Tour of the Wolds – Men’s Race

JLT Condor came back with a vengeance in the Tour of the Wolds to help Aussie Brenton Jones win from Steele Von Hoff and Russell Downing

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Tour of the Wolds – Men’s Race

Preview is here on VeloUK

JLT Condor came back with a vengeance in the Tour of the Wolds to help Aussie Brenton Jones win from Steele Von Hoff and Russell Downing

An Aussie one-two – Brenton Jones wins from Steele Von Hoff with Russell Downing third.

Brutal. No other word for the Men’s Tour of the Wolds in Lincolnshire. The area may be one of natural beauty but the race wasn’t pretty as the rolling roads saw the race decimated by the time it came back to Louth and a packed town centre to watch some bike racing.

From the moment the flag was dropped, unlike last week on a brutal course but not so brutal racing of it, the Tour of the Wolds, with the wind blowing and the sun shining, was as aggressive as it gets in a British pro race.

Just like the women’s race in the morning, riders were being popped out the back of the peloton from the time the race hit the first of the climbs at South Elkington. Breaks were coming and going but the one that changed the face of the race was one of ten riders that escaped on the first loop of the Nettleton circuit.

The leaders on the climb out of South Elkington with two from Metaltek-Kuota and Matt Cronshaw of Madison Genesis

With Madison Genesis, Bike Channel Canyon, Brother NRG Driverplan, JLT Condor, Metaltek Kuota and One Pro Cycling all represented, it was a key move and one team missed it and after a little hesitation, Raleigh GAC grouped together to chase it down on behalf of the team leader Enrique Sanz.

Race radio was then a constant stream of messages of the gap coming down and then with the gap under 20 seconds, things got even livelier. The break was doomed and the race changed again as four men were soon leading the charge back to Louth; Matt Holmes (Madison Genesis), Liam Holohan (Metaltek Kuota), Hayden McCormick and Ian Bibby.

Behind it was carnage. The once big peloton was shredded as JLT decided it was time to bring the race back together and with Bibby told to sit in up in the break, a small group of only 20 or so riders headed by JLT in numbers were chasing.

Charlie Tanfield (Brother NRG Driverplan) leads a key move in the race

The break lined out as they open a gap on the peloton not interested in chasing … yet

Sitting at the back of the race, listening to race radio and the gap to the leaders coming down, the sight of riders being popped out of the chasing group was telling. With the cross winds, JLT were drilling it and without an attack, riding in the gutter and finding shelter impossible to find, on roads that were rolling up and down, for many the pace was too quick and they slipped out of the group and even the convoy offered no shelter for riders whose legs were now empty.

Into Louth the leaders raced and it was their race only as whatever groups were behind were going to be stopped on racing the circuit in front of a packed town centre. JLT of course dominated the pace, keeping it high and using up riders to do that, to prevent attacks. Almost.

Raleigh GAC doing their own damage as they bring the gap to the break down

James ‘Hank’ Lowsley Williams (Bike Channel Canyon) did manage to take a flyer, serving up some pain to the chasers so late in the race, but the ‘servants’ to Brenton Jones were not letting the race slip from their grasp and ‘Hank’ was brought back.

With Russell Downing leading Jones out, John Herety’s squad got the result they wanted in an Aussie one-two – Jones from Von Hoff with former resident of the area, Russell Downing having a great return to the area with third.

Spanish sprinter Enrique Sanz (Raleigh GAC) cramped and was unable to challenge for the victory but did enough to take the Spring Cup series lead and get himself onto the podium.

Hank on the charge! James Lowsley Williams of Bike Channel Canyon

What a race!

New leader of the Spring Cup, Enrique Sanz (Raleigh GAC).

