NFTO apply the pressure but Graham Briggs of JLT Condor makes two from two this week in the circuit race in Abergavenny on Friday night
![]() |
Report – Abergavenny Crit
It was close, very close, but Graham Briggs (below) defied the pressure from NFTO to win the final round of the Elite Circuit Series in Abergavenny on Friday night.
Graham Briggs – post race reaction … “When we got to the hairpin on the last lap, I jumped Jonny there and the rest was history. It is where it counts on the last lap and I just timed it right. I followed a few moves but my team did a great job as well. It is great to get two wins in a week and it has been a great week in Wales.”
At the bell lap, Jonny McEvoy of NFTO had a small lead with a very strong group chasing him and whilst he looked good for the victory, there was no stopping Graham Briggs of JLT Condor who clipped off the front of the chasers and caught McEvoy on the road through the town centre to win by several lengths. Steele von Hoff of NFTO held off Chris Lawless (Wiggins) for third.
The race was on fire early on, brutal even, as the riders tried to get away on the small and technical circuit. Chris Lawless (Wiggins) and Alex Paton (Pedal Heaven) were just two of the riders at the front putting a lot of others in the pain cave. The first half of the race was just relentless and series winner Jon Mould (One Pro Cycling) was on a good night in front of home fans and family.
But Briggs, who had led from start to finish in Chepstow was keeping tabs on things whilst NFTO were all over the race in numbers and really wanting the win. Into the final quarter of the race and Australian circuit race champion from NFTO, Steele Von Hoff, had a good go. He’d suffered two mechanicals in Chepstow and a crash in RideLondon and was doing his damndest to change that luck around.
Steele Von Hoff (NFTO)
Von Hoff was joined by teammate Jonny McEvoy and Alex Paton before the trio were caught and Mould had a go. All the pressure at the front saw a split in the peloton with around sixteen riders going clear. NFTO had five or six riders in the lead group and the manager Dave Povall said on the team’s live video of the finale, that they were in a good position but added that JLT Condor and Jon Mould (One Pro Cycling) were also in a good place and riding well. Not to mention Chris Lawless who was swapping turns with Philippe Gilbert recently in a race in Belgium.
Two laps to go and McEvoy managed to gap the rest and led with a decent gap at the bell but Briggs wasn’t haven’t any of that and knowing he was outnumbered, he hit them just before the u-turn in the town centre and carried on to catch Jonny on the technical drag up to the finish and carry on to win. McEvoy held on for second and Steele Von Hoff just held off Lawless.
Jonny McEvoy, NFTO
Result (Provisional)
1 Graham Briggs JLT Condor 01:04:18 01:04:18
2 Jonathan McEvoy NFTO same time
3 Von Hoff Steele NFTO same time
4 Christopher Lawless Team Wiggins same time
5 Mark Stewart 100% ME 4
6 James Lowsley-Williams NFTO same time
7 Jon Mould One Pro Cycling same time
8 Alex Paton Pedal Heaven RT same time
9 Ian Bibby NFTO same time
10 Ryan Davies SportGrub KUOTA Cycling Team 7
11 Zachery May NFTO same time
12 Gruffudd Lewis Pedal Heaven RT same time
13 Rhys Lloyd NFTO same time
14 Evan Oliphant Raleigh GAC same time
15 Gabriel Cullaigh 100% ME same time
16 Rory Townsend Pedal Heaven RT 20
17 Sam Williams One Pro Cycling same time
18 Jake Hales Spirit Bikes Racing Team same time
19 Lloyd Chapman Richardsons-Trek RT 21
20 Sam Lowe Raleigh GAC 22
21 Jake Kelly 100% ME 23
22 Mitchell Webber Pedal Heaven RT 25
23 Michael Thompson Team Wiggins same time
24 William Bjergfelt SportGrub KUOTA Cycling Team 27
25 Ben Simmons Team Wiggle 32
26 George Pym Raleigh GAC 36
27 Edward Laverack JLT Condor 38
28 Ian Wilkinson Raleigh GAC 01:00
