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Tour Series 2010: Peterborough: Dean Downing Victorious · 17/06/10

Rapha Condor Sharp returned to the lead of The Tour Series with a dominant display in Peterborough that saw the team take the individual win, the team win, hot spot sprints on the night and the overall lead in the hot spot sprints. The win was enough to close the two point gap on previous leaders Motorpoint who finished in third place and whilst both teams are tied on points, the four team wins of Rapha Condor Sharp put the team out in front.

The race was fast and furious following the now usual ‘break and regroup’ pattern as each of the leading teams assessed the make up of each group, before deciding whether they were happy, or whether they should chase.

When a break did eventually go, at about 20 minutes into the race, it was a high quality affair. Rapha Condor Sharp was represented by Dean Downing and was accompanied by Ian Wilkinson and Malcolm Elliott along with Kettering escapee Simon Richardson of Sigma Sport–Specialized, and Pendragon-Le Col-Colnago’s Yanto Barker.

The quintet built an impressive 30 second lead by the halfway stage of the race, and with the leading three Halfords Tour Series teams represented the chase from the peloton was muted as other teams seemed either unwilling or unable to challenge the dominance of the big three. Any doubt as to which of these two reasons were truest were answered after 35 minutes of racing as another five man group forced its way clear with the same five teams again represented. Chris Newton led the way for Rapha Condor Sharp with Portsmouth winner Ian Bibby, Kiwi Champion Jack Bauer, Rhys Lloyd and Wouter Sybrandy for company.

The chasing five steadily built a lead but made little impression on the leaders, who steadily pulled away to threaten the rear of the peloton with the ignominy of being lapped as the race entered its final few loops of Peterborough.

In those final few laps both groups were whittled down to four riders. In the case of the chase group it was due to attacks, whilst up front Yanto Barker attacked and actually made the junction with the main bunch, however that effort would go unrewarded as he was removed from the nights results due to an earlier pit lap infringement.

As the leaders crossed the finish line to the sound of the bell, Wilkinson attacked, but Downing immediately responded ensuring it came down to a four-way finish sprint. Just a tyre’s width separated these two riders at the finish, as each went to a different side of the track and gunned for the line. Downing proved the quickest, as he did in Exeter, and this on his return to the Tour Series squad after a back injury.

In the second group on the road it was teammate Chris Newton who edged Ian Bibby to take the sprint. Helping push Rapha–Condor–Sharp towards the team victory, leaving the team’s final counter, Graham Briggs, to mop up the victory, taking second in the bunch sprint and eleventh on the night, just behind Rob Hayles who led the peloton home.

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Round Seven Results

Team
1) Rapha – Condor – Sharp
2) Endura Racing
3) Motorpoint – Marshalls Pasta
4) Sigma Sport – Specialized
5) Pendragon Le Col Colnago
6) CyclePremier.com – Metaltek
7) Team Raleigh
8) Kuota – road.cc
9) Team Corley Cycles
10) Team Ireland

Individual
1) Dean Downing: Rapha – Condor – Sharp
2) Ian Wilkinson: Endura Racing
3) Malcolm Elliott: Motorpoint – Marshalls Pasta
4) Simon Richardson: Sigma Sport – Specialized
5) Chris Newton: Rapha – Condor – Sharp

The Halfords Tour Series Standings (after seven rounds)
1) Rapha – Condor – Sharp (60pts)
2) Motorpoint – Marshalls Pasta (60pts)
3) Endura Racing (58pts)
4) Sigma Sport – Specialized (45pts)
5) Pendragon Le Col Colnago (39pts)
6) Team Raleigh (38pts)
7) CyclePremier.com – Metaltek (35pts)
8) Team Corley Cycles (25pts)
9) Kuota – road.cc (16pts)
10) Team Ireland (7pts)

Boardman Bikes Sprints Competition Results
1) Dean Downing: Rapha – Condor – Sharp (10pts)
2) Malcolm Elliott: Motorpoint – Marshalls Pasta (8pts)
3) Simon Richardson: Sigma Sport – Specialized (5pts)

Boardman Bikes Sprints Competition Standings (after seven rounds)
1) Graham Briggs: Rapha – Condor – Sharp (43pts)
2) Liam Holohan: Team Raleigh (35pts)
3) Kristian House: Rapha – Condor – Sharp (32pts)

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