Jon Miles writes…. Lowri Bunn, Abegavenny RC won the lastest round of the Women’s Team Race Series held on the always difficult Naseby course – and also winning her first race ever just to crown the day; on the deceptive finishing hill she made her strength count beating national Junior champion Hannah Barnes, Motorpoint by about 3 seconds after 80 kilometres.
It was a day of firsts as this was also the first race, superbly organised, by Ray Taylor on behalf of the Welland Valley CC with really generous sponsorship donated by Duncan and Megan Murray of Duncan Murray Wines.
Image by Heather Barnett – Lowri Bunn, Abegavenny RC wins the lastest round of the Women’s Team Race Series held on the always difficult Naseby course.More photos on Flickr – http://www.flickr.com/photos/63447583@N03/with/5972150756/
50 riders faced the starter and with the full For Viored missing it was a chance for Motorpoint to extend their overall lead in the Team Series and perhaps this was reflected by the speed of the race when it seemed other riders were content to play follow my leader; although there were some attacks they were never allowed any great distance before being brought back. With the Commissaire stopping the race to remind the riders to keep to the left there was every chance that the men’s race, run in conjunction with the women’s event, would catch up and this they did but with only 4 miles remaining it was easilly managed.
Little of note affected the race except the main hill when riders at the back could not hold the pace and slid backwards. The first puncture of the day came at5 miles leaving Louise Moriarty, riding for Look Mum no Hands but better know as a top Irish international racing in Belgium and multi Irish champion, needing a quick change but she was soon back in the bunch. After 60 kilometres Astrid Wingler, Surrey League decided some cyclo cross would enliven her ride but generally it was a race bunch waiting for the final climb to the finish.
Race winner Lowri was very pleased with her first win “I didn’t feel too good for the first laps but but I hung in there and found something at the end, my team mate Lauren Creamer worked really hard and led me out. Sarah Byrne broke away I grabbed her wheel and broke away with about 600 metres to go. I did a 5 day stage race before, the Ras du Cymru, and it has taken me a week to recover but obviously it did me a lot of good.”
Image by Heather Barnett.
I asked experienced Louise Moriarty, riding her first Team Series race after moving from Sneem to London to study architecture, what she thought about races in this country.
“It was a really good circuit today and I thought there would be lots of breaks and good racing but I had a puncture after 5 miles and got back on, I did not realise that it would be the hardest part of the race, getting back on. I tried to attack a few times but when riders got up to me they would not ride and I think it was a lack of understanding about what can make a break stay away, to make a break stay away you really need to hammer it until you have a minute gap you have to kill yourself, you are not going to get away until you kill youself and then when you have a minute then you can start riding, I think there is a lack of understanding with riders thinking they are weak, you will never be strong enough unless you try it”.
“I was surprised how negative the racing was today; I am surprised that with so many strong riders that are able to take breaks back instead of just riding at the front try to get away, or try to get 2 or 3 riders away – go hard, have confidence and try it. But it was a great day, good organisation. Although I have raced in Europe with 200 rider fields but today was a decent feild with 50 girsl, there is plenty of racing with 50 girls, most of them seemed pretty strong but if you save everything for the last sprint does your training benefit? Today was slower than a trraining ride so my attitude is race the race”.
Related: Duncan Murray Road Races – Men
RESULT
1.   Lowri Bunn               Abergavenny RC
2.   Hannah Barnes         Motorpoint
3.   Karla Boddy             Impsport team A
4.   Eve Dixon                Maxgear Champion Systems
5.   Sarah Byrne            VC St Raphael
6.   Kim Ashton             Inverse Cyclaim
7.   Lauren Creamer       Abergavenny RC
8.   Anna Grundy           Look Mum no Hands
9.   Lydia Boylan           Look Mum no Hands
10. Tania Hunt               Surrey League
11. Siobham McNamarra Inverse Cyclaim
12. Nikki Juniper            Inverse Cyclaim
13. Laura Massey          Inverse Cyclaim
14. Emma Craddock      Surrey League
15. Mollie Weaver          West Midlands
16. Hanna Shenton        Motorpoint
17. Nicloa Sodden          Maxgear Champion Systems
18. Emily Bagnall          Surrey League
19. Sarah King              Motorpoint
20. Louise Moriarty        Look Mum no Hands
21. Melissa Bury           Maxgear Champion Systems
22. Nikola Butler           Inverse Cyclaim
23. Karen Poole            Primal Europe
24. Kirsty Bishop          PSUK
25. Bethany Crumpton   West Midlands
26. Sarah Maidment      Squadra Donne/Shutt VR/Bikefood/C Originals
27. Heather Jackson     Maxgear Champion Systems
28. Ruby Miller             Horizon Fitness
29. Astrid Wingler         Surrey League
30. Iona Sewell             Squadra Donne/Shutt VR/Bikefood/C Originals
31. Eleanor Jones         VC St Raphale
32. Catherine Hills        Surrey League
33. Claire Leonard        Surrey League
TEAM
1.   Abergavenny RC                                       220 points
2.   Inverse Cyclaim                                        218 points
3.   Motorpoint                                               206 points
4.   Maxgear Champion Systems                    197 points
5.   Look Mum no Hands                                158 points
6.   Surrey League                                         137 points
7.   Impsport Team A                                     115 points
8.    VC St Raphael                                       112 points
9.   West Midlands                                          71 points
10. Squadra Donne/Shutt VR/Bikefood/C Originals 50 points
11. Primal Europe                                           30 points
12. PSUK                                                       29 points
13. Hirizon Fitness                                          25 points
