Report: Junior Men’s Road Race Championship

Another sucess for Hargroves Cycles as Sam Lowe wins the Junior Road Race Championship solo in Wales

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The race saw a break go with only a kilometre covered and they soon opened up a big gap on the peloton where the favourites were biding their time. With the lead of the break approaching the five minute mark, the peloton continued to stay together until the Moors where the exposed section saw things start to kick off.

With the attacks in the peloton starting to come thick and fast over the moors, and the wind getting in amongst the riders, the bunch soon started to break up. Tao Geoghegan Hart and Dan Pearson then went clear and that was too strong a paring to let go so Lowe and Alex Peters set off in pursuit. The race was by now well split with lots of little groups all chasing the leaders until the selection was made with 25 riders forming at the front of the race.

This front group continued to ride through and off until there was only ten miles to go when one of those soft breaks went away as Sam Lowe (Hargroves Cycles) went through at the front and some one let the wheel go. “As I’d be given the gap, I accelerated” said Sam afterwards. Three riders, Dan Pearson, Jake Kelly and Seb Bayliss then joined Lowe at the front as the race hit the dual carriageway which comes with only six miles to go, most of that uphill.

As the riders in the break started to look at each other at the bottom of the climb, the hesitation was enough for more riders to come and join them halfway up the final climb including Tao Geoghegan Hart and Will Stephenson. Geoghegan Hart continued to press on to try and go clear but no-one was giving him an inch to move in and while all this played out, more riders joined them including one of the favourites, Alex Peters.

The finish was by now only round the corner and it was a sprint that decided the title with Lowe gaining a gap of two seconds according to the photo finish as he yet again showed just how fast he is in the sprint to the line.

Sam’s win was no surprise after he won a bunch kick to finish second in a race in the Czech Republic, a sprint he says he won by a bike length against international opposition. After top tens in the national series events last year, Sam has progressed to top fives and also podiums and good performances in international races. Now he’s British Junior Road Race Champion. It has certainly been some year for him so far.

There are plenty of goals left for the young rider, with selection for the European and World road champs being a two big goals as well as trying to make the GB academy at the end of the season. Helping him in achieving that goal is Hargroves Cycles. “I get massive support from them with all the equipment they supply me as well as the advice from Pete. It’s been a great help especially all of us staying together as a team where we all get on great. With Pete there to guide us, it just makes it a really great team to be on.”

