Report/Results: Tour Series – Kirkcaldy (Scotland)

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The first round of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series saw the two strongest teams so far this season come out on top with the Individual win for Yanto Barker of UK Youth and Raleigh winning the team award.

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UK Youth’s Yanto Barker wins the first round of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series in Kirkcaldy (Scotland)

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Team Raleigh take control after Round One in Scotland

Individual win for UK Youth’s Yanto Barker at Kirkcaldy Pearl Izumi Tour Series opener. Team Raleigh took the team win at the opening round of The Pearl Izumi Tour Series in Kirkcaldy, Fife, taking the lead of Britain’s unique team based Series. The Nottingham team filled three of the top six spots on the night to pull on the new red Pearl Izumi Tour Series leaders’ jerseys, sealing victory ahead of Team UK Youth and Rapha Condor JLT.

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It was Team Raleigh with 2nd, 5th and 6th in the race that won the Team award – L-R, Alex Blain (6th), Scotland’s Evan Oliphant, Tom Scully (2nd), Richard Lang (5th) and Sam Witmitz.

Yanto Barker headed to the individual victory, his first in the Series, beating Kiwi duo Tom Scully and Mike Northey, who spent the latter half of the race in the leading break with Team UK Youth’s Barker.

The trio, plus Felix English, were at the forefront in a fast paced, action packed race that saw the peloton strung out right from the flag. Alexandre Blain and Roman Van Uden took the honours at the opening two IG Sprints, before the break made their move, going clear ahead of the third and final IG Sprint. Node4 Giordana Racing’s Northey followed Scully home in the last IG Sprint to secure the points to claim the IG Sprints Jersey.

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Mike Northey wins the IG Sprint jersey on a good day for the New Zealand riders

English was tailed off in the closing laps, suffering from cramp, leaving the leading three riders to fight it out for the win. Barker proved the strongest, heading Scully and Northey with enough time in hand to sit up and celebrate his first ever individual win in The Pearl Izumi Tour Series. Blain and Richard Lang took the bunch kick for fifth and sixth places to give Team Raleigh their second ever round win in the Series and the first victory of the 2013 edition.

Behind Chris Opie’s 8th and Marcin Bialoblocki’s 14th gave Team UK Youth second, while James McCallum and Ed Clancy’s top twelve placing’s gave Rapha Condor JLT third on the night.

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After a few laps behind the TV bike, the race started proper with Antoine Gaidillat from Spin-Rotor-Primal leading the field into the bend at the end of the home straight. the race got quicker and quicker and after ten laps, some serious splits were seen in the peloton.

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The racing was full on and riders were having to fight so hard to hold the wheel in front in front of a good crowd in Kirkcaldy.

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With the sun out and not too cold a weather, it was a great place to have a bike race with the Fife in the background.

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Into the second half of the race, Tom Scully (Raleigh) makes the move and a small group of chasers can be seen in the background.

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A break of four soon came together and with one each from the strongest teams, it opened up a big gap on the peloton.

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Yanto Barker has a dig with around five laps laps to go and the move sees Felix English drop back.

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After Felix English was dropped, there were just three riders left at the front led here by Mike Northey

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Felix English did very well to finish fourth after being dropped.

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Yanto Barker (UK Youth) shows who’s number 1 as he beats Tom ‘the Scud’ Scully (Raleigh) into second place with Mike Northey in 3rd.

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REACTIONS

Yanto Barker (UK Youth) “Winning feels very good” said Yanto after the podium ceremony. “It is scary how easy it feels when you are strong enough which is not something I have been in a position to say in my whole career. Chris (Opie) said after the first stage of the Tour of Reservoir that its taken eight years to win a national series event at senior level.”

“Well, it’s taken me 15 years which is scary! I would really like to say thank you to Nigel (Mansell) because I don’t think there is any coincidence that this is my first big win under his leadership because he is a man who knows how to win and he really does. We have the resources within the team, we have great support, we have Steve Benton who is great team coach, we have Greg who is a real leader on the management side and then all the riders.”

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Yanto Barker (UK Youth) talks to team boss Nigel Mansell about his victory.

