Annie Simpson leads Horizon Fitness 1-2 in Oldham

Simpson and King head the field for Horizon Fitness, as Helen Wyman continues in Series lead

Annie Simpson took victory in Round Three of the Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series at Oldham, heading home teammate Dani King and Series leader Helen Wyman from a four rider breakaway group. Fellow escapee Sarah Byrne came home fourth, but took the honours in the evening’s sprints competition for her VC St Raphael team.

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In front of a large and supportive crowd in Oldham town centre, the new-for-2011 Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series reached its penultimate round. As with the men’s race later that evening, the tough town centre course took its toll from the outset, with the 33 rider bunch soon becoming strung out around the 1.1 kilometre course.

Round One winner Hannah Barnes took the honours at the opening sprint of the evening, pipping Hannah Rich to the line, with Wyman in third. With neither Barnes nor Rich scoring at the second sprint and Wyman only taking fourth, Barnes moved back into the lead of the competition, albeit tied on points with Rich, but donning the jersey thanks to her sprint win on the night.

Sarah Byrne on the attack and what an impressive ride by the young lady …

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A group of four riders pulled clear as the race reached half distance, containing the two Horizon Fitness riders, Wyman and Biddulph’s Byrne. The four inexorably moved clear, building their lead tour after tour, lapping much of the field. Behind a chasing group of around ten riders, including Motorpoint and For Viored Brookvex who had both missed the move, kept up pursuit, but with the leaders working well together could make no in roads to their lead.

Come the final lap and Simpson, King and Wyman just eased clear from Byrne in the last few hundred metres up from Oldham’s final corner, with Stoke-on-Trent winner King raising her arms in celebration as Simpson crossed the line ahead of her in a perfect team performance.

Third place for Wyman, follows seconds in both Peterborough and the Potteries, ensuring she takes a nine point lead over Motorpoint’s Lucy Garner to the final round at Woking. The top seven riders remain in contention for the title heading to Surrey, though if any of them are to wrench the jersey from Wyman’s shoulders they will have to put a stop to her consistent run of podium finishes.

Wyman’s title rival Garner led home the remnants of the main field for fifth, ahead of teammate Barnes and the Horizon Fitness duo of Penny Rowson and Jo Rowsell, with Condory’s Nicola Juniper and Corrine Hall rounding out the top ten. For Viored Brookvex duo of Rohan Battison, who remains in the hunt for individual and sprint honours, and Rebecca Curley were the last of the riders to finish on the leading lap.

Sarah Byrne: “I was really pleased with my ride. When I saw the course, I thought I could do well so I was really up for it and had planned to go after the first sprint. So I got myself in the line for that sprint and then attacked and got away with Helen. It was really hard when the Horizon girls caught us and they went again but I thought I’m not doing all that work for nothing!”

“I prefer it when these girls race here because it makes the racing a lot harder and I don’t have to try and do it on my own. It makes it a good race with them and you can test yourself. It was a really tough course and the fact the Motorpoint girls didn’t make the break shows how tough it was because they are normally so good. The cobbles were okay … when I saw on Twitter about how it was so cobbled, I thought oh my god, how bad are the cobbles, and will my Corimas be okay and they were fine.”

Annie Simpson: “It was amazing to win here, so good. I have won mountain bike races before but on the road I have being doing for two years and this is the first proper race I have won. I can’t thank Dani and Helen enough. They helped me through that race as I wasn’t feeling the best at all but now I feel amazing! I think the circuit being tough played to our advantage. We knew if we made it hard from the start we would have a good chance of getting away.”

Dani King “Annie is one of my best friends and worked for me so many times and I just wanted to repay her tonight. I knew she was going to cross the line first and that meant more to me than winning myself so I am chuffed for her.”

Helen Wyman: “It is really good to have this leader’s jersey on, really cool. It is great to show that I can compete against the teams and as long as you know how team tactics work, you can use that to your advantage.”

Highlights of the third round of the Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series will be shown as a part of The Halfords Tour Series highlights on ITV4 at 20.00 on Friday 10th June, with a repeat on Saturday 11th June at 11.00.

The final round of the Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series takes place in Woking at 17.00 on Tuesday 14th June, where the final winner of the white Johnson Health Tech jersey will be crowned.

Related Link: Dani is King of Stoke

Round Three, Oldham, Results
Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series, Round Three, Oldham

