Promoted by Wallacehill Cycling Club | Race Report by Carl J Lawrenson | Event Website:
Stage 1: Moffat – Moffat, 92 miles, Saturday 23rd April 2011
ALSO: Read VeloUK’s report of the stage for Endura racing >>>>
PHOTOS: http://www.enduraracing.com/Item.aspx?dept_id=5&item_id=245
Marking an abrupt end to the recent spell of fine weather, the first stage of the 2011 Tour Doon Hame began under leaden skies in the town of Moffat, 24 miles from the race’s base in Dumfries.
Endura’s Jack Bauer gets a quick new front wheel after puncturing early on. To the right (out of picture), Jack Anderson has fallen while chasing back to the peloton.
As the 142 starters took the ceremonial start outside the town hall, the rain began to fall and it wasn’t to let up until well after the winner crossed the finish line some hours later. A short loop around the town brought the race back to the town centre to contest the first Endura Hot Spot sprint of the day after just 6 miles of racing, followed almost immediately by the category 1 climb of Type Knowes to mark the first action in the battle for the King of the Mountains jersey. The completion of another larger loop saw the race contest the same indermediate points before leaving Moffat behind and heading for the remote countryside of the Lowther Hills.
Magnus Backstedt suffering like so many were today on the climbs.
The early miles were marked by a several crashes as the rider’s battled the slippery conditions, and the team cars were kept busy with a constant stream of punctures as the rain loosened the grit on the roads. Although several attacks took place at the head of the peloton, it was not proving easy to get away as the pace remained high. A group of 12 attacked at 26 miles, with many of the major teams represented but the advantage was short-lived and never amounted to more than a handful of seconds. No sooner were the escapees caught, than Tom Murray (Sigmasport-Specialized) and James Sparling (Team Raleigh) made a move which gained a maximum gap of 24 seconds before being reeled back in at the 31 mile mark.
Sweeping through the narrow streets of Abington and Crawfordjohn the elastic was stretched but never really broken. Meanwhile at the back of the race the relentless pace saw an increasing number of riders losing ground. A group of seven, including 2004 Paris Roubaix winner Magnus Backstedt (Team UK Youth) were ahead by 20 seconds approaching the final hot spot sprint in Sanquhar but yet again the gap was closed by the start of the last climb of the stage, the long category 1 ascent of Wanlockhead.
With several teams forcing the pace, Peter Williams (Motorpoint) – only just back on the road to recovery after an early season crash – found himself felled again along with team mate Tobyn Horton and Twenty3C-Orbea’s Mike Cuming.
The pressure of the climb finally split the peloton asunder and a substantial group of 60 headed the race as Jack Bauer, former New Zealand road race champion and winner of the final stage of the inaugural Tour Doon Hame, secured the climbers points and with it the JB&B Print King of the Mountains lead.
Further splits saw the lead group reduced to little more than 20 as the 10 mile to go board was reached. With the climbing done for the day, the pace was again frantic as a dangerous looking group of eight forced themselves clear. Bauer was again in the thick of the action, along with the star of the early season, Rutland Melton winner Zak Dempster (Rapha Condor Sharp). Ian Bibby (Motorpoint), Simon Richardson (second overall in the 2010 Premier Calendar) and Steve Lampier (both Sigmasport-Specialized) along with Raleigh’s Matt Cronshaw, Yanto Barker (Pendragon-Le Col) and Matt Higgins (Team Corley Cycles) made up the rest of the break.
Back on roads familiar from earlier in the day, their lead grew to 49 seconds with less than 3 miles to run, and the stage victor now seemed certain to come from this select group. Inside the final kilometre, and with the road rising toward the line, it was Cronshaw who unleashed a powerful sprint which would see him take the victory ahead of Dempster and Bauer. Good placings in the sprints also saw Cronshaw earn the first green jersey of the race to add to the white of stage winner and the yellow for overall.
With a better weather forecast promised for Sunday’s second stage, the shorter race distance and less severe climbs could combine to allow those futher behind on GC to challenge the Team Raleigh riders lead.
Jack Bauer of Endura Racing admits he wasn’t feeling great today but was happy enough with third place and confident things can get better. His puncture after only four kilometres saw him chase for a long time to get back. “It was a fine” he says. “In a race of this level it is no problem to get back on if you stay relaxed and take your time. I took ages to get on which meant I missed out on the first time bonus sprint but there are two days to come.”
Jack did though win the second King of the Mountains climb after a lead out from Alex Weatherall. Asked was that a goal of the teams, he replied: “Definitely. We’re not here to have a party! It is Endura’s home tour, they sponsor the race and so why not try and win everything. We definitely want to win the yellow jersey but to wear the KOM jersey until say the final day, when we take yellow, it’s good publicity.”
Jack explained that he didn’t really see the wind a lot in the early stages after he got back to the peloton after his puncture “Based on what I know from last year, breaks go, they get brought back and the pace in the peloton is always real high which makes for quite a hard day because its not like a break goes and the group shuts down for the day. Today, it was like attacks were going off every ten minutes. That makes for a real hard day. Alex Wetterhall was one of the riders attacking and had a pretty impressive day and softened up the peloton by hitting them so many times. Alex also lead me out for the second KOM and so did a lot of work today.”