Result

1. Sam Lowe Hargroves Cycles / Specialized 3:04:16
2. Sebastian Bayliss MDCC 3:04:18
3. Jake Kelly Team Microgaming Isle of Man 3:04:18
4. George Pym Exeter Wheelers 3:04:18
5. Will Stephenson Primera Sport – Specialized 3:04:18
6. Ashley Proctor Sportscover Altura RT 3:04:18
7. Tao Geoghegan Hart Cycling Club Hackney 3:04:18
8. Dan Pearson Wilier Live2Ride 3:04:18
9. Alex Peters Mosquito Bikes 3:04:18
10. Craig Wallace Granite City RT 3:04:30
11. Stuart McClusky Leslie Bike Shop/Wright Move Windows 3:05:51
12. Jacob Scott Planet X 3:05:58
13. Jake Womersley Sportscover Altura RT 3:05:59
14. Jack Edwards P M Racing 3:05:59
15. Jack Plummer Cadence Sport – Cannondale 3:06:03
16. Joseph Moses Sportscover Altura RT 3:06:25
17. Ed Laverack Team Tredz 3:06:25
18. Matt Flynn Mountivation Development Academy 3:06:43
19. William Worrall M & D Cycles/Kinetica Racing Team 3:06:48
20. Felix Barker Cambridge CC 3:07:08
21. Joe Kirkham Hargroves Cycles / Specialized 3:07:12
22. Adam Lewis WWCC 3:07:17
23. Callum Ferguson Halesowen A & CC 3:07:37
24. Harry Golding P M Racing 3:08:04
25. Thomas Armstrong Mountivation Development Academy 3:08:16
26. Ashley Martin Cadence Sport – Cannondale 3:08:19
27. Harry Franklin Hargroves Cycles / Specialized 3:08:24
28. Kristian Woolf Zipvit 3:09:29
29. Dale McCallum The Bicycle Works 3:09:34
30. Jacob Ragan Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos 3:09:38
31. Harry Tanfield team wallis-chh.com 3:09:38
32. Frazier Carr AW Cycles 3:09:38
33. Zachery May Cardiff Jif/Cyclopedia 3:09:38
34. Joshua Knights Mountivation Development Academy 3:09:38
35. Christopher Latham Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos 3:09:38
36. Josh Green Glendene CC 3:09:42
37. James Newey Cadence Sport – Cannondale 3:09:48
38. Jonathan Dibben Hargroves Cycles / Specialized 3:09:48
39. Mitchell Webber Andover Wheelers 3:10:42
40. Hugh Carthy Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos 3:15:41
41. Ben Lamb Wilier Live2Ride 3:18:18
42. Callum Bramley Langdale Lightweights RT 3:22:24
43. George Rowlands Mid-Shropshire Wheelers 3:22:39
44. Henry Hunter team wallis-chh.com 3:22:40
45. Geraint Manley Cardiff Jif/Cyclopedia 3:22:44
46. Mark Stewart Spokes RT 3:23:05
47. Peter Barusevicus V.C. Bradford/Pennine Cycles/Stella Azzura 3:23:20
48. Nick Corlett Team Microgaming Isle of Man 3:23:20
49. Luc Hall Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos 3:25:38
50. Robbie Westwood M & D Cycles/Kinetica Racing Team 3:25:57
51. Owen James M & D Cycles/Kinetica Racing Team 3:25:59
52. Matthew Thompson Cardiff Jif/Cyclopedia 3:26:01
53. Matt Hargroves Hargroves Cycles / Specialized 3:27:20
54. Charley Bradley-Veilands Wilier Live2Ride 3:27:43
55. William Thomas Velocity Race Team 3:27:48
56. Alex Challis North Devon Wheelers-Southfork 3:28:31
57. Ashley Clitheroe team wallis-chh.com 3:29:00
58. Sol Warwick Penzance Wheelers 3:30:31
59. Dan Colman TRCC 3:32:02
60. Alex Haddock Team Microgaming Isle of Man 3:32:09
61. Peter Hitt Mountain Trax RT 3:32:43
62. Andy Shackel VC St. Raphael 3:34:12
63. Louis Fawke VO2 Development Team 3:35:20
64. Alan Trolove West Suffolk Wheelers 3:36:46
65. Thomas Bowering Performance Cycles-CMI 3:37:00
66. Cameron Balfour CNP Orbea 3:45:42
67. Tom Arnstein Velo Ecosse 3:45:42
68. Ross Green Stewartry Wheelers 3:48:27
69. Scott Bennett Bynea CC 3:53:09
70. Harry Loader VO2 Development Team 3:53:10

Disqualified

52 Joe Rainey – DQ for crossing double white lines multiple times for a considerable distance
54 Mathew Cross – DQ Non-regulation supply of refreshments (sticky bottle) for a considerable distance)
70 Andy Leigh – DQ for crossing double white lines with oncoming traffic
102 Sam Williams – DQ for crossing double white lines into oncoming traffic

Welsh Championships
1 Dan Pearson Wilier Live2Ride 2
2 Ed Laverack Team Tredz 3
3 William Worrall M & D Cycles/Kinetica Racing Team 2
4 Zachery May Cardiff Jif/Cyclopedia 2
5 Geraint Manley Cardiff Jif/Cyclopedia 3
6 Robbie Westwood M & D Cycles/Kinetica Racing Team 2
7 Owen James M & D Cycles/Kinetica Racing Team 2
8 Matthew Thompson Cardiff Jif/Cyclopedia 2
9 William Thomas Velocity Race Team 2
10 Dan Colman TRCC
11 Scott Bennett Bynea CC
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