British Circuit Race Champion Chris Lawless solos to a decisive win in Abergavenny on Friday night
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Report: Wales Open Criterium
Final race in the stripes and Lawless makes the most of it by dominating the race in Abergavenny.
Chris Lawless showed off the British champion’s stripes to great effect by breaking away from his two companions in an early move in the Pro crit at Abergavenny and then riding solo to lap the field and win on his own, off the front of the peloton.
In his last race in the champion’s colours, something he won’t be defending in Sheffield as he rides the Tour of Utah for his American team, Lawless continued to show the form he had in the British Road Race championships where he was second in a race with world tour pros.
JLT Condor lead the way at the start …
The race began with some attacks off the front but very quickly, within five laps, Lawless went on his own to be joined by Elite Circuit Series leader Matt Gibson and then Harry Tanfield, who were both in the winning move in Skipton on Wednesday night. Lawless however wanted to move quicker and left Gibson and Tanfield to lap the circuit a handful of a seconds quicker than anyone else.
Well before the hour was up, Lawless lapped the peloton and after a few laps moving through them, went off the front to continue to his solo effort whilst the peloton carried on racing together and getting ever smaller as the laps were reeled off.
Suffice to say, Lawless won the race whilst behind, Gibson attacked Tanfield but he chased the series leader down before Gibson sprinted again to take second from Tanfield.
In the race to the line in the peloton, Brenton Jones again was far too quick for anyone and was fourth ahead of Jonny McEvoy of Madison Genesis. Gibson extended his lead in the series with his second place.
Reaction from Chris Lawless
Series leader Matt Gibson (2nd), Chris Lawless and Harry Tanfield (3rd)
Lawless escapes after only ten minutes and is joined by Matt Gibson with Harry Tanfield chasing behind.
The chases was led by Enrique Sanz of Raleigh GAC
The peloton was lined out for much of the race
Matt Gibson wins the sprint for second
Brenton Jones again showed he has speed to burn to win the bunch kick for 4th
Jonny McEvoy of Madison Genesis is 5th across the line
Result
1 Christopher Lawless Axeon Hagens Berman CT
2 Matthew Gibson JLT Condor
3 Harry Tanfield BIKE Channel Canyon
4 Brenton Jones JLT Condor
5 Johnny McEvoy Madison Genesis
6 Alex Frame JLT Condor
7 Jonathan Mould JLT Condor
8 Will Fox Catford CC Equipe/Banks
9 George Pym Metaltek Kuota Racing Team
10 Bertie Newey Metaltek Kuota Racing Team
11 Thomas Moses JLT Condor
12 Kristian House One Pro Cycling
13 Rory Townsend BIKE Channel Canyon
14 Gruffudd Lewis Madison Genesis
15 Alex Blain Madison Genesis
16 Isaac Mundy PMR@Toachim House
17 Matthew Nowell BIKE Channel Canyon
18 Adam Kenway Raleigh GAC
19 Thomas Baylis One Pro Cycling
20 Adam Hartley 100% ME
21 Sebastian Mora Vedri Raleigh GAC
22 Alex Paton Madison Genesis
Overall classification After round 3 (Wales Open Criterium)
1 Matthew Gibson JLT Condor 82
2 Christopher Lawless Axeon Hagens Berman CT 60
3 Brenton Jones JLT Condor 60
4 Harry Tanfield BIKE Channel Canyon 54
5 Jonathan Mould JLT Condor 48
6 Sebastian Mora Vedri Raleigh GAC 44
7 Graham Briggs JLT Condor 44
8 Thomas Moses JLT Condor 34
9 Ethan Hayter 100% ME 34
10 Will Fox Catford CC Equipe/Banks 26
11 Robert Scott Team Wiggins 22
12 Jonathan McEvoy Madison Genesis 22
13 George Pym Metaltek Kuota Racing Team 21
14 Connor Swift Madison Genesis 20
15 Alex Frame JLT Condor 20
16 Rory Townsend BIKE Channel Canyon 20
17 Bertie Newey Metaltek Kuota Racing Team 19
18 Matthew Nowell BIKE Channel Canyon 18
19 Thomas Pidcock PH-MAS/Paul Milnes/Oldfield ERT 16
20 Matthew Shaw Wheelbase Cabtech Junior RT 15
21 Tom Mazzone Metaltek Kuota Racing Team 14
22 Enrique Sanz Raleigh GAC 12
23 Christopher Latham Team Wiggins 10
24 Kristian House One Pro Cycling 9
25 Thomas Stewart One Pro Cycling 8
26 Matthew Bostock 100% ME 8
27 Gruffudd Lewis Madison Genesis 7
28 Jake Womersley BIKE Channel Canyon 6
29 Alex Blain Madison Genesis 6
30 Matt Cronshaw Madison Genesis 5
31 Isaac Mundy PMR@Toachim House 5
32 Tobyn Horton Madison Genesis 4
33 Sam Lowe BIKE Channel Canyon 4
34 Russ Downing JLT Condor 3
35 Adam Kenway Raleigh GAC 3
36 David Lines Wheelbase Altura MGD 3
37 Samuel Williams One Pro Cycling 2
38 Tim James 365 4 Bikes Academy 2
39 Thomas Baylis One Pro Cycling 2
40 Charlie Renshaw Cycling Sheffield Giant Sheffield 1
41 Adam Hartley 100% ME 1
42 Joshua Hunt One Pro Cycling 1
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