Taking us through the final stages of the race, Jack explained he rode third wheel up Wanlockhead and didn’t see what happened behind but did hear that at the top, the race was now in three groups “Everybody must have been getting tired because I was getting tired. On a day like today with the wet and cold, the legs feel so heavy and on a climb like that, its the survival of the fittest.”
Jack was second at the Wanlockhead KOM and that was enough for him to take the jersey off McCann who had won the first KOM sprint early in the race when Jack was otherwise occupied with a puncture. Then, Endura Racing played a trump card when Maarten attacked prior to the race reaching the top of the Wanlockhead climb “Maarten was up the road by himself for a long time and I thought he might do it because he is as strong as an ox. But, Sigma put their boys on the front and pulled him back.”
“Just as Maarten was coming back, I went and Yanto Barker came with me and then another six more came across and it was then a steady roll into the finish before the gallop to the finish line. It would have been good to win the stage but then we didn’t want to have the jersey this early. Tomorrow night will be fine” he said with that cheeky Bauer grin.
Stage 1 Result Moffat to Moffat 23 Apr 2011
1 35 Matt Cronshaw Team Raleigh E  03:18:09
2 6 Zak Dempster Rapha – Condor E  st
3 14 Jack Bauer Endura Racing E  st
4 16 Ian Bibby Motorpoint E  st
5 29 Steve Lampier Sigma Specialized E  st
6 49 Matt Higgins Corley Cycles 1  st
7 40 Yanto Barker Pendragon – LeCol E  st
8 25 Simon Richardson Sigma Specialized E at 00:05
9 58 Marcel Six Twenty3c – Orbea E at 00:55
10 48 Simon Gaywood Corley Cycles E  st
11 1 Dean Downing Rapha – Condor E  st
12 11 Alex Wetterhall Endura Racing E  st
13 30 Wouter Sybrandy Sigma Specialized E  st
14 9 Scott Thwaites* Endura Racing E  st
15 92 Robert Hassan* Endura Pedal Power 1  st
16 21 Will Bjergfelt Motorpoint E  st
17 13 Maarten de Jonge Endura Racing E  st
18 20 Marcin Bialoblocki Motorpoint E  st
19 102 David McLean Pasta Montegrappa E  st
20 141 Alex Coutts Giant Kenda Felt E  st
21 39 Liam Holohan Team Raleigh 1  st
22 33 Matt Jones* Team Raleigh E  st
23 118 Felix English* Anglo Scottish E  st
24 32 Gael LeBellec Team Raleigh E  st
25 51 Ashley Cox Corley Cycles E  st
26 26 James Williamson Sigma Specialized 1  st
27 3 Dan Craven Rapha – Condor E  st
28 137 Jack Pullar* Vanillabikes.com 1  st
29 5 Graham Briggs Rapha – Condor E at 01:13
30 60 Rafa Rodriguez Twenty3c – Orbea 1  st
31 4 James McCallum Rapha – Condor E  st
32 42 Jon Mozeley Pendragon – LeCol 1  st
33 108 Jack Adams Forme Sanlamere E  st
34 61 Andrew Griffiths* Twenty3c – Orbea 1  st
35 95 Scott McCrossan* Endura Pedal Power 2  st
36 18 Pete Williams Motorpoint E  st
37 66 Simon Wilson CyclePremier.com E  st
38 67 Tom Barras CyclePremier.com E  st
39 68 Richard Hepworth CyclePremier.com E  st
40 65 Dale Appleby CyclePremier.com E  st
41 110 Dexter Gardias* Forme Sanlamere 1  st
42 77 Magnus Backstedt Team UK Youth E  st
43 140 David McCann Giant Kenda Felt 1  st
44 37 Matt Kipling Team Raleigh E  st
45 80 J. Lowsley-Williams* Team UK Youth 2  st
46 83 Gruff Lewis Team UK Youth 2  st
47 44 James McLaughlin* Pendragon – LeCol 2  st
48 17 Johnny McEvoy* Motorpoint E  st
49 19 James Sampson Motorpoint E  st
50 56 Andy Lyons Twenty3c – Orbea E  st
51 63 Joe Perrett* Twenty3c – Orbea 1  st
52 10 Evan Oliphant Endura Racing E  st
53 76 Collin Humphrey Sportscover 1  st
54 27 Tom Last Sigma Specialized 1  st
55 38 James Sparling Team Raleigh E  st
56 7 Ben Greenwood Rapha – Condor E  st
57 36 Richard Handley* Team Raleigh E  st
58 24 Tom Murray Sigma Specialized E at 03:24
59 145 Peter Wager Giant Kenda Felt E at 05:51
