A full field of 80 riders plus reserves kicks off the road season in the North on 26th of February.
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Promoting club, Clayton Velo are organizing this Classic for the 46th time. The handicap format was introduced about 10 years ago and the race has never looked back with full fields and great racing. Race officials have broken with tradition of giving the 4th cats the maximum advantage and have put out front almost 20 juniors, and the chance to keep the Pros and Elite riders at bay with a seven minute advantage.
Don’t expect the young guns to get it all their own way though as the scratch group made up of 20 professioanl riders have made it to the head of the race by three quarter distance in the past and gone on to win. Organiser Peter Boast said “I’d love to see the Juniors hold them off as this race is all about the riders giving it full gas for the 55 mile. The Pros and Elite riders get a real workout if they want to make it to the head of the race and there’s no hiding place in the scratch group”.
Likewise, the Juniors can impress their team managers if they get their act together, with riders from GB’s Olympic Development Programme Plus Champion systems and the newly formed Mountivation team managed by Ex Pro Gary Sadler. With prime prizes at the end of laps two and four, they should at least battle it out for some early prize money. The third group away is pretty formidable too with several under 23 riders from the big teams and a mix of very experienced Elites and category 1 riders.
The race starts at 10am from Eddisford Bridge, Clithroe and covers a hard and grippy four mile lap 13 times. Last year’s ‘dead heat’ winners Dean Downing and Tom Murray both return and Malcolm Elliott manages the newly formed Node4 Giordana team. Add to the mix Tom Barras, Kristian House, Matt Cronshaw, and Dave Clarke to name a few, the race is bound to ignite towards the end.
It should be very interesting as the race unfolds in the shadow of the famous bewitched Pendle hill. It’s almost 400 years since the Pendle witches passed this way on their way to the gallows at Lancaster; Aussies Richard Lang and Ben Grenda plus South African Chris Jennings, all in the sinister black of Rapha may need a spell or two up their sleeves, or at least extra layers for their first race on British soil.
Riders race on with the snow covered Pendle Hill in the background …
RIDER LIST IN THEIR GROUPS
Scratch Group 4Â Pro/Elite At 7 Mins
69   Tom Barras   Metaltek Scott
70   Matt Cronshaw   Node4 Giordana
71   Peter Williams   Node4 Giordana
72   James Sampson   Node4 Giordana
73   Kieren Frend   Node4 Giordana
74   David Clarke   Node4 Giordana
75   Richard Hepworth   Cyclepremier
76   Dillon Byrne   Vanillabikes.com
77   Alistair Rutherford   Vanillabikes.com
78   Conan Mayman   Bglobal
79   Robert Smail   Team Wallis
80   Robbie Hassan   Herbalife Leisure lakes
81   Richard Bott   Herbalife Leisure lakes
82   Andy Coupe   Herbalife Leisure lakes
83   Andrew Hawden   Herbalife Leisure lakes
85   Richard Lang   Rapha Condor Sharp
86   Chris Jennings   Rapha Condor Sharp
87   Richard Handley   Rapha Condor Sharp
88   Mike Cumming   Rapha Condor Sharp
89   Kristian House   Rapha Condor Sharp
90   Ben Grenda   Rapha Condor Sharp
91   Dean Downing   Rapha Condor Sharp
92   Tom Murray   Sigm Sport
Group 3Â Â Â Cat 1/2/E.u23Â Â Â At 5 Mins
44   L Grivell-Mellor   Rapha Condor Sharp
45   Oliver Rossi   Rapha Condor Sharp
46   Felix English   Rapha Condor Sharp
47   Ben Greenwood   Vanillabikes.com  1
48   Jack Pullar    Vanillabikes.com  1
49   Sam Jackson   Vanillabikes.com  1
50   Harry Grey     Vanillabikes.com  1
51   Ash Finn   Vanillabikes.com  1
52   J. Pearson Res 10    Vanillabikes.com  1
53   Mat Pilkington   Team Bglobal 1
54   Shane O’Neil   Team Bglobal 1
55   Stephen Leigh   Team Bglobal 1
56   Chris Sherriffs   Team Bglobal 1
57   Ben Dean   Team Bglobal 1
58   Jack Waller Res 11   Team Wallis 2
59   Cal Nicholson   Team Wallis 1
60   Steve Abbott   Team Wallis 1
61   John Crellin   Team Wallis 1
62Â Â Â F Pilkington Res 12Â Â Â Nickson RTÂ 2
63   Declan Byrne   Cyclepremier RT 1
64   Ben Kellett   VS Cycles 2
65   Sam Boast   Hope Factory Racing 2
66   David McGowan   UK Youth 1
67   Matt Robinson   All Terrain 1
68   Martin woffindin   C.S. Pendle 2
Group 2Â Â Â Cat 4/3/2Â Â Â At 2 Mins
19Â Â Â Craig Maude Res 4Â Â Â Rock Racking 3V
20   Lee Carter   Ribble Valley CRC 3
21   Roy Pearson   Ribble Valley CRC 3
22   John Clegg   RIbble Valley CRC 4V
23   Adam Blackley   Pendle Forest CC 4
24   Jason Wilshire   Lancashire RC 2
25Â Â Â John Bamford Res 5Â Â Â Lancashire RCÂ 3V
26   Thomas Walsh   Lancashire RC 3
27   Darran Acton   Lancashire RC 4V
28   Nick Heap Res 6   Bury Clarion 4V
29   Carl Pawson   CS Pendle 3
30   Neil Higgins   Preston CC 3V
31   Nathan Harrison   Buxton CC 2
32   James Claydon    Nickson Cycles 2 u23
33   James Warren Res 7   Nickson Cycles 3
34   Chris Southworth   Leigh Premier RC 3
35   Chris Danby   Preston CC 3V
36   Sam Dobson   Lune RCC 3V
37   Steve Gibson   Peak RC 2V
38   Graham Payne   Whitfield RT V2
39   Matt Limacher Res 8   Champion Systems 2
40   Jed Hartley   Horwich CC V2
41   Hamish Graham   Asfra RT 3u23
42   Michael Knight   Hope Factory RT3u23
43   Luke Boulton   Team Wallis 2u23
44   Ady Lawrence   Team Bglobal 2V
45   J Warrington Res 9   Rock Racing 2
Group 1Â Â Â Juniors (age 16 -18)
1   Stuart McCluskey   Leslie bikes J2
2   William Thomas   Velocity RT J3
3   Andrew Leigh   Velocity RT J3
4   Luc Hall Reserve 1   Champion Systems J2
5   Chris Laython   Champion Systems J2
6   Hugh Carthy   Champion Systems J2
7   Jacob Ragan   Champion Systems J2
8   Chris Lawless   Champion Systems J2
9   Henrey Hunter   Team Wallis J3
10   Ash Clitheroe   Team Wallis J3
12Â Â Â Jordan Rigby Res 2Â Â Â Team Wallis J4
13   Jack Sadler   Mountivation DA J2
14   Matt Flynn   Mountivation DA J2
15   Josh Knights   Mountivation DA J3
16   James King    Mountivation DA J2
17   Tom mArmstrong   Mountivation J2
18Â Â Â James Knox Res 3Â Â Â Mountivation J3
Related Link: Feature on this early season classic
