
2012 Dame Sarah Storey
Otley Grand Prix 2017 Top 10
1 36 Elizabeth-Jane Harris Storey Racing 00:44.55
2 68 Annasley Park Drops st
3 54 Melissa Lowther Team Breeze st
4 96 Rebecca Durrell Drops st
5 40 Anna Henderson Cycle Team OnForm at 00:07
6 9 Charlotte Broughton Team Ford Ecoboost at 01:29
7 3 Elizabeth Banks Storey Racing st
8 102 Charlotte Redden Cycle Team OnForm st
9 4 Megan Barker Team Breeze
10 71 Charmaine Porter Team Ford Ecoboost
Individual Standings after Round 6
1: Chanel Mason Storey Racing 84p
2: Lizzy Banks Storey Racing 76
3: Hannah Payton Drops Cycling 64
4: Sian Botteley Cycle Team OnForm 62
5: Grace Garner Wiggle High5 56
5: Laura Massey DropsCycling 56
7: Julie Erskine Cycle Team OnForm 52
8: Anna Henderson Cycle Team OnForm 51
9: Katie Archibald Team WNT 50
9: Emily Nelson Team Breeze 50
