Report: Tour Series – Stoke-on-Trent (Staffordshire)

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Yanto Barker leads UK Youth into the red - Team UK Youth take Series lead after individual win for Barker in Stoke-on-Trent

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Click here to read about last year’s event won by Bernie Sulzberger who is back in Australia in 2013.

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Team UK Youth overhauled Team Raleigh to move in to the lead of The Pearl Izumi Tour Series in Stoke-on-Trent on Tuesday night under the watchful gaze of team owner and Formula One World Champion Nigel Mansell.

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Captain Yanto Barker took his second individual victory of the season, to help Team UK Youth to their first team win of 2013 and with it the Series lead and the five red Pearl Izumi jerseys.

Barker held off Dean Downing and teammate Tobyn Horton for the win, as Madison Genesis also put in an impressive team race to take second on the night with all five of their riders finishing in the top twenty, while despite placing four riders in the top ten, Rapha Condor JLT could only come third.

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Great to see the passion Nigel Mansell has for his team – in tears after watching them win in Stoke. 

Previous leaders Team Raleigh, the winners of Rounds One and Two in Kirkcaldy and Durham, were badly effected by crashes, with debutant Eric Berthou their top man in twelfth, losing the jerseys to UK Youth on countback.

Five riders had shaped the race, going clear and building a maximum lead of just under 30 seconds. Liam Holohan, Gruff Lewis, Tobyn Horton, Felix English and Lachlan Norris worked well together, but then in a frentic five-minute period were reeled in after a concerted effort from Team UK Youth and Madison Genesis as crashes split the main field.

Raleigh were the main casualties, handing the advantage to UK Youth who drew level on points thanks to the finishes of Barker, Horton and seventh placed Ian Wilkinson, taking the lead thanks to having taken team victory on the night.

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Madison Genesis also moved to within two points of the lead, with 2011 Champions Rapha Condor JLT just a further two in arrears. There was also an excellent result for Metaltek – Knights of Old’s Welsh duo of Dale Appleby and Gruff Lewis, finishing eight and eleventh to help their team to a surprise fourth on the night, with the next race coming in Lewis’ hometown of Aberystwyth.

New Zealander Tom Scully did provide some respite for Raleigh, taking over the IG Sprints Jersey from Kristian House with a six point lead, while Barker’s last lap effort ensured the Costa Express Fastest Lap went to Team UK Youth for the third successive race.

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Tom Scully and Raleigh had a wretched night in Stoke but still managed the podium with a victory in the IG Sprints.

Highlights of Round Three in Durham will be shown on ITV4 at 10pm on Wednesday 22nd May, with a repeat at 12.55pm on Thursday 23rd May. Round Four of the Series takes place in Aberystwyth as a part of the Aberystwyth Cycle Fest on Friday 24th May.

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Team winners on the night, UK Youth, Chris Opie, Ian Wilkinson, Jon Mould, Tobyn Horton and Yanto Barker.

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 The break is about to get caught and its all on for a bunch kick!

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 Crowds at Stoke were huge

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 Chris Opie says Yanto Barker did two unbeliveable laps on the front to set up the victory

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 Second win in the series for Yanto Barker who is on fire!

Emotional Win for team owner Nigel Mansell

Asked what that victory meat to him, Nigel replied “Everything, the whole world. We represent 46,000 volunteers, over a million children in the country and it is incredibly emotional how the team fought back in this race to win and be leading the overall.”

“The team is fantastic but still have a lot of hard work to do as it’s very early (in the series). I am so proud of them on behalf of the charity (UK Youth) and it is just a fantastic, incredibly professional series, so hard and grueling, anyone who rides a bike knows there is no place to hide.”

“You have to put the effort in and this is what our team is all about; demonstrating to young people that if you work hard, you can get some great results and empower others to be inspirational and be mentors to others. Our team is all about that.”

“They have all made themselves, and myself and the whole UK Youth organization incredibly privileged and proud tonight to be part of the Tour Series”.

Yanto Barker “Can’t believe it – that’s it!” he said smiling after the podium ceremony.

Talking about Tobyn Horton being in the break and the team having faith in him, Yanto explained “absolute trust. When I saw the group go and ‘Tubs’ was the last one to get across, I was very pleased with that and would have been quiet happy if it had stayed away.”

“We needed to apply some pressure to Raleigh to close that gap and I think they had some misfortune in crashes but that is the way it goes unfortunately and the law of averages says it will all pan out the same for everyone”.