L-R: Steele Von Hoff, Brenton Jones and Russell Downing

Connor Swift of Madison Genesis  making the selection in the bike race and then driving the move on the final lap of the race around Louth

Steve Lampier, in domestique role, keeps the pace high for his team on the circuits of Louth

Behind the four leaders and carnage – was expecting a biggish peloton but all that was left were 20 or so riders lead here by James Gullen

Binbrook, 10 miles from Louth and four riders lead including Matt Holmes (Madison Genesis) and Liam Holohan (Metaltek Kuota)

At the front of the peloton and Adria Moreno (Raleigh GAC) is forcing the pace to try and bring the break back

The break led by James Lowsely Williams (Bike Channel Canyon), Charlie Tanfield (Brother NRG Driverplan), Liam Holohan (Metaltek Kuota)

The peloton not bothered – break of ten down the road with a lot of teams represented

Second of the big loops and the break is up the road and Spring Cup winner in 2016, Adria Moreno (Raleigh GAC), despite a cold and stitches from a crash at Klondike, is chasing them

The climb of Tealby and another little group has gone clear

South Elkington, two and half miles in, and already there are eight or so riders clipping off the front
… continued after advert

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Videos

Winner Brenton Jones from Australia

Tristan Robbins of Raleigh GAC – Insight into the key chase of the break

Team manager of JLt Condor John Herety

Podium Interviews

Race action – Climb out Nettleton – lap 1

Race action – The break climbs out Nettleton – lap 2

Louth and the race through the finish area

PRE-RACE

Russell Downing, who trained on the roads used for the Tour of the Wolds

Sam Harrison providing an insight into the first of the prems, the Klondike GP

Result

1 Brenton Jones JLT Condor 03:43:20
2 Steele Von Hoff One Pro Cycling 03:43:20
3 Russell Downing JLT Condor 03:43:21
4 Alex Frame JLT Condor 03:43:22
5 Rory Townsend (u23) BIKE Channel Canyon 03:43:23
6 Jonathan McEvoy Madison Genesis 03:43:25
7 Hayden McCormick One Pro Cycling 03:43:25
8 Liam Holohan Metaltek Kuota Racing Team 03:43:25
9 Jonathan Mould JLT Condor 03:43:30
10 Enrique Sanz Raleigh GAC 03:43:39
11 Dan Bigham Brother NRG Driverplan 03:43:40
12 Thomas Stewart One Pro Cycling 03:43:41
13 James Lowsley-Williams BIKE Channel Canyon 03:43:43
14 Ian Bibby JLT Condor 03:43:49
15 Samuel Williams One Pro Cycling 03:43:52
16 Connor Swift (u23) Madison Genesis 03:43:52
17 Nathan Draper (u23) Team Wiggins 03:44:03
18 James Gullen JLT Condor 03:44:17
19 Matthew Holmes Madison Genesis 03:45:49
20 Steve Lampier JLT Condor 03:46:01
21 Thomas Baylis (u23) One Pro Cycling OTL
22 Zachery May (u23) Metaltek Kuota Racing Team OTL
23 Karol Domagalski One Pro Cycling OTL
24 George Pym Metaltek Kuota Racing Team OTL
25 Adrià Moreno Sala Raleigh GAC OTL
26 Alex Paton Madison Genesis OTL
27 Joseph Clark Cycling Sheffield Giant Sheffie OTL
28 Robert Scott (u23) Team Wiggins OTL
29 Liam Bromiley Cycling Sheffield Giant Sheffie OTL
30 Evan Oliphant Wheelbase Altura MGD OTL
31 Jez McCann (u23) Richardsons-Trek RT OTL
32 Peter Barusevicus Team KTM OTL
33 Fraser Rounds Team KTM OTL
34 Alex Luhrs Brother NRG Driverplan OTL
35 Andrew Hawdon Wheelbase Altura MGD OTL
36 Tom Mazzone Metaltek Kuota Racing Team OTL
37 Kieran Savage (u23) Team B38 / Underpin Racing OTL
38 George Fowler Catford CC Equipe/Banks OTL
39 Rhys Howells Team Wiggins OTL
40 Kieran Brady Richardsons-Trek RT OTL
41 Peter Williams One Pro Cycling OTL
42 Jacob Tipper Brother NRG Driverplan OTL
43 Lloyd Chapman Catford CC Equipe/Banks OTL
44 David Bolland (u23) Neon-Velo Cycling Team OTL
45 Dillon Byrne VCUK  VELOCHAMPION Racing Team OTL
46 Edward Clemens Spirit Tifosi Racing Team OTL
47 Sam Lowe BIKE Channel Canyon OTL
48 Karl Baillie (u23) Giant Store Rutland / Wattbike OTL
49 Dan Fleeman Metaltek Kuota Racing Team OTL
…

 

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