Rd3 Oldham Race Result
1)    Annie Simpson        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo
2)    Dani King        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo
3)    Helen Wyman        Kona Factory Racing
4)    Sarah Byrne        VC St Raphael
5)    Lucy Garner        Motorpoint Pro Cycling
6)    Hannah Barnes        Motorpoint Pro Cycling
7)    Joanna Rowsell        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo
8)    Penny Rowson        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo
9)    Nicola Juniper        Condor Cycles
10)    Corrine Hall        Team Corridori / Specialized
11)    Rohan Battison        For Viored Brookvex
12)    Rebecca Curley        For Viored Brookvex
13)    Alice Barnes        Motorpoint Pro Cycling
14)    Amy Roberts        For Viored Brookvex
15)    Hannah Rich        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo
16)    Nicola Soden        Maxgear
17)    Estelle Rogers        Condor Cycles
18)    Hannah Walker        Motorpoint Pro Cycling
19)    Marianne Britten    VC St Raphael
20)    Tanya Hunt        Mule Bar Girls
21)    Ceri Dipple        Twenty3c Orbea
22)    Delia Beddis        Condor Cycles
23)    Eve Dixon        Maxgear
24)    Jessie Walker        RST Racing Team – Trigon
25)    Hannah Leyland        VC St Raphael
26)    Rachel Przybylski    Condor Cycles
27)    Louise Mahe        Mule Bar Girls
28)    Nikola Butler        Inverse Cyclaim Women’s RT
29)    Hannah Shenton    Motorpoint Pro Cycling
30)    Katie Noakes        Inverse Cyclaim Women’s RT
31)    Hannah Manley        For Viored Brookvex
32)    Louise Clowes        Inverse Cyclaim Women’s RT
33)    Wiesia Kuczaj        Mule Bar Girls

Rd3, Sprint One, Result
1)    Hannah Barnes        Motorpoint Pro Cycling            5pts
2)    Hannah Rich        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo    4pts
3)    Helen Wyman        Kona Factory Racing            3pts
4)    Lucy Garner        Motorpoint Pro Cycling            2pts
5)    Sarah Byrne        VC St Raphael                1pt

Rd3, Sprint Two, Result
1)    Sarah Byrne        VC St Raphael                5pts
2)    Dani King        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo    4pts
3)    Annie Simpson        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo    3pts
4)    Helen Wyman        Kona Factory Racing            2pts
5)    Lucy Garner        Motorpoint Pro Cycling            1pt

Round Three, Oldham, Round Sprint Result
1)    Sarah Byrne        VC St Raphael                6pts
2)    Hannah Barnes        Motorpoint Pro Cycling            5pts
3)    Helen Wyman        Kona Factory Racing            5pts
4)    Hannah Rich        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo    4pts
5)    Dani King        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo    4pts
6)    Annie Simpson        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo    3pts
7)    Lucy Garner        Motorpoint Pro Cycling            3pts

Round Three, Oldham, Team Result
1.     Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo    63pts
2.     Motorpoint Pro Cycling            45pts
3.     For Viored Brookvex            32pts
4.     Condor Cycles                20pts
5.     Mule Bar Girls                3pts

Standings, after Round Three

Individual Overall Standings
1.     Helen Wyman        Kona Factory Racing            64pts
2.     Lucy Garner        Motorpoint Pro Cycling            55pts
3.     Hannah Barnes        Motorpoint Pro Cycling            52pts
4.     Dani King        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo    47pts
5.     Penny Rowson        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo    46pts
6.     Hannah Rich        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo    44pts
7.     Rohan Battison        For Viored Brookvex            44pts
8.     Nicola Juniper        Condor Cycles                37pts
9.     Annie Simpson        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo    35pts
10.     Joanna Rowsell        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo    35pts
11.     Corrine Hall        Team Corridori / Specialized        32pts
12.     Sarah Byrne        VC St Raphael                31pts
13.     Rebecca Curley        For Viored Brookvex            28pts
14.     Hannah Walker        Motorpoint Pro Cycling            27pts
15.     Alice Barnes        Motorpoint Pro Cycling            25pts
16.     Amy Roberts        For Viored Brookvex            24pts
17.     Estelle Rogers        Condor Cycles                19pts
18.     Hannah Leyland        VC St Raphael                18pts
19.     Charlotte Colclough    For Viored Brookvex            14pts
20.     Ceri Dipple        Twenty3c Orbea            13pts
21.     Natalie Creswick    Abus Nutrixxion                11pts
22.     Gabriella Shaw        For Viored Brookvex            10pts
23.     Lydia Boylan        Look Mum No Hands            9pts
24.     Lindsay Clarke        Fenland Clarion                8pts
25.     Marianne Britten    VC St Raphael                8pts
26.     Delia Beddis        Condor Cycles                7pts
27.     Nicola Soden        Maxgear                7pts
28.     Sarah King        Motorpoint Pro Cycling            6pts
29.     Tanya Hunt        Mule Bar Girls                6pts

Sprint Standings, after Round Three
1.     Hannah Barnes        Motorpoint Pro Cycling                16pts
2.     Hannah Rich        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo        16pts
3.     Helen Wyman        Kona Factory Racing                15pts
4.     Dani King        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo        9pts
5.     Sarah Byrne        VC St Raphael                    9pts
6.     Rohan Battison        For Viored Brookvex                6pts
7.     Lucy Garner        Motorpoint Pro Cycling                6pts
8.     Joanna Rowsell        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo        4pts
9.     Rebecca Curley        For Viored Brookvex                4pts
10.     Annie Simpson        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo        3pts
11.     Penny Rowson        Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo        1pt

Team Standings, after Round Three
1.     Horizon Fitness RT Prendas Ciclismo    166pts
2.     Motorpoint Pro Cycling            139pts
3.     For Viored Brookvex            111pts
4.     Condor Cycles                63pts
5.     Mule Bar Girls                6pts