Report & Results – Corley Cycles 3-Day Tour of Milton Keynes

2012_April_Twenty3C_Bannerad

Lewis Atkins retained his overall lead following the final day’s racing of the Corley Cycles 3-Day – Tour of Milton Keynes

RST Cycle Clothing & Trigon Bikes

Report & Results – Corley Cycles 3-Day Tour of Milton Keynes
By Gordon Wiseman

Stage 4
After a hot and hard 85 miles racing, run off at an average of over 26mph, Lewis Atkins (Pedal Heaven Colbornes RT) did exactly what he had to do to retain his overall lead following the final day’s racing of the Corley Cycles 3-Day – Tour of Milton Keynes. The race also received financial support from HWS Accountants.

LewisAtkinsWinsMK3day

In fact, so close was the finish that the overall placings didn’t change after 8 laps of the rolling Astwood circuit had finished despite Atkins just been overtaken on the stage in the closing 50m of racing.

“My legs seemed to just go with 50m to the finish, a couple of guys came past and although Will” – Goulbourne of Team Corley Cycles – “also came past me he didn’t get any time bonuses so I won the overall!”

After a few opening attacks had formed and been pulled back, a group of around 10 riders formed at the front that included two Team Corley Cycles riders and a pair from Pedal Heaven Colbornes RT and these quickly opened a gap of about 30 seconds.

But climbing into North Crawley for the second time a pair of horses got onto the circuit and with a rider falling, the Chief Comm. took the decision to stop the race briefly so those who’d lost time could re-group with the main peloton.

After the re-start the leading group – which now formed around 15 riders – pushed hard so their lead opened to over a minute racing into the finishing area. That advantage stayed pretty much the same until 3 laps to go when the peloton started reeling them in.

After getting within 20 seconds the leaders started pulling away again but with just over 12 miles to go the whole field regrouped. That was followed by some hard and fast racing as the speed continued to rise as Pedal Heaven tried to protect Atkins’ overall lead and Corley tried to snatch it away from them.

As the race started the final climb towards Astwood and the finishing line, Pedal Heaven’s Jamie Pine, despite having been in the break for most of the day, attacked and others followed his wheel. Atkins managed to hold on but he was passed by the strong Jacob Tipper who won his second stage of the race.

Will Goulbourne also passed Atkins but as he wasn’t able to pick up any bonus seconds Atkins, holding fifth place on the stage – his lowest finish for the weekend – did all he had to do to hold onto his leader’s jersey and win the race overall.

Lewis Atkins – “It was great to get Chris (McNamara) and Jamie (Pine) up into that long break and with Jamie there we knew if the break stayed away then he’d take the overall. But then Corley got onto the front and started chasing really, really hard. We got back to about 20 seconds and then finally all back together by the time we started the final lap. It then got a bit twitchy and to be honest I was just hoping that nothing happened on that last lap.

“I’d already had a puncture with about 3 laps to go. I got Francis’ (Cade) wheel, he’d been with me the whole race, we chased, got a bit of help from CSE, Tony Gibb’s team, and I got back on. At the finish Jamie kicked at the bottom of the dip and went so quick, especially as he’d been away all day, so it was a bit close right at the end. My legs seemed to just go with 50m to the finish, a couple of guys came past and although Will also came past me he didn’t get any time bonuses so I won the overall!

“It’s been a good weekend overall. We’ve basically got two teams so one is at the Wiltshire GP and the rest of us are here at the 3-Day. The format of the 3-Day was always going to suit me with the Tour Series being so close now so yes, after we’d sat down and thought about it, this was a perfect race for me.”

Jacob Tipper – “That was 85 hard miles for me, working for Will and the Corley Composite team to help pull back the front group. Without blowing my own trumpet I did a lot of work helping the team pull things together for Will” – Goulbourne who was second overall before the start of the stage and on the same time as leader Lewis Atkins. “I said to the lads that if the break wasn’t coming back it was no point in me sprinting for, say, 16th place, so then if that was the case I’d help the team as we pulled for Will.

“The gap was staying at about a minute so I started doing some big turns and we all helped bring the gap down to about 20 seconds. It almost went out again but we finally brought it all back. Once it’d all come together I just sat on for a bit because to be honest I didn’t think I’d have the legs for that sprint. Normally a long uphill sprint like that would be great for me but after the work I’d been doing I thought ‘no way’.

“But I followed the right wheels as we started going uphill but I knew all along where I wanted to be, in about 5th or 6th place. I kept looking for Will because I knew he’d be up there as we’d been sheltering him for most of the day but I think he got boxed in a bit. When the kick started I didn’t want to go too early with it being an uphill finish and I just seemed to have the legs when everyone else started tiring.

“I’m really pleased with my weekend. Including the team time trial that the Corley Composite team won I’ve won four races in four days. I accept they may not be the biggest races in the UK but four in four days, that’s great, I’m really chuffed. And it’s been a great race, really well organised so I’d also say thanks to the organiser and everyone who helped put the race together”.

Tony Gibb (CSE Racing) – “It’s been a very good race for us. We’ve got a young team and today was the longest race hours they’ve ever done on the back of two big days racing already. The lads rode really we and we were able to help out on some chases helping a couple of other teams” – Pedal Heaven for Lewis Atkins and CC Luton for Ashley Cox – “so we repaid a few favours today and put a few favours in the bank for later in the year.

“The organiser Paul did an absolutely fantastic job on what I understand was a small budget so we appreciate all the work that’s gone into this weekend. It’s a great format and to have the HQ for most of the stages at the same place really helps out all the teams in knowing where to go, cutting out confusion and then to have the main race circuits so close as well. We know there was a small problem today with a stretch of road” – a 300m length of incomplete road works – “but to be honest it was tiny, so much shorter than we thought it’d be but even then there was a narrow band you could ride down without any problems.

“CSE are Clear Sport & Entertainment and the Academy are taking sportive riders, getting them a license, coaching them, giving them so practical sessions and then to ride a race. We’ve got the racing team, the Academy and we own the corporate and sponsorship rights to the Cyclopark in Kent so we’re doing a lot of work with them as well”.

Results

1. Jacob Tipper (KTM Road & Trial)
2. Ryan Perry (Army Cycling Union) st
3. Jamie Pine (Pedal Heaven Colbornes RT) st
4. Will Goulbourne – Team Corley Cycles) st
5. Lewis Atkins (Pedal Heaven Colbornes RT) st
6. Jake Hales (WyndyMilla – Reynolds st

Overall after stage 4 (after bonus seconds are taken into account)

1. Lewis Atkins (Pedal Heaven Colbornes RT)
2. Will Goulbourne (Team Corley Cycles) – st
3. Jamie Pine (Pedal Heaven Colbornes RT) @ 4secs
4. Robert Moore (Pedal Heaven Colbornes RT) @ 8secs
5. Ashley Cox (CC Luton) @ 14secs
6. Tom Bracegirdle (Kuota – Spinergy – GSG) @ 17secs

 

Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)

Other News on VeloUK

Tags: ,