Premier Calendar: 2011 Tour of the Reservoir

Ian Bibby wins the Premier Calendar event in Northumberland in a Motorpoint 1-2

After being dissapointed not to repeat their win in the Halfords Tour Series, Motorpoint showed plenty of firepower around the Derwent Reservoir in Northumberland getting four riders into a small break at the end and finishing with a 1-2 headed by Ian Bibby who now leads the Premier Calendar.

Tour of the Reservoir Interviews

Ian Bibby (Motorpoint) “I set off and felt absolutely unbelievably terrible today… I was really bad and did a few attacks and didn’t have the legs so I sat at the back for a while and nothing seemed to be splitting. I got away in quite a few breaks and Sigma would ride it down and then there was a break with Marcin and Will in it which I was pretty happy with”.

“Voss and Bauer (Endura Racing) were in there though, probably the two strongest in the race so I was a bit worried about that but on the last lap the peloton split, into a group of four or five so I jumped across to it and chilled out for a while and then jumped ac ross again to the break which had split and then managed to ride across to these (the leaders) at the feed and sat in to recover.”

“Voss did a big attack on a little kicker with around 4k to go and it was probably one of the hardest attacks I have seen, I had to shut my eyes to hold on to him! Then Peter (Williams, also Motorpoint) did a good attack towards the end as you turn left into the Reservoir and Bauer did a turn to bring Pete back and then he lead out Voss.”

“Luckily it stayed together for the sprint where Jack Bauer was leading Voss out and Dean Downing kicked early with me on his wheel, waiting, waiting, and he died pretty quick and I came round him and shut my eyes and  hoped no-one came round me and it was Marcin behind me.”

“It was good to win it. I have been there or thereabouts  for all these crits and not won one so I have been getting a bit mad with myself. I just wanted to make sure I’d won it (why he took his time to raise his arms).”

Dean Downing (Rapha Condor Sharp) : On being surprised to see him in the break after all the hour long crits he has been doing, Dean replied “I was surprised myself! It was a strange old race really. Because its in June (the race was in March), there are 120 riders who are really quite fit and everyone was following each other and it never split until three laps to go.”

“Even the guys who work full time were firing attacks off the front and it was aggressive and every now and then it would be a long line and then it would regroup. It is a hard hard circuit to get away”.

“Deano (Windsor) and Ben (Greenwood) did a really hard turn across the top road to bring it close, the group of five that were away.”

“I jumped over the top with Bauer and Bjergfelt on my wheel  and they didn’t do a tap but then they had guys in the break and so wasn’t expecting much. We worked well then but then the last half lap were the weirdest tactics I have seen from two teams for a long time. They just didn’t want to ride. Two Endura,s three Motorpoints as Bibby had got across, and they didn’t want to ride.”
“Then on the finish lap at the feedzone, they were just firing them off left right and centre and trying to get rid of me and I got in every one of them and then Bibby and Marcin did the 1-2 and I managed to hang for third. After Thursday nights celebrations (Halfords Tour Series win) and Friday night’s celebrations  and three weeks of crit racing, I’m pretty happy.”

For interviews with the Endura Racing team and photos, click here

Premier Calendar Standings

1 Ian Bibby Motorpoint Pro Cycling 275
2 Zak Dempster Rapha Condor Sharp 225
3 Matt Cronshaw Team Raleigh 164
4 Scott Thwaites *** Endura Racing 162
5 Jonathan McEvoy *** Motorpoint Pro Cycling 160
6 Jack Bauer Endura Racing 157
7 Marcin Bialoblocki Motorpoint Pro Cycling 140
8 Yanto Barker Pendragon – Le Col – Colnago 122 88 34 0 0
9 Evan Oliphant Endura Racing 110
10 Jonathan Tiernan-Locke Rapha Condor Sharp 108

Dean Downing, Ian Bibby and Marcin Bialoblocki

Riders leave the beautiful 12th century village of Blanchland.

Tom Murray leads Stephen Gallacher in their early break. Murray won the King of the Hills competition.

The peloton all together at the halfway point of the race despite lots of attacking riding.

With two laps to go, a break of eight riders formed and from that came the winner Ian Bibby. The break saw a few riders catch it in the closing lap including Peter Williams.

Bell lap and the break is still clear

1-2 for Motorpoint as Bibby wins ahead of Bialoblocki and Downing. The closing miles saw riders join the group including Peter Williams. Paul Voss of Endura Racing had attacked but it was the attack by Williams that through the race into confusion with Bauer of Endura forced to chase him down only for Williams teammates to go over the top and take a 1-2 for Motorpoint.

