Talkingshop: Natalie Creswick

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Gordon Wiseman catches up with the winner of the Stoke round of the Women’s Tour Series event, Natalie Creswick

RST Cycle Clothing & Trigon Bikes

Johnsons Health Tech Grand Prix Series – Round 1 – Stoke

Standing on a cold Stoke train station platform on Tuesday night and thinking about the long, tiring train journey home she was about to undertake, racing winning Natalie Creswick (Team MuleBar Girl – Sigma Sport) must have felt that the previous few hours had been a little surreal.

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The first round of this year’s Johnsons Health Tech Grand Prix Series saw Natalie put in the race dominating performance of the evening that resulted in her – and her team’s – first ever win in what is the country’s premier race series for women.

And whilst many eyes, Natalie’s included, may have focussed on riders such as MG Maxifuel’s Hannah Barnes or Gabby Day (Matrix Fitness) to take that win, it was the current National Masters Women’s Road Race champion who mixes her racing on the road, track and cyclo-cross throughout the year who stamped her authority on the race from the very early stages.

“The race went pretty much as well as I could ever have dreamed” Natalie explained shortly after collecting the race winner’s trophy. “The plan with my team mate Louise Mahe was for us to stay near the front of the action. I knew who to watch; Hannah who is always very strong and her team mate Karla Boddy who I know is on very good form at the moment. And Matrix Fitness had a lot of riders out particularly Gabby Day”.

On first sprint lap Hannah Barnes and Lou Mahe went clear but they were chased down by the combined forces of the Matrix riders. “But with Lou in the break I could afford to just sit on their wheels and let them do the chasing. I knew that as soon as we caught them that’d be my chance and I’d have to take it”.

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And that’s exactly what she did. Natalie was soon within the back markers but wasn’t worried about threading her way through them. “All the riders are experienced and having the motor bike in front of you they knew the lead riders were coming through so it was never a problem. Everyone kept over to their side of the road”.

Once on her way there seemed very little chance of anyone catching her as Natalie’s lead opened to close to a minute leaving her to a clear run to the chequered flag and all the plaudits associated with a televised race win.

Natalie admitted to not having raced that much so far this season. “That’s not been much at all really. I did a 25 mile time trial on Sunday, I’ve not done many of those before. But I’ve entered the National Time Trial Championships in June, that’s over about 15 miles I think. It’ll be interesting to see how I go in that”.

Like many of the other riders taking part in the Johnsons Series, Natalie had to get up early to work before she got the train to Stoke for the racing (she works for the charity ChildLine as a volunteer manger and counselling supervisor).

“I was up at 6am so it’s going to be a long journey home by train back to Surbiton. And I’m working again tomorrow as well. But now I’m going to enjoy my win. For me and the team it’s a Very Big Win so I’m as pleased as punch which is why I can’t stop smiling. I must ring my mum!”

 

 

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