Report – TMG Horizon Trophy National B Road Race June 29th 2014

TMG Horizon Cycling Team staged their 4^th annual Road Race on Sunday. Upgraded to National B Status for 2014, organiser Neil Wass explained that the team wanted to help higher categories of rider develop; particularly the younger riders who often struggle with travel to find sufficient fixtures.

The pace was high from the off and within half a lap, a break developed which looked like it could well succeed. Crossing the line for the The Plough Amersham Prime with 5 to go, last year’s 2^nd place Danny Axford looked comfortable, although it was James Phillips of Dream Cycling who took the spoils. Locals Mike Jackson and Jonny Shuster were also in attendance and when they were joined by Mark Baines of Spirit Racing who put in a massive acceleration to bridge and one other, things looked good for the break with a one minute gap.

With 4 to go, Jackson had been joined by team mate Ashley Cox but the pace of the break had clearly taken its toll as many of the original group had been dropped. Baines and Axford were driving hard as Jack Beezer of Arbis Colbert and Ben Stockdale of Metaltek Kuota started a huge 2up effort to bridge with the bunch strung out just 10 seconds behind them.

Stockdale led the break over the line with 3 laps to go for the Redbourn Physiotherapy Prime and the strain was beginning to show, with gaps opening up in the break and an advancing peloton eating into the 40 seconds advantage. Things were looking ominous and it was this situation which led Danny Axford of Arctic Tacx to attack off the front of the break shortly afterwards.

In characteristic style, Axford backed up the attack with a measured effort and carved out a gap of 26 seconds to the original break which was holding steady with 2 to go. A lone effort was always going to be tough on such an exposed course though and he was caught by the widely fancied Beezer of Arbis, once again on the offensive as the front of the bunch started to explode with Mike Debney of Cadence pushing over the line in 3^rd.

 It all came back together for the finale though. With many of the bunch struggling, it was looking like a possible bunch sprint up the finish hill but Ben Stockdale and Kieran Brady of City Centre Cycles opened up a gap of 5 seconds over the bunch as Stockdale took the win, clearly having conserved his resources judiciously.
“I was delighted with the win,” he said afterwards. “It’s a great, well organised event with a testing course that’s clearly going from strength to strength and we thoroughly enjoyed it.”

a ferocious acceleration nets Ben Stockdale the win

Junior Winner Oliver Maxwell,Windmill Wheels

James Phillips, Ben Stockdale, Kieran Brady,

lots more pictures in our flickr album https://flic.kr/s/aHsjZiSjUt

RESULT

1^st Ben Stockdale - Metaltek Kuota 142km 3h25m22s

2^nd Kieran Brady – City Centre Cycle

3^rd James Phillips – Dream CC at 5”

4^th Tom Neale – Corley Cycles

5^th Tony Gibb - CSE Racing

6^th Oliver Maxwell – Windmill Wheels

7^th Peter Cocker – Pedal Pushers RT

8^th Mark Baines – Spirit Bikes RT

9^th Rob Yeatman – BH-Soulidor-WAM

10^th Ed Palfreeman – Corley Cycles

11^th Jake Hales – WyndyMilla

12^th Malcolm Smith – St Ives CC

13^th Ben Allen – Dulwich Paragon

14^th Gareth Jones – Mammoth Lifestyle

15^th Jack Beezer – Arbis Colbert RT

16^th Ben Rowe – Wyndymilla

17^th Colin Bailey – North Road CC

18^th Craig Wallduck – Dream CC

19^th Mike Jackson – CC Luton

20^th Phil Peters – CSE Racing

Junior Winner - Oliver Maxwell – Windmill Wheels

The Plough Amersham Prime - James Phillips – Dream CC

Redbourn Physiotherapy Prime - Ben Stockdale - Metaltek Kuota