Dean Windsor wins the bunch kick from Ian Wilkinson.

Result
1. Bibby Ian Motorpoint 3:35:44 E 3:35:44
2.  Bialoblocki Marcin Motorpoint  st
3.  Downing Dean Rapha Condor Sharp
4.  Williams Pete Motorpoint @ 3
5.  Bauer Jack Endura Racing
6.  Bjergfelt Will Motorpoint 3:35:47 E st
7.  Voss Paul Endura Racing @5
8.  Last Tom Sigma Sport-Specialized Cycling @8
9.  Cronshaw Matt Team Raleigh  @10
10.  Rodriguez-Segarra Rafa Twenty3c-Orbea @30
11.  Oliphant Evan Endura Racing  st
12.  Richardson Simon Sigma Sport-Specialized Cycling  st
13.  Cuming Mikey Twenty3c-Orbea u23 @41
14.  Windsor Dean Rapha Condor Sharp @44
15.  Wilkinson Ian Endura Racing
16.  Thwaites Scott Endura Racing u23 st
17.  Hunt Joshua UVCA Troyes u23 st
18.  Parnes Ryan Team Raleigh st
19.  Horton Tobyn Motorpoint  st
20. Barras Tom CyclePremier.com / Metaltek st
21.  Hassan Robert Endura / Pedal Power Dev Team u23 st
22.  Gaywood Simon Team Corley Cycles st
23.  Opie Chris Pendragon-LeCol-Colnago  st
24.  Sharman Rob Twenty3c-Orbea st
25.  Yates Adam Maxgear RT u23 st
26.  Hampton Russell Sigma Sport-Specialized Cycling st
27.  Griffiths Andrew Twenty3c-Orbea  st
28.  Cox Ashley Team Corley Cycles st
29.  Ford Martin Mammoth Lifestyle RT  st
30.  Lampier Steve Sigma Sport-Specialized Cycling st
31.  Chamberlain Roy Team Corley Cycles st
32.  Adams Jack Forme Procycliste SanLamere st
33.  Sampson James Motorpoint st
34.  Dunbar Luke Team Qoroz  st
35.  Smith Dan Velo29 Cycling Team st
36.  Hepworth Richard CyclePremier.com / Metaltek u23 st
37.  McEvoy Johnathan Motorpoint /u23 st
38.  Wilkinson Callum Endura Racing   st
39.  Burke Steven Team UK Youth  st
40.  McGowan David Team UK Youth st
41.  Fox Will Forme Procycliste SanLamere st
42.  Greenwood Ben Rapha Condor Sharp st
43.  Carter Rob Velo29 Cycling Team st
44.  Lewis Gruffudd Team UK Youth u23 st
45.  Hawdon Andrew Herbalife / Wheelbase  st
46.  Cartland Richard Team Corley Cycles st
47.  Kay Alistair Herbalife / Wheelbase st
48.  Sybrandy Walter Sigma Sport-Specialized Cycling st
49.  Hand Gary Endura  st
50.  Kipling Matt Team Raleigh @52
51.  Cousins Jack Wills Wheels @59
52.  Higham Alex Wyndymilla @1:02
53.  Janssen Jeroen Team Raleigh @1:03
54.  Clancy Ed Rapha Condor Sharp@1:07
55.  Backstedt Magnus Team UK Youth st
56.  Smith Michael Team Corley Cycles @1:19
57.  Cutsforth Jack Herbalife / Wheelbase@1:22
58.  Copeland Tom Sigma Sport-Specialized Cycling u23 st
59.  Stockdale Tom Team Qoroz u23 @1:30
60.  Murray Tom Sigma Sport-Specialized Cycling @1:45
61.  Six Marcel Twenty3c-Orbea @1:50
62.  Tanner Jake Team Sportscover / Strategic u23 @2:08
63.  Moralee Duncan Team Sportscover / Strategic st
64.  Magnier Andrew Motorpoint @ 3:07
65.  Mark Chris Velo29 Cycling Team @4:23
66.  Gallagher Stephen CyclePremier.com / Metaltek
67.  Heffernan Junior Pendragon-LeCol-Colnago 1/u23 @10:16
68.  Cowie Liam Endura / Pedal Power Dev Team  @10:36
69.  Ullmer Matt Team Qoroz st