29 Andrew Hawdon Raleigh GAC 01:05
30 Josh Hunt One Pro Cycling 01:08
31 Tom Baylis One Pro Cycling same time
32 Felix English JLT Condor 01:32
3 laps Stuart Travis-Beames Spirit Bikes Racing Team
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- Q&A: Sophie Lankford (Alba Team)
- Team Feature: Sam Watson’s Journey to WorldTour
- News: Rayner Foundation’s Gateway Project
- News: Star Names Sign up for Saint Piran 05/03 Team
- News: 58th Perfs Pedal RR
- Track Result: Premier Division Manchester Track League
- News: GB Team for CX Worlds
- Team News: MAS Design – Fensham Howes Junior Team
- 2022/2023 National Trophy Cyclocross Series Final Standings
- EVENTS: The Peaks 2 Day p/b Giant Sheffield
- TEAM NEWS: Kalas Motip Race Team for 2023
- Team News: Rotor UK Sponsor Team AT85
- CX Result: Leicestershire Cyclo-Cross League Rd 7
- CX Result: Wessex CX League, Rd 12
- CX Result: Eastern Region CX League Rd 10
- Q&A: Vicky Smith (Alba Development Road Team)
- Track Result: First Division Manchester Track League
- Track Result: Premier Division Manchester Track League
- Crit Result: LVYCC Winter Races 1
- British Track Championships Jan 26-29
- Crit Result: Odd Down Winter Series 2
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Series #11
- Event News: Midlands handicap league returns in 2023
- News: Alba DRT Riders Inspired to Step Up
- Track Result: First Division Manchester Track League
- Crit Result: Velo29 Winter Series Rd 1
- British Cyclocross Championships 2023: Day 2
- British Cyclocross Championships 2023: Day 1
- Crit Result: Odd Down Winter Series Rd 1
- Race Dates: Track Events 2023
- Track Result: Premier Division Manchester Track League
- News: Santini Cycling UK
- News: Wightlink-Wight Mountain CRT Report
- Events: Velo Club St Raphael Time Trial
- Startlist: British Cyclocross Championships 2023
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Series (LVVP) 10
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Series #5 (Hillingdon)
- CX Result: CXNE Round 8 (Herrington)
- CX Result: Eastern Cyclo-Cross League Rd 9
- CX Result: Lincolnshire Cyclocross League 6
Other News on VeloUK
- Q&A: Sophie Lankford (Alba Team)
- News: Rayner Foundation’s Gateway Project
- News: Star Names Sign up for Saint Piran 05/03 Team
- News: 58th Perfs Pedal RR
- News: GB Team for CX Worlds
- Team News: MAS Design – Fensham Howes Junior Team
- EVENTS: The Peaks 2 Day p/b Giant Sheffield
- TEAM NEWS: Kalas Motip Race Team for 2023
- Team News: Rotor UK Sponsor Team AT85
- Q&A: Vicky Smith (Alba Development Road Team)
- British Track Championships Jan 26-29
- Event News: Midlands handicap league returns in 2023
- News: Alba DRT Riders Inspired to Step Up
- Race Dates: Track Events 2023
- News: Santini Cycling UK
- News: Wightlink-Wight Mountain CRT Report
- Events: Velo Club St Raphael Time Trial
- Startlist: British Cyclocross Championships 2023
- BRITISH CYCLOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023
- News: Brother UK Continues to Sponsor Cycling
- Dave Rayner Fund Supported Riders
- Event news: British Team Cup
- National Trophy: Final Round, Cyclopark
- News: Pedal Club December Lunch Report
- Team News: Velo Bavarian Race Team 2023
- 2023 British teams – Richardson’s Trek
- Team News: 26th Year for Arctic-Aircon RT
- Event News: British Masters RR Champs
- News: West Midlands RR Calendar
- Team News: New cycling team in Central Region
- News: UCI World Masters Track Championships
- 2023: National Under 23, Youth & Junior Road Series
- National Trophy Cyclocross Round 5: Startlist
- News: 2023 British National Road Series
- New Bikes! Ribble’s Reynolds 725 (Gravel bike)
- News: Pedal Club November Meeting
- Info: World Masters Cyclocross (East Suffolk)
- Shows: iceBike Back in 2023
- News: New Sponsorship for CiCLE Classic
- Track Champion’s League: Brits on Fire in Berlin