Report/Result: Stockbridge Down Road Race

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Will Fox (Pedal Heaven RT) led home a 1-2-3 for the Pedal Heaven sponsored teams to win the Stockbridge Down race on a very tough rolling course on the Hampshire Wilshire boundary.

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Report/Result: Stockbridge Down Road Race 

Thanks to Graham Robins and Eamonn Deane for their help in this feature report

Sunday 24th April 2016

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Photo: Graham Robins (click to see more)

Report from Graham Robins

Will Fox (Pedal Heaven RT) waited until the lower slopes of Winton Hill to make the decisive move to get past team mates Will Harper and Max Steadman and win the latest version of the Stockbridge Down race on a very tough rolling course on the Hampshire Wilshire boundary.

He course rolled throughout with little respite for the rider as the tackled the thirteen mile lap six times with a total race distance of 80 miles which included a neutralised rollout through the Market town. Despite the early morning shower the sun quickly dried the course and the temperature started to rise as the race started. Once up Winton hill for the first time and all together the flag was pulled in and we were underway. With just over half a lap completed the riders tackled the Downs for the first time with the Peloton deciding to stay as one big group.

After the first complete lap Henry Latimer (PMR@ Toachim House) and Rhys Howells (Richardson Trek RT) were the first two to make a break and their lead was already 40secs as the rode through Crawley. But as the race turned towards the rolling downs again the gap dropped and finally the race regrouped. But quickly another attack went away when five riders getting a small gap of 12secs but within a couple of miles it again had all come together.

The race seemed to be very fluid and as soon as one group were caught another went away. And with two laps to go there were three groups on the road with very little time between each group. So at the bell a group of eight were joined by another couple of riders and this group was the finally form the final top ten.

With three riders in the breakaway Pedal Heaven drove the race along back across the Downs for the final time slowly dropping riders until the final kick up Winton Hill when Fox made his move managing to solo clear of his team mates by 4secs on the line. … (… continued after advert)

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Rider Reaction (from Eamonn Deane)

Will Fox (Pedal Heaven)
“It was pretty tough, the wind on the climbs made it hard to split, breaks kept going but everything kept coming back, when we got away on the last lap that was it everyone was working pretty well,, the final time up the climb Mouldy (Jon Mould) (JLT Condor) hit it, then Max (Steadman) went full gas, Will (Harper) was in the moves, working all day, he did a good ride, I was worried I could not beat him, Man he has got unbelievable gas at the end. The celebration was dedicated to the laziest footballer on earth, Emmanuel Adebayor, he is my idol, he is at Crystal Palace now, I am a big Spurs fan. I try to base my life on him, he just wants to go and sleep on the beach and spend his money! Obviously there is a big race on today (Rutland-Melton) I am just not there yet, I think I will be racing Wilton, Lincoln and the Tour Series, it’s good to know the legs are going alright, everyone on the team seems to be going so well”

Will Harper (Pedal Heaven)
“A really hard race, this course is pretty unforgiving, there were so many breaks that went and came back. I was in about four or five moves with strong riders that we thought, this has got to stay away, somehow it came back. A group of us finally got away on the last lap, the two Luton guys were really good, Ashley Cox has been around for a while, he is really strong and a clever rider. Max hit it hard on the final climb, from my perspective I had been probably a bit overactive on the last lap thinking I could get away on my own, I was feeling ok but I knew I did not have much of a kick, Foxey was on my wheel and he has a great finish, I jumped once but I didn’t have it today! I would say it is the hardest National B course, it is constantly rolling and the cross winds made it difficult.”