60 142 Dave Henderson Giant Kenda Felt 1 at 05:54
61 105 Rowan Dever Pasta Montegrappa E  st
62 143 Richard Mardle Giant Kenda Felt 1 at 05:57
63 144 John Wager Giant Kenda Felt E at 07:22
64 113 Paul Londors Anglo Scottish 1  st
65 106 Alexander Ray* Pasta Montegrappa E  st
66 87 Jamie Kennedy Glasgow Couriers 2 at 07:24
67 12 Jack Anderson Endura Racing E  st
68 8 Calum Wilkinson Endura Racing E  st
69 75 Duncan Moralee Sportscover 2  st
70 109 Will Fox Forme Sanlamere E at 07:27
71 86 Alan Thomson Glasgow Couriers 2  st
72 43 Chris Opie Pendragon – LeCol E  st
73 91 Gary Hand Endura Pedal Power 1  st
74 124 Craig Adams Second Helpings 2  st
75 2 Tom Southam Rapha – Condor E  st
76 82 Filip Rudenstam Team UK Youth 1  st
77 104 Wojciech Szlachta Pasta Montegrappa E  st
78 31 Kit Gilham Sigma Specialized E  st
79 74 Kevin Dawson Sportscover E  st
80 28 Steve Adams Sigma Specialized 1  st
81 78 James Stewart Team UK Youth E  st
82 126 Peter Murdoch Second Helpings 2  st
83Â 129Â James Gullen*Â Teamwallis CHHÂ EÂ Â st
84 55 Michael Smith Corley Cycles 2  st
85 127 Gordon Murdoch Second Helpings 2  st
86 52 Chris McNamara Corley Cycles E  st
87 59 Gunnar Gronlund Twenty3c – Orbea 1  st
88 97 Robin Wilkins Velo Ecosse 1 at 08:07
89 112 Alistair Rutherford Anglo Scottish E at 10:49
90 81 David McGowan Team UK Youth 1  st
91 34 Dan Fleeman Team Raleigh E at 12:03
92 64 Ross Creber CyclePremier.com E  st
93 54 Jake Hales* Corley Cycles 1 at 14:27
94 57 Kristian Downs Twenty3c – Orbea 1  st
95 84 Steven Burke Team UK Youth 1  st
96 22 Tobyn Horton Motorpoint E at 14:31
97 138 Harry Grey Vanillabikes.com 2 at 15:08
98 71 Ashley Brown Sportscover 1 at 18:16
99 45 Richard Meadows* Pendragon – LeCol 1 at 19:47
100 120 Alistair McNicol* Second Helpings 2  st
101 94 Jordan Stokes* Endura Pedal Power 2 at 20:02
102 90 David Lines Endura Pedal Power E at 20:05
103 96 Liam Cowie* Endura Pedal Power 2 at 20:20
104 114 Junior Heffernan* Anglo Scottish 1 at 20:29
105 53 James Millard Corley Cycles 1 at 20:40
106 69 Robert Smail CyclePremier.com 1 at 23:57
107 100 Lewis Oliphant Velo Ecosse 2  st
108 72 John Tanner Sportscover E at 32:05:00
109 73 Jake Tanner* Sportscover 1  st
110Â 135Â Jack Cousins*Â Teamwallis CHHÂ 1Â Â st
111 98 Eddie Addis Velo Ecosse 2  st
112 99 Finlay Young* Velo Ecosse 2  st
113 117 Tim Lawson Anglo Scottish 1  st
114 101 Tom Fernie Velo Ecosse 2  st
115 130 Jacob Tipper* Teamwallis CHH 1 at 32:14:00
116 46 Peter Johnston Pendragon – LeCol 1 at 36:43:00
117 107 Rob Orr Forme Sanlamere 2  st
118 62 Mike Cuming* Twenty3c – Orbea E at 38:48:00
Hot Spots
1  35  Matt Cronshaw  Team Raleigh  7
2 77 Magnus Backstedt Team UK Youth 6
3 106 Alexander Ray* Pasta Montegrappa 4
4 67 Tom Barras CyclePremier.com 3
5 83 Gruff Lewis Team UK Youth 3
6 9 Scott Thwaites* Endura Racing 2
7 78 James Stewart Team UK Youth 2
KOM
1  14  Jack Bauer  Endura Racing  22
2 21 Will Bjergfelt Motorpoint 19
3 36 Richard Handley* Team Raleigh 16
4 140 David McCann Giant Kenda Felt 15
5 92 Robert Hassan* Endura Pedal Power 9
6 29 Steve Lampier Sigma Specialized 7
7 81 David McGowan Team UK Youth 7
8 25 Simon Richardson Sigma Specialized 5
9 19 James Sampson Motorpoint 5
10 6 Zak Dempster Rapha – Condor 4
11 7 Ben Greenwood Rapha – Condor 4
GC
1  35  Matt Cronshaw  Team Raleigh  E    03:17:54
2 6 Zak Dempster Rapha – Condor E at 00:09
3 14 Jack Bauer Endura Racing E at 00:11
4 16 Ian Bibby Motorpoint E at 00:15
5 29 Steve Lampier Sigma Specialized E  st
6 49 Matt Higgins Corley Cycles 1  st
7 40 Yanto Barker Pendragon – LeCol E  st
8 25 Simon Richardson Sigma Specialized E at 00:20
9 9 Scott Thwaites* Endura Racing E at 01:09
10 58 Marcel Six Twenty3c – Orbea E at 01:10
