Spring has arrived and not a moment too soon! After the treacherous conditions of last year you could almost hear the universal sigh of relief from everyone involved with the race when the riders lined up on the start line in Oakham under a clear blue sky
Posted On: 22nd April, 2013
Spring has arrived and not a moment too soon! After the treacherous conditions of last year you could almost hear the universal sigh of relief from everyone involved with the race when the riders lined up on the start line in Oakham under a clear blue sky. The 184 kilometre route between Oakham and the finish line in picturesque Melton Mowbray featured 11 segments of what can only described as ‘off-road’. These segments were a mixture of gravel roads and farm track, providing a unique and exciting racing experience not to mention the spectacular vantage points for the fans!
A mixture of fear of what was about to come and the excitement of the first international race of the year on UK roads ensured the initial two laps of Rutland Water were completed at a furious pace. Several groups tried to force an advantage but never really getting any daylight between themselves and the main bunch. The Madison Genesis boys were always represented with Dominic Jelfs, Jack Pullar and Chris Snook all very attentive, making sure we were never on the defensive during the race. Without a crash for Dom and Chris I’m sure one of these two would have made the front group too.
Ironically, the decisive break of the day formed before the first difficult segment. A group of 11 riders with Ian Bibby present for MGT steadily built a two minute advantage. The group eventually swelled to 13 before the off road sections started to take its toll on the equipment and riders in both the breakaway and the main chasing group. By the second segment, the lead group had been reduced to just 10 riders and the peloton decimated all over the Rutland region! With no possibility to organise a concerted chase due to the chaos caused by the off road sections, the lead group quickly established an insurmountable lead.
Ian was looking extremely strong in an environment he looked at ease with given his cyclo-cross and mountain biking background, however this made the tactics very difficult for him, making him the person to beat for the rest of the group. Also with two riders from the UK youth team in the lead group Ian was going to have to be very crafty to win. Every acceleration Ian made was chased immediately, clearly nobody was going to give him any freedom. We decided to leave the final attack to the last incline of the day, a false flat just four kilometres from the finish line. The attack blew the front group to pieces but Yanto Barker was just about able to follow Bibby, knowing Ian was stronger he didn’t help ride to the finish, instead he waited for his team mate Ian Wilkinson to chase back on. Despite Ian’s solo effort three riders rejoined with just 1000 meters to go, and after the effort to stay away, Ian still managed an impressive second place in the sprint.
“That was an amazing day of racing. Even though the team is still less than five months old, they have shown a spirit that most others would love to have after several seasons. This race was all about grit and determination and we had that in abundance. We had a plan, but rarely do races unfold the way you expect, especially on day like today but it so very nearly worked perfectly. A great result for the team and for Ian. I can’t wait for the next one ” Team Manager – Roger Hammond