“After the third sprint, the pace in the chase group really was on and Rapha were doing the same as us and really on it. I think they may be a little weakened having a team in the RAS but were still on it. We had three or four really hard laps and that put everyone in the red and brought the break back.”

“Then it was game on”. Talking about the leadout, Yanto praised all the riders for the speed they managed to hold at the front over the closing laps and had special praise for Chris Opie saying “I have never seen a turn like it. I was literally at threshold on the wheel going so fast for two laps.”

“I was confident for the race as I know I am going well but it wasn’t the plan for them to lead me out but there was a point when I either went through or I pushed Wilkes (Ian Wilkinson) through to do another turn. I thought one of us needs to make sure we get this and I was aware that no-one was dive bombing me which was a good sign that we were going quick enough.”

“If we weren’t and riders had been dive bombing, then I would have probably gone through but as it was, I made a decision that these boys can do this to a lap to go and then I’ll take it up.”

“I think it was Felix English who hit out early from the left hander on the rise before the feed and he gapped me a bit but I knew I’d get him as it’s a bit hard coming up this rise here and we went into the last left hander and I just kicked to get on to his wheel”.

“Once we hit the exit and I’d had a bit of time to take a deep breath, I then I kicked again.”

“I was pleased to hold on as I was really grinding that gear at the end and knew it was Dean Downing on my wheel as he’d been there for the last few laps. I thought, if I can stay in front of him, we’re doing alright!”

Yanto has now won solo and in a bunch kick although he explained that it wasn’t really a bunch kick because they were doing three laps at threshold and then it was a 40 second sprint which isn’t a sprint.

“That suits me a lot because I don’t have a massive kick and we know this because we’re working on power this year and I know everyone’s numbers and how to make the most of what I have got in my ‘toolbox’ which is the terminology we use with the coach and I know if I am going to win a bunch kick, I need to go early so its more of an endurance sprint”.

Having taken the red leader’s jerseys off Raleigh, Yanto says “I think it’s easier to defend than to attack. At the end of the day, if you’re riding as a unit and we demonstrated what we are capable of tonight, the most important thing whether we have the red jerseys or not, is that we ride like that as it’s the way to win this series”.

The Pearl Izumi Tour Series, Round Three Stoke-on-Trent, Provisional Results

Round Three Stoke-on-Trent, Individual Result

1. Yanto Barker Team UK Youth (UCI Team)
2. Dean Downing Madison Genesis
3. Tobyn Horton Team UK Youth (UCI Team)
4. Andrew Tennant Madison Genesis
5. Kristian House Rapha Condor JLT
6. Felix English Rapha Condor JLT
7. Ian Wilkinson Team UK Youth (UCI Team)
8. Dale Appleby Metaltek – Knights of Old Raci
9. James McCallum Rapha Condor JLT
10. Edward Clancy MBE Rapha Condor JLT
11. Gruffudd Lewis Metaltek – Knights of Old Raci
12. Eric Berthou Team Raleigh
13. Liam Holohan Madison Genesis
14. Richard Hepworth Node4 – Giordana Racing
15. Ian Bibby Madison Genesis
16. Chris Opie Team UK Youth (UCI Team)
17. Ben Stockdale Metaltek – Knights of Old Raci
18. Lachlan Norris Team Raleigh
19. Alex Peters Madison Genesis
20. David McGowan Metaltek – Knights of Old Raci

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

Team Standings, post-Round Three
1) Team UK Youth, 26pts
2) Team Raleigh, 26pts
3) Madison Genesis, 24pts
4) Rapha Condor JLT, 22pts
5) Node4 Giordana Racing, 20pts
6) Metaltek – Knights of Old, 14pts
7) Team Hope Factory Racing, 11pts
8) MG Maxifuel, 10pts
9) Team IG Sigma Sport, 8pts
10) Spin Rotor – Primal – C-Originals, 3pts

IG Sprints winner Round Three Stoke-on-Trent: Tom Scully, NZL, Team Raleigh

Costa Express Fastest Lap Stoke-on-Trent: Yanto Barker, GBR, Team UK Youth, 1:31.0

IG Sprints standings, post-Round Three
1) Tom Scully, NZL, Team Raleigh, 24pts
2) Kristian House, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT, 18pts
3) Felix English, IRL, Rapha Condor JLT, 12pts

 

Live Photos (internet permitting)

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)

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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