RR Result: Victor Berlemont Trophy Road Race

Josh Whitehead wins the National B Victor Berlemont Trophy Road Race in Oxfordshire on August 27

RR Result: Victor Berlemont Trophy Road Race

The Podium, left to right: Andy Pearce (organiser), Alexandar Richardson (Saint Piran), Josh Whitehead, Ollie Huck, Paul Morrissey (President, High Wycombe CC)

Report: The Victor Berlemont Trophy Road Race 2023

This year’s Victor Berlemont podium saw two familiar faces and one new one – the winner, Josh Whitehead (BC private member), with last year’s victor, Alexandar Richardson (Saint Piran) in second place and the 2021 champion Ollie Hucks (Kalas Motip) in third place.

The 2023 course looked, superficially, easier than previous Woodcote versions since it did not include the tough climb of Flint Hill; in practice it seemed, if anything, harder. By mid distance the field was scattered round the nine mile circuit, and although there was an identifiable bunch, it was minutes behind the action at the front; from sixty two starters there were only thirty finishers. Many riders complained of lack of race fitness caused simply by the shortage of events in Britain.

The bunch lost contact with the decisive break of sixteen which formed early on the second lap. The membership of this group did change, some getting across to it (including Whitehead and Richardson) and some dropping back. By the tenth lap, the leaders were just the top three finishers and at the line Whitehead was the clear winner.

Josh Whitehead, at twenty three years of age, is clearly a talent to watch. Starting as a runner at aged eight, he progressed to triathlon but finding his swimming rather weak and cycling his strongest card, he eventually took the natural decision – his first full season on the road was in 2021. He has done well to overcome the disappointment of being a member of two teams which have folded this year. First AT85 collapsed in March and then, by a smart bit of networking, he joined the French outfit Cross Team Legendre which was hoping to develop a road team….until it too failed at the beginning of August. However disappointing this was, it has given good, if brief, experience of continental racing (Tour of Alsace in July), so he may have been the most race hardened entrant in this Victor Berlemont.

Second placed Alexandar Richardson must have started as favourite – apart from wearing ‘no.1’ as last year’s winner, he has had two good wins this year (Lincoln GP in May and the PNE race in April), but he was one of those who complained of lack of recent racing “I was on the back foot all day” he said. Judging by the way he chased back onto the break spectators would not have been aware of this until, possibly, the last few moments at the finish.

Oliver Hucks, the 2021 winner, was the only survivor from the original break at the finish – against two strong rivals his third place was an honourable result for him. Last word goes to Whitehead who, when asked by an interviewer back in 2021 to describe his ideal race, replied: “It should be hard all day, with the bunch slowly whittled down”. In this case it was the break which he ‘slowly’ destroyed.

As we all know, it gets harder and harder to promote these races and we should all be grateful to Andy Pearce the organiser and the High Wycombe CC for their excellent work. A final vote of thanks must go to Verco Office Furniture, without whose financial help the event would not have happened.

By Chris Lovibond

RESULT

1 Josh Whitehead Richardsons Trek DAS
2 Alexandar Richardson Saint Piran
3 Oliver Hucks Kalas Motip Race Team
4 Josh Housley Derby CC Webuycycle Huub RT
5 Sebastian Garry Kalas Motip Race Team
6 Jack Crook Richardsons Trek DAS
7 Luke Barfoot TeamJobs
8 Euan Woodliffe AVC Aix en Provence
9 Adam Lewis Saint Piran
10 Jordan Giles TeamJobs
11 Daniel McDermott Moonglu Race Team
12 Archie Cioh
13 Gabriel Dellar StolenGoat Race Team
14 Danylo Riwnyj trainSharp Elite
15 Finn Dunton Project 51
16 Oscar Hutchings Team Tor 2000 Kalas
17 Ben Pease Moonglu Race Team
18 Nicholas Cooper Cycling Club Isle of Man
19 Lance Childs TAAP racing
20 Joshua Avery Ride Revolution Coaching
21 Ben Millar TeamJobs
22 Alexander Cross Velo Schils – Interbike RT
23 David Roper Kalas Motip Race Team
24 Harvey Lawson Kalas Motip Race Team
25 David Bolland Army Cycling Union
26 Cameron McLaren Kalas Motip Race Team
27 Adam Charleston High Wycombe Cycling Club
28 Joshua Knowles TAAP racing
29 Timothy Jones
30 Mohammed Ganjkhaniou