Result: S/Staffs and Shropshire CC RR League

Ben Joughin winner of week 1 of the South Staffs and Shropshire Cycling Clubs Road Race League on Thursday (May 9) at Knighton.

Result: S/Staffs and Shropshire CC RR League
Pictures: Stephen Hall | Words: Ben Goddard

Ben Joughin (Pro Vision Race Team) sprinted to victory from a three-man breakaway in the opening round of the South Staffordshire and Shropshire Road Race League.
The 32-year-old, from Stoke-on-Trent won the league overall in 2017 and set his stall out on the series opening Knighton circuit, near Newport, Shropshire.

The traditional handicap format of the series meant that Joughin and several of series favourites were in the last group to start, some seven minutes behind the first group off.

Organised by Newport Shropshire Cycling Club the course saw a fast descent down to a narrow section of road before climbing back up towards an undulating section back to the finish. With the last group catching all those before them Chris Childs (Holohan Coaching Race Team) made the winning move and was joined by Joughin and William Lewis (Cycle Club Bridgnorth RWG).

The trio worked well over the last lap of the course building up a winning margin of around 15 seconds by the finish.

Childs opened up the sprint but was passed by sprinter Joughin for the victory while Lewis took third. Behind James Ireson (Morvelo Basso) won the bunch sprint for fourth place while Farley Barber (Pro Vision Race Team) took the junior leader’s jersey with a fifth place finish. “It was a tough race and the weather didn’t help as it was really cold and grim conditions,” said Joughin. “The catch happened quicker than last year which the weather had a lot to do with. With two laps to go things started heating up and the Holohan Coaching Race Team were trying to split it up.

“Once the catch with the front group was made Chris Childs forced a gap and I got on his wheel with Will Lewis joining us. It was a perfect group really as I had a strong team behind who weren’t chasing and could mark the other riders. We worked well together and stayed away to the finish. Chris (Childs) took up the sprint quite early and I was positioned well in last man.”

“At the base of the finish climb I opened up my sprint and took it quite comfortable in the end as my timing was pretty good. “It’s my first win since 2017 but I have had a few second places and I thought I had forgotten how to win and started doubting myself. So it was good to get it out the way and the team did brilliantly working together.”

1 Ben Joughin Pro Vision Race Team
2 Chris Childs Holohan Coaching Race Team
3 William Lewis Cycle Club Bridgnorth RWG
4 James Ireson Morvelo Basso
5 Farley Barber Pro Vision Race Team
6 Jacob Sparrow Clee Cycles
7 Nick Morris Clee Cycles
8 Daniel Brough Velo Runner
9 Jonathan Bourne Pro Vision Race Team
10 George Mills-Keeling Cycle Club Bridgnorth RWG
11 Phillip Glaze FISHFACE CYCLES RT
12 Matthew Garthwaite Holohan Coaching Race Team
13 Kirk Vickers Holohan Coaching Race Team
14 Ben Lloyd Pro Vision Race Team
15 Grant Bigham Velo Runner
16 Chris Bailey Velo Runner RT
17 Jonathan Mills-Keeling Cycle Club Bridgnorth RWG
18 Neil Hayward
19 Matthew Morris Wolverhampton Whls
20 Simon Haycock Stourbridge CC
21 Giulio Cervi Wolverhampton Wheelers
22 Rob Childs Cycle Club Bridgnorth RWG
23 James Bell
24 Chris Bragg Stourbridge Velo
25 David Allen Cycle Club Bridgnorth RWG
26 Tim Allen Stourbridge CC
27 Thomas Ford EvoVelo Karbona
28 Bryan Davies Holohan Coaching Race Team
29 Alexander Berg Wolverhampton Whls
30 Duncan Loch Velo Runner
31 James Gibney West Midlands Police CC
32 Martin Ryan EvoVelo Karbona
33 Rebecca Richardson
34 Simon Jones Fred Williams Cycles
35 Richard Smith Wrekinsport CC
36 Duncan Parsonage Pro Vision Race Team
37 Alec Bond Mid Shropshire Wheelers
38 William Manfield-Yorke Cycle Club Bridgnorth RWG
39 Jonathan Perry Stourbridge CC
40 Timothy Jones Mid Shropshire Wheelers
41 Andy Jones Clee Cycles
42 Simon Smewin Stourbridge CC
43 Steph Clayton Pro Vision Race Team
44 Darren Cadwallader Stourbridge CC
45 Ashley Bullock EvoVelo Karbona
46 Andrew Tomlinson Wolverhampton RCC/BrigtownCycles
47 Mahyar Abbott Wolverhampton Wheelers
48 Rachael Brown Pro Vision Race Team
49 Andy Jones Wolverhampton Wheelers
50 Robert Disney Cycle Club Bridgnorth RWG
51 Gary Hodkinson Cycle Club Bridgnorth RWG
52 Amanda Whitehouse Stourbridge CC
53 Scott Palmer Stourbridge CC
54 Neil Ruston Stourbridge CC