Live! Pearl Izumi Tour Series – Aberystwyth

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In a brutal and very wet round of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series at Aberystwyth, Felix English won in a photo finish while his team again topped the team standings 

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Live! Pearl Izumi Tour Series – Aberystwyth

There was a thrilling finish to Aberystwyth’s round of The Pearl Izumi Tour Series on Friday evening, as Felix English collected his first ever individual win to help Rapha Condor JLT to their third team win of the 2014 Series.

English took at narrow win at the expense of Jon Mould, who had bridged across to English and Mike Northey, reaching them with a lap to go, but then who couldn’t hold off he fast finishing English on the uphill drag up to the line.

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Not a lot in it as they approach the line but English knew he had it and threw his arms in the air a split second later.

Behind Northey took third, with Ed Clancy and Tom Scully leading in the remainder of the thirteen riders left on the lead lap in Aberystwyth. With English’s first, Clancy’s fourth and Graham Briggs 8th, the RCJ team made sure of another team win for Rapha Condor JLT, a narrow victory after Madison Genesis’ placed riders in third, fifth and ninth, with a spare fourth man also in the top ten.

Going in to Week Three of The Pearl Izumi Tour Series Rapha Condor JLT now enjoy a five point lead over Madison Genesis, cementing an excellent day as Hugh Carthy also took a second place for the squad in the Tour of Japan.

In a race that started in a torrential downpour sweeping in off Cardigan Bay, the field split up early on around Aberystwyth’s technical circuit, with a group of thirteen rider splitting away from the main field. As the rest of the field splintered the lucky thirteen powered clear until English and Northey made their move at the front at the second Sprint, with English collecting the Costa Express Fastest Lap on the way.

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English coming at Mould in the drag race to the line. Northey is a length or two in third.

The duo worked up a 10-second lead, and despite repeated attempts by Scully, Yanto Barker and Tobyn Horton to bridge across, the two looked like contesting the individual win alone. That was without taking into account Sprints leader Mould, who put in a massive effort with just over two laps to go to ride across to English and Northey alone. On home roads the Welshman was then neck and neck with English up Pier Street to the finish line, with the Rapha Condor JLT just prevailing.

Mould’s consolation was keeping the Sprints jersey that he collected at Round One in Stoke-on-Trent, but now the NFTO rider’s lead is down to just one point over Briggs, with Northey and Scully also both showing a keen interest in the competition.

At the top of the standings that matter though it is Rapha Condor JLT leading the way, keeping the red and yellow leader jerseys with a healthy five point advantage over Madison Genesis.
They in turn have an eight point margin over NFTO Pro Cycling who took third on the night in Aberystwyth.

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As sods law dictates, the rain arrived just before racing commenced at 2pm and was at its worst for the start of the Men’s race.

Highlights from Aberystwyth will be shown on ITV4 at 8pm on Monday 26th May, with a repeat at 7am on Tuesday 27th May. Round Five of The Pearl Izumi Tour Series heralds a tough week for the nine teams, with Durham’s cobbled climb featuring on Tuesday (27th May) before an equally tough circuit around Edinburgh’s Grassmarket, including the cobbled Victoria Street climb on Thursday (29th May) for Round Six, the first to be held in Scotland’s capital city.

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English makes his move and Kiwi circuit race champion Northey is quick to see the  danger

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James Lowsley-Williams was drafted into the NFTO squad and did a royal job finishing 6th after making the crucial break.

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English and Northey never had much of a gap as the chase behind was brutally quick and Northey responded by constantly attacking English on the long drag through the finish 

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Raleigh’s Yanto Barker made the break and did his best to get clear to bridge across to the leaders but was unable to shake off his rivals

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Tom Scully’s race face through the finish chasing the two leaders. Madison – Genesis had no less than four riders in the break.

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The big group behind which was lapped was full of quality showing how brutal the pace was early on in the rain.

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Felix English celebrates on the podium a very impressive win in Aberystwyth to follow on from the Clancy years in the Welsh seaside University town.

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Jon Mould, the only rider to cross to the two leaders, held on to his Points jersey

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Once the rain had almost stopped, the light brightened up but the field was spread out all over the course

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Leaders Rapha Condor JLT – the performances have matched the potential the team had on paper after some astute signings by John Herety. Kristian House, Graham Briggs, Felix English, Ed Clancy and Mike Cuming

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A win for NFTO in the support race …

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Tom ‘the Scud’ Scully has a ‘chat’ with Tobi, the Tour Series mascot who was in a cheeky mood

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Impressive! The kids line up for their eight races.

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All sorts of bikes were racing on the day

The Pearl Izumi Tour Series Friday 23 May 2014, Aberystwyth

Round Four Team Result
1) Rapha Condor JLT
2) Madison Genesis
3) NFTO Pro Cycling
4) Team Raleigh
5) Pedal Heaven Colbornes
6) Metaltek Kuota
7) Starley Primal Pro Cycling
8) Node4 Velosure
9) Great Britain

Round Four Individual Result
1) Felix English, IRL, Rapha Condor JLT
2) Jon Mould, GBR, NFTO Pro Cycling
3) Mike Northey, NZL, Madison Genesis
4) Ed Clancy, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT
5) Tom Scully, NZL, Madison Genesis
6) James Lowsley-Williams, GBR, NFTO Pro Cycling
7) Yanto Barker, GBR, Team Raleigh
8) Graham Briggs, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT
9) Tobyn Horton, GBR, Madison Genesis
10) Tom Stewart GBR, Madison Genesis

Round Four Costa Express Fastest Lap: Felix English, IRL, Rapha Condor JLT, 1’31.757
Round Four Sprint Winner: Tom Scully, NZL, Madison Genesis

Overall Team Standings, post-Round Four
1) Rapha Condor JLT, 54pts
2) Madison Genesis, 49pts
3) NFTO Pro Cycling, 41pts
4) Team Raleigh, 35pts
5) Great Britain, 25pts
6) Node4 Velosure, 25pts
7) Metaltek Kuota, 23pts
8) Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 19pts
9) Pedal Heaven Colbornes, 14pts

Overall Sprint Standings, post-Round Four
1) Jon Mould, GBR, NFTO Pro Cycling, 29pts
2) Graham Briggs, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT, 28pts
3) Mike Northey, NZL, Madison Genesis, 22pts

 

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