After a stage race in Ireland, Colin Parry solos to victory in the E/1/2/3 race at Chesterford (Essex)
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Report by Will Hedden
A full field of sixty riders set off for a long and blustery race in North Essex on a slightly revised course from previous years. In the absence of last year’s winner Wouter Sybrandy, a number of strong individuals would have to fight a very strong Team Corley Cycles.
Eager to position themselves at the head of affairs at the beginning of a hard day’s ride, eight riders made an early breakaway on lap one that would shape the first half of the race. A number of strong second cats featured in this group, among them a very aggressive Nick Baker of Zappi’s CC, who picked up two of the days primes with lone attacks on the race’s tough finishing climb. Wally Gimber winner Matthew Jones of Team Corley cycles had also made this breakaway and had to be fancied for the win.
The breakaway persisted, at one point gaining three minutes on a diminishing main field. After sixty miles, the bunch had disintegrated into two main parts, with firstly four riders and then a larger group making the junction to the breakaway to provide a gruppo compacto of around twenty riders. The remaining stragglers were quickly distanced and had seen the end of their days racing.
The windy conditions were slowly destroying this group, with riders using all parts of the road on some of the narrower lanes on the course to try and shelter away from the stiff northerly breeze.
With two laps to go the race again split and this time into three, with a number of the early breakaway being distanced, paying for the efforts. A number of teams had more than one rider for this final chapter of the race, including Willier-Live2Ride, Team Zappi’s and Team Corley Cycles.
On the final lap, Jones struck out solo for home and looked a solid bet for the victory. But the slow wearing down process of the race meant that it was a rider who had kept his powder dry early on that would eventually prevail. Colin Parry of Willier-Live2Rdie set off in pursuit on the final lap, catching Jones solo on the final finishing climb and agonisingly leaving him behind to take a great victory and the £100 first prize.
Jones held on for second, and along with Baker, these two riders had shown that it had been possible to ride in front all day and still feature at the death, all be it not quite reaching the top step of the podium. The time gaps that separated the members of the front group at the line showed the toll the wind and tough course had taken on the field. Team IG Sigma Sport’s Andrew Griffiths and Corley stalwart Roy Chamberlain rounded out the top five, reiterating the quality of the riders that had contested the finish.
In total there were seventeen riders who had finished on the same lap as the winner, in what was possibly the hardest edition yet of this race. After only a few short years, the Glade Spring road race has cemented itself as one of the most demanding in the Eastern region and a proven stomping ground for some top domestic riders, many of whom have already had a demanding start to the year with the Southern Classics and the start of the Premier Calendar.
RESULT
1. Colin Parry – E – Wilier / Live2Ride …………. 145km in 3:55:00
2. Matthew Jones – E – Team Corley Cycles / Blue …. @19 secs
3. Nickolas Baker – 2 – Zappi’s Cycling Club …….. @42 secs
4. Andrew Griffiths – E – Team – IG Sigma Sport ….. @51 secs
5. Roy Chamberlain – E – Team Corley Cycles / Blue .. @s.t
6. Jamie Caldwell – 1 – Cycle Premier RT ………… @s.t
7. Ashley Cox – E – Team Corley Cycles / Blue ……. @56 secs
8. Martin Ford – E – In Gear Quickvit Trainsharp RT . @1m 1s
9. Paul Londors – 1 – Spin-Rotor RT …………….. @1m 26s
10 Nicolas Hutchings – E – CS Grupetto ………….. @2m 10s
11 Hugh Wilson – 1 – Wilier / Live2Ride …………. @2m 30s
12 Flavio Zappi – 2 – Zappi’s Cycling Club ………. @5m 20s
13 Richard Wood – 1 – Team Milton Keynes ………… @s.t
14 Bryan Crump – 1 – Eagle RC ………………….. @6m
15 Taylor Johnstone – 1 – Team De Ver …………… @s.t
16 Mike Wragg – 1 – Team Milton Keynes ………….. @6m 30s
17 Mike Auger – 1 – Strada Sport ……………….. @7m 30s
18 Mark Baines – 2 – Spirit RT …………………. Stopped @ 1 lap to go
19 Simon Henley – 2 – Team Corley Cycles / Blue ….. @s.t
20 Gavin Moore – 2 – PCH UK Racing Team …………. @s.t
21 Liam Gentry – 1 – Strada Sport ………………. @s.t
22 Brennan Townshend – 1 – Team Raleigh – GAC ……. Stopped @ 2 laps to go
23 Philip Hetzel – 1 – Ipswich BC ………………. @s.t
24 James Fox – 1 – CC Luton ……………………. @s.t
25 Gonzalo Rodriguez – 2 – East London Velo ……… @s.t
26 Douglas Coleman – 2 – CC Luton ………………. @s.t
27 Nathan Miller – 2 – XRT – Elmy Cycles ………… @s.t
28 Basil Moss – 2 – Cambridge CC ……………….. @s.t
29 Toby Eichler – 1 – Wilier / Live2Ride ………… @s.t
30 David Palmer – 2 – Spin-Rotor RT …………….. @s.t
31 Ian Franklin – 2 – PCH UK Racing Team ………… @s.t
32 Adam French – 2 – East London Velo …………… @s.t
33 Mike Jackson – 1 – CC Luton …………………. @s.t
34 Stuart Pryce – 2 – Strada Sport ……………… @s.t
