Helped marshal our clubs (VC St Raphael Waite Contracts) calendar Road Race curtain opener today. Racing conditions were good albeit very cold. Team UK Youth had a very strong nine man squad and it was obvious from the start the winner would be a rider from their squad, but that's not taking anything away from the other riders in the field. Event organizer Mick Waite had a busy time with helpers trying to de-ice the course literally an hour before the start, but they succeeded and the race went without any problems.
Report from BC Website
DAD-to-be Chris Opie kicked off the 2012 road season in style for Team UK Youth with victory in the traditional curtain-raiser, the Perfs Pedal Race in Hampshire on Sunday.
The 24-year-old, who is due to become a father on Wednesday, outsprinted Marcin Bialoblocki (Node4Giordana) and Jonny McEvoy (Endura Racing) after 35 miles of action largely dictated by the eight-man Team UK Youth squad who placed four riders in the top nine in an early show of strength.
With the temperature hovering around zero under an overcast sky, organisers took the decision to cut the race from five laps of the Portsdown Hill course, at Southwick, to four, but the roads were largely dry with just a few parts which required caution.
First time up the Boarhunt climb the field was already splitting under the pace applied at the front, and it had been reduced to around half when Yanto Barker (Team UK Youth) moved off the front and opened a gap of around 20 seconds, which he held for the best part of a lap before he was reeled in with last year’s winner, Ben Stockdale (Metaltek-Scott) chasing back after a crash.
Next to show was 2008 winner James Stewart (Team UK Youth) who opened up a similar gap to Barker, but again the race regrouped before the bell with Team UK Youth at the front and David Clarke (Node4Giordana) and McEvoy controlling any moves.
The field split again as Doug Dewey (Terra Footwear-Bicycle Line) tried to go clear, and eight riders broke away on the finishing climb where, with team-mates David McGowan and Fredrick Johansson for support, Opie timed his effort to perfection to cross the line with clear daylight to the others.
“I’m very happy with the win and it all went to plan,” said Opie, from Truro, in Cornwall. “We had a full team meeting last night and we rode spot on to the plan. It was a short race, a fraction longer than the Tour Series, so we were only warming up by the finish, but it’s a great way to start.”
1 Chris Opie (Team UK Youth)
2 Marcin Bialoblocki (Node4-Giordana)
3 Jonny McEvoy (Endura Racing)
4 David McGowan (Team UK Youth)
5 Erick Rowsell (Endura Racing)
6 Jonathan Dibben (Hargroves Cycles)
7 Fredrick Johansson (Team UK Youth)
8 Ben Simmons (Team Wiggle)
9 Yanto Barker (Team UK Youth)
10 Doug Dewey (Terra Footwear)
Report from BC Website
DAD-to-be Chris Opie kicked off the 2012 road season in style for Team UK Youth with victory in the traditional curtain-raiser, the Perfs Pedal Race in Hampshire on Sunday.
The 24-year-old, who is due to become a father on Wednesday, outsprinted Marcin Bialoblocki (Node4Giordana) and Jonny McEvoy (Endura Racing) after 35 miles of action largely dictated by the eight-man Team UK Youth squad who placed four riders in the top nine in an early show of strength.
With the temperature hovering around zero under an overcast sky, organisers took the decision to cut the race from five laps of the Portsdown Hill course, at Southwick, to four, but the roads were largely dry with just a few parts which required caution.
First time up the Boarhunt climb the field was already splitting under the pace applied at the front, and it had been reduced to around half when Yanto Barker (Team UK Youth) moved off the front and opened a gap of around 20 seconds, which he held for the best part of a lap before he was reeled in with last year’s winner, Ben Stockdale (Metaltek-Scott) chasing back after a crash.
Next to show was 2008 winner James Stewart (Team UK Youth) who opened up a similar gap to Barker, but again the race regrouped before the bell with Team UK Youth at the front and David Clarke (Node4Giordana) and McEvoy controlling any moves.
The field split again as Doug Dewey (Terra Footwear-Bicycle Line) tried to go clear, and eight riders broke away on the finishing climb where, with team-mates David McGowan and Fredrick Johansson for support, Opie timed his effort to perfection to cross the line with clear daylight to the others.
“I’m very happy with the win and it all went to plan,” said Opie, from Truro, in Cornwall. “We had a full team meeting last night and we rode spot on to the plan. It was a short race, a fraction longer than the Tour Series, so we were only warming up by the finish, but it’s a great way to start.”
1 Chris Opie (Team UK Youth)
2 Marcin Bialoblocki (Node4-Giordana)
3 Jonny McEvoy (Endura Racing)
4 David McGowan (Team UK Youth)
5 Erick Rowsell (Endura Racing)
6 Jonathan Dibben (Hargroves Cycles)
7 Fredrick Johansson (Team UK Youth)
8 Ben Simmons (Team Wiggle)
9 Yanto Barker (Team UK Youth)
10 Doug Dewey (Terra Footwear)