RR Result: Proper Northern RR Series 3

Mary Wilkinson and Ben Granger winners in the Proper Northern Road Race Series event at Oakenclough on Sunday (July 10)

RR Result: Proper Northern RR Series 3

REPORT

Despite cries of false advertising in the seering Lancashire heat on Sunday, the grippy Oakenclough course still delivered a “proper” finale to the first ever Proper Northern Road Race Series. With the Men’s and Women’s series jerseys still very much up for grabs, all eyes were on the high quality fields to see how they would handle this notoriously challenging parcours in frankly unprecedented tropical sunshine.

MEN
The men were first to race with a stacked field being ripped apart on the first lap by a break containing George Peden and Jude Taylor (Team PB Performance), Matt Warhurt (SCRT Muc- Off), Logan McLean (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) and Oliver Stenning (Aro Pro Racing Sunshine Coast) which quickly built up a lead of over 2 minutes on the peloton with Ben Granger (Zappi Racing Team), Lucas Rowley (Tactic Sport UK Race Team) and Nick Tyrie (Primera-TeamJobs) bridging between.

Over the next five gruelling laps of the 17km circuit, it was this lead group that came together and the eight riders worked well together until Granger opened out a small lead through the bell. Despite the efforts of Finn Crockett (Ribble Weldtite) and others, the peloton could not close the gap to under 2 minutes and it was a drag race up the final ascent of Delph Lane. When the riders turned the final corner, it was Granger that held the lead and pushed on for a famous victory by 15 metres – behind him Warhurst and Rowley finished strongly ahead of Peden. Rowley’s result was enough to secure the individual Series win (ahead of Crockett and Granger) and Tactic made sure of the Series team win.

The combativity award for the race was given to George Peden and the KOM title was claimed by an impressive ride from Logan McLean. The leading junior in the race and the white jersey for the Series was Jacob Gilkes in an excellent 11th place.

Proper Northern RR Series Overall – Men
1 Lucas Rowley Tactic Sport UK Race Team
2 Finn Crockett Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
3 Ben Granger Zappi Race Team

KoM: Logan Mclean Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli

Team:
Tactic Sport UK Race Team
Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli
The Cycling Academy

Junior: Jacob Gilkes Bridgenorth Cycling Club

WOMEN

After the excitement of the men’s race, the women’s race promised even more drama with the leading two riders in the Series both present and on blistering form. Sammie Stuart (CAMS-Basso) started the day knowing that she needed only to better Mary Wilkinson (Team Boompods) to win the series. Both had one win at Aughton and Capernwray respectively earlier in the Series. The race began with a couple of laps where the peloton remained together well before the attritional nature of the weather, the course and the quality of the field began to whittle down the leading group until only 10 remained with 2 laps to go – Wilkinson was joined by teammate Monica Greenwood and Stuart by former teammates from Team LDN – Brother UK Lucy Lee and Kerry Middleton.

Also in the final selection were Rachel Wales (Private), Anne Marie Lipp and Kiwi Lee Boon (Torelli-Cayman-Islands-Scmitar), Beth Harley-Jepson (Jadan – Vive Le Velo) and Gemma Sargent (Saint Piran WRT). This group stayed together through the bell and onto the final climb – as the huge crowd waited nervously around the last blind corner in anticipation, it was Wilkinson who arrived first and punched the air in celebration completing a fine win in the race and the Series.

She was followed by Wales and Lee before Stuart rolled over in a creditable 4th. It was Sammie who claimed the QOM prize and Freya Whiteside (RFDA) that wrapped up the white jersey for this race and the series. The combativity award went to Natalie Stevenson (Glasgow Ivy CC) for a gutsy performance chasing solo behind that leading group for almost the whole race. Team Boompods claimed the team prize on the day and for the Series with a stand out performance from team DS, Nikki Metcalfe to secure the points!

Overall Series Winner
1 Mary Wilkinson Team Boompods
2 Sammie Stuart Cams Basso
3 Kerry Middleton Team LDN

QoM: Sammie Stuart Cams Basso

Team
Team Boompods
Alba Development
Team LDN

Junior: Freya Whiteside RFDA

The Proper Northern Road Race was run by Cold Dark North with fantastic support from Ribble Cycles, Attacus Cycling, Crimson Performance, Become Wild Edale, Fell Brewery and Atkinsons Coffee. The organisers would like to thank all of the riders that have taken part in all three Rounds of the Series and of course to all the volunteers, marshals, officials, medics, NEG riders, photographers and spectators. It was a proper series. Cold Dark are hoping to run it again next year

RESULTS:

MEN

1 Ben Granger Zappi Racing Team
2 Matthew Warhurst SRCT MUC-OFF
3 Lucas Rowley Tactic Sport UK Race Team
4 George Peden Team PB Performance
5 Logan Maclean Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
6 Oliver Stenning
7 Finn Crockett Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
8 Nicholas Tyrie Primera-TeamJobs
9 James Wordsworth University of Leeds Cycling Cl…
10 Tom Palfrey Caffi Gruff
11 Carl Potter Lancashire Road Club
12 Angus Joshi The Cycling Academy
13 Jacob Gilkes Bridgnorth Cycling Club
14 Aaron King RT23
15 Jude Taylor Team PB Performance
16 Sam Kettlewell TS Racing
17 Martin Watson Tactic Sport UK Race Team
18 James Harrison Cycling Club Isle of Man
19 Andrew Nichols Team Lifting Gear Products
20 Corrin Leeming Cycling Club Isle of Man
21 John Russell 05-Mar
22 Richard Butler Giant Kendal-Sidas Uk
23 Alexander MacRae
24 Daniel McDermott
25 Christopher Humphries Bioracer UK RT
26 Jamie Fletcher Cycling Club Isle of Man
27 Declan Hudson Dolan Ellesse Race Team
28 Lewis Martin Studio Velo
29 Joe Boothroyd Giant Kendal-Sidas Uk
30 Christopher Booth Giant Kendal-Sidas Uk
31 Samuel Jackson Tactic Sport UK Race Team
33 William Dykes Spokes Racing Team
34 Fergus Robinson Ribble rechrg Race Team
35 George Hodgkinson Chorley Cycling Club
36 Zefal Bailey

WOMEN

1 Mary Wilkinson Team Boompods
2 Rachel Wales
3 Lucy Lee Team LDN – Brother UK
4 Sammie Stuart CAMS-Basso
5 Annamarie Lipp
6 Kerry Middleton Team LDN – Brother UK
7 Monica Greenwood Team Boompods
8 Beth Harley-Jepson Jadan – Vive le Velo
9 Lee Boon, Torelli-Cayman-Islands-Scimitar
10 Gemma Sargent Saint Piran WRT
11 Natalie Stevenson Glasgow Ivy CC
12 Harriet Gilson Wigan Wheelers CC
13 Helen Jackson Kendal Cycle Club
14 Lauren Langham Moonglu Race Team
15 Chloe Bateson
16 Freya Whiteside RFDA
17 Flora Knight Loughborough Lightning
18 Emma Smith Alba Development Road Team
19 Laura Cheesman Datalynx-Parenesis Cycling
20 Nikki Metcalfe Team Boompods