“Everyone is so positive and so good to be around, I cannot tell you how much a pleasure it is and I feel really pleased I have been able to make a difference myself. I couldn’t wish for a better group!”

Asked if it was good to get the first one from the Tour Series out of the way and see where everyone is, Yanto replied ”there is always a few nerves coming into the first round and I was a bit nervous but I had a good feeling about the race this afternoon. I felt good on Sunday, and on Monday I was good but tired and then this morning on the training ride, I felt a good progression between Sunday, Monday and today.”

“It’s nice to have the individual win and we can look forward to getting Durham out of the way because there are a lot of factors there like it’s a little dangerous, a little bit hard and if you have a slightly off lap, you can find yourself in difficulty so hopefully we can maintain our position at the front.”

“I was quite cautious in the race and measuring my efforts and Niklas was going really well until he rolled his tub and I nearly crashed into him. When the break did go though, it was hard. I have been up the road with Mike (Northey) and Tom Scully before like at Rutland (the first break that stuck in that race after only 10k) and I knew they were good enough. Felix (English) was good but suffering. He’s a trier and I think John was telling him to sit on but he came through and did what he had to because he was going to make it harder for himself if he didn’t come through.”

“When it came to the last five laps, I started to feel better and I just heard that the fastest lap was mine from start to finish (a lap on his own rather than him just being the first across the line in the break or bunch) and that’s pleasing to be able to do a fastest lap after an hour and bit of racing”.

“I was scared though of the sprint, it’s not my strength and both Mike Northey and Tom Scully are clearly good bike riders and I wasn’t confident so I wanted to give it a dig and I was pleased with how I timed it right. I was breathing through my ears those last laps! It was hard work for sure. I was pressing really hard between the corners, and then taking breathes because I knew I was taking the corners a metre or two quicker than the others.”

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Tom Scully (Raleigh)(above) “It is a good start to the series” the New Zealander said as he warmed down on the rollers afterwards. “I wasn’t sure before the race how it was going to go. There was a lot of talk about how rapid it was going to be from the start and it was. I gave it a nudge and got away and a couple of guys came across which was what I wanted.”

In the CiCLE Classic Tom Scully was in a break with Barker and fellow Kiwi Mike Northey and when I said that, Tom replied in jest ”I think Mike is just following me round! Mike’s a good rider and we race each other a fair bit back in New Zealand throughout the summer so I knew he was a strong rider to be with.”

“It’s not always easy to come to the other side of the world to race but when you do, you have to make the most of it which is what we’re doing. I was quite relieved to get away and never sure it was going to happen.”

It was ironic though that when the British rider, Yanto Barker, went up the road it was left to two Kiwis to chase him and when they’d passed through the finish, Tom had looked at Northey for help to chase Barker down. “I had done a pretty big turn and looked around at him hoping he was going to do the same and we both gave it everything we had but Yanto was very strong out there.”

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Mike Northey.

Asked about the pressure riders are under to do well for their teams in such an important series, “I think that is great and there is a lot of passion about doing well in it. You can see that in everyone; the riders, the managers, the Tour Series organisation, and it’s a great thing to be part of. Everyone is gunning for it and when everyone is that passionate about it and excited about doing well, it makes it good fun.”

“I have had a good few months so far and hopefully we can keep things ticking over for the next five weeks and try and then get a wee bit of time to put my feet up come July!”

Cherie Pridham (Manager, Team Raleigh): “We have had three or four months of hard work doing the right preparation for the boys and I am really happy for them. I am really happy for them as they deserve it. Its good when you set out with a plan and it comes off.”

Asked if a team with strength in depth like Team Raleigh, the manager is choosing riders for specific courses, Cherie, replied “we have the depth to be able to rest riders and I was confident in the riders I brought here tonight. We stuck to the plan and it went well for us. Durham is a completely different course so we will make a few changes.”