Max Steadman (Pedal Heaven)
“Definitely happy with third I guess, I tried to whittle it down on the hill, utilise my strength, the croos winds on the A30 were hard. I started driving it from the bottom of the hill and when Will Harper came up I thought they would all take me but I looked round and there were only three of us left. I really like the course, hard, hard you sort of race from the back as people tire”

3

Photo: Eamonn Deane (click to see more)

Ashley Cox & Douglas Coleman
“Just trying to stay near the front, I wont do anything until Pedal Heaven go, if there not up the road I wont go. It’s a hard course but I have been getting results most weeks, Rory (Townsend) was stronger last week but I was there. It was a bit negative, it kept coming back together, good groups would get away but would come back together, I attacked on the last lap, Will & Max came with me, I had been up the road most of the day I did not have the legs. People get scared of the distance, a bit negative when it’s a tougher course. I find it strange, people work really hard to get in the break then when they are in it they wont ride?

Doug Coleman” He (Max) is 15kg lighter than me!

Roy Chamberlain “ I was chasing at the bell, I got across with two others, I was doing a bit just looking after myself really, I like this course but my legs just went”

Oscar Hutchings (Primera)
“I got away early with Andy Feather and Lee Frost, thought it was decent move but none of the Pedal Heaven guys were there, we were working really well but just got brought back, there were lots of people who wanted to be up the road”

Andrew Feather “Yeah a pretty tough race, it split two laps from the end, then basically splintered from there, I was away twice but it all came back together, Pedal Heaven, Max Steadman bridged across then made it into the front group, he did well. A hard circuit, it’s just a wearing down race, you have to be up there all the time really, it’s not really a climbers course it’s a hard man’s course, the strongest wins”

Paul Double “I was away with Jon Mould and three of the Pedal Heaven guys, I got a bit excited!, I just sat on and didn’t really do anything, it was good”

Result
1 Will Fox (Pedal Heaven Rt)
2 Will Harper (Pedal Heaven Excel Academy)
3 Max Steadman (Pedal Heaven Rt)
4 Ashley Cox (Cc Luton)
5 Douglas Coleman (Cc Luton)
6 Lee Frost (Team Tor 2000 Kalas Sportswear)
7 Ben Simmons (Aia©Dmtcipolliniuk)
8 Roy Chamberlain (Team Corley Cycles)
9 Ben Marks (Cycleworks.Co.Uk)
10 Oscar Hutchings (Primera-Teamjobs)
11 Will Haynes (Planet X Northside)
12 Michael Smith (Team Corley Cycles)
13 Lloyd Chapman (Pedal Heaven Rt)
14 Andrew Feather (Saint Piran)
15 Paul Double (Vc Venta)
16 George Pym (Raleigh Gac)
17 Phillip Peters (Hosta©Taaps Storcx)
18 James Local (Hosta©Taap Storxc)
19 Mark Robertsdon (Army Cyclingrt)
20 Tom Morris (Portsmouth Ne)
21 Jon Mould (Jlt Condor)
22 Jamie Caldwell (Richardsons-Trek Rt)
23 Joshua James (Bc Pm)
24 Malcolm Dixon (Dream Cycling Rt)
25 James Phillips (Dream Cycling Rt)
26 James Plumb (Vc Venta)
27 David Bilings (Cycology Sunwise)
28 Rob Mccarthy (Pedal Heaven Excel Academy)
29 Mike Cripps (Army Cycling Rt)
30 Calum Croft (Primer-Teamjobs)
31 Jed Webber (Alpcycles)
32 Henry Latimer (Pmr @Toachim House)
33 Warren Jesse (Pedal Heaven Excel Academy)
34 Matt Clarke (Pedal Heaven Excel Academy)
35 Andrew Critchlow (Wyndymilla)
36 Peter Haworth (Team Tor 2000 Kalas Sportswear)
37 Andrew Turner (Ktm Imsport Rt)
38 Alex Fanshawe (Zappis Rt)
39 Scott Michaels (Soton Uni Rc)
40 Brook Elgie (Rock& Road
41 Richard Ashley Jennings (Army Cycling Rt)
42 Lewis Martin (Eden Veranda Racing)
43 Peter Allan (Wyndymilla)
44 James Meakin (Uk Biking Copyrite)
45 Nick Corbet (Equipe Velo)
Most Aggressive Rider
1 Andrew Feather
2 Will Fox
3 Ashley Cox
1st Junior
Lewis Martin

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