Next Round: Round Two, Thursday 16th May, Durham, County Durham

Provisional Results

Round One Kirkcaldy, Individual Result
1) Yanto Barker, GBR, Team UK Youth
2) Tom Scully, NZL, Team Raleigh
3) Mike Northey, NZL, Node4 Giordana Racing
4) Felix English, IRL, Rapha Condor JLT
5) Richard Lang, AUS, Team Raleigh
6) Alexandre Blain, FRA, Team Raleigh
7) Dean Downing, GBR, Madison Genesis
8) Chris Opie, GBR, Team UK Youth
9) James McCallum, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT
10) Alex Peters, GBR, Madison Genesis

Round One Kirkcaldy, Team Result
1) Team Raleigh
2) Team UK Youth
3) Rapha Condor JLT
4) Node4 Giordana Racing
5) Madison Genesis
6) Metaltek – Knights of Old
7) MG Maxifuel
8) Team IG Sigma Sport
9) Team Hope Factory Racing
10) Spin Rotor – Primal – C-Originals

Team Standings, post-Round One
1) Team Raleigh, 10pts
2) Team UK Youth, 9pts
3) Rapha Condor JLT, 8pts
4) Node4 Giordana Racing, 7pts
5) Madison Genesis, 6pts
6) Metaltek – Knights of Old, 5pts
7) MG Maxifuel, 4pts
8) Team IG Sigma Sport, 3pts
9) Team Hope Factory Racing, 2pts
10) Spin Rotor – Primal – C-Originals, 1pt

IG Sprints winner Round One Kirkcaldy: Mike Northey, NZL, Node4 Giordana Racing
Costa Express Fastest Lap Kirkcaldy: Yanto Barker, GBR, Team UK Youth, 2:05.5

IG Sprints standings, post-Round One
1) Mike Northey, NZL, Node4 Giordana Racing, 7pts
2) Tom Scully, NZL, Team Raleigh, 6pts
3) Alexandre Blain, FRA, Team Raleigh, 6pts

You can also catch the action on ITV4 – click here to find out when its on the box …

Kirkcaldy can be found on the east coast of Scotland and is the biggest town in the Kingdom of Fife. Click here  to read about last year’s event won by British Circuit Race Champion Scott Thwaites (Endura Racing).

Live Photos (internet permitting)
As we do at all events we attend, photos will be uploaded live during the race and you can see them in the slideshow below. We’ll also try and add updates as and when we can during the race.

Results
Coming …

Live Text Updates

The Pearl Izumi Tour Series takes place at the following dates & locations:
1 – Round One Tuesday 14th May Kirkcaldy, Fife

2 – Round Two Thursday 16th May Durham, County Durham

3 -Round Three Tuesday 21st May Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
(includes women’s Johnson Health Tech GP Series)

4 -Round Four Friday 24th May Aberystwyth, Ceredigion

5 -Round Five Tuesday 28th May Torquay, Devon

6 -Round Six Thursday 30th May Colchester, Essex
(includes women’s Johnson Health Tech GP Series)

7 -Round Seven Tuesday 4th June Redditch, Worcestershire
(includes women’s Johnson Health Tech GP Series)

8 -Round Eight Thursday 6th June Canary Wharf, London

9 -Round Nine Tuesday 11th June Woking, Surrey
(includes women’s Johnson Health Tech GP Series)

10 – Round Ten Thursday 13th June Aylsham, Norfolk
(includes women’s Johnson Health Tech GP Series)

11- Round Eleven Friday 14th June Ipswich, Suffolk

The Teams for 2013 doing all ten rounds are: (click for rider list)
— Rapha Condor JLT,
— Team UK Youth,
— Team Raleigh,
— NODE 4 Giordana Racing,
— MG – Maxifuel Pro Cycling,
— IG Sigma Sport,
— Metaltek – Knights of Old Racing Team,
— Team Hope Factory Racing,
— Madison Genesis,
— Spin Rotor – Primal – Coriginals

Note: each round will have a guest team or two. (click for rider list)

Past winners of this unique competition include Team Halfords Bikehut (2009), Motorpoint Marshalls Pasta (2010), Rapha Condor Sharp (2011) and Endura Racing (2012).

Related Link: A look back at the 2012 Tour Series here

 

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