2008 News Archive
2007 News Archive
Plowman Craven Evans Cycles Take First And Second In AW Cycles Reading Spring Road Race
23rd April 2007
Plowman Craven Evans Cycles continued their winning streak this weekend when Simon Gaywood won the AW Cycles Reading Spring Road Race just ahead of team mate Gordon McCauley. Gaywood's victory comes a week after his spectacular win in the Archer Grand Prix and confirms his current strong form on the road.
Gaywood, together with team mates McCauley and Adam Norris, was part of an early 10 man break that got away on the first lap of six on a challenging hilly course covering 75 miles around Woodcote in Oxfordshire. With Plowman Craven Evans Cycles team mate James Millard patrolling the peleton, the move quickly gained a couple of minutes advantage. The Plowman Craven Evans Cycles riders produced some impressive team riding in the break, with McCauley and Gaywood organising a lead out for Norris to take the first prime of the day on lap two. Despite Norris puncturing on lap three, the group of ten built a lead of over two minutes on the chasing bunch, and the Plowman Craven Evans Cycles riders began to test the break by taking it in turns to fire attacks off the front.
With two laps to go Gaywood attacked to take the final prime and managed to stay away for half a lap until McCauley, together with Richard Cartland from Team Corey, jumped across to him. The three riders stayed together and quickly gained a lead in excess of a minute, until on the final hill of the last lap, with 2 km to go, McCauley attacked gaining a couple of bike lengths on Cartland and Gaywood; as the gap grew Gaywood jumped over to McCauley and the two Plowman Craven Evans Cycles riders crossed the line side by side with the win given to Gaywood – a nice birthday present! Cartland finished three seconds behind while Adam Norris came home in eighth.
Speaking after his second win in as many races, Simon Gaywood commented:
"I realised I was coming into some good form at the Tour of the Reservoir. Since winning the Archer I'm a lot more confident about getting into the moves and attacking off the front, and it paid off again today. Working as part of a strong and organised team also gives a lot of confidence and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the season."
Simon Barnes, Team founder and boss of Herts based geomatics company Plowman Craven, added:
"We worked really well as a team today. Gordon, Adam and Simon all got into the early break and James did a fantastic job patrolling the peleton. Adam rode a great middle of the race, taking the first prime in style, driving attacks off the front and controlling the chase once Gordon and Simon got away in the decisive break. Gordon and Simon worked together in text book fashion to out sprint the Team Corley rider and they thoroughly deserved their one-two.
"It's fantastic that Simon has got his second win in two weeks and it clearly demonstrates that he'll be a force to be reckoned with this season. But just as satisfying as individual wins is the fact that the guys are clearly really beginning to work together as a team in a way not often seen before in the UK, and this can only be to the benefit of the team and the sport as a whole."
Result
1. Simon Gaywood (Plowman Craven - Evan Cycles RT)
2. Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven - Evan Cycles RT) (st)
3. Richard Cartland (Alpha RC / Team Corey) (+3 secs)
The result gives Plowman Craven Evans Cycles a lead of nearly 200 points in the national team rankings, and confirms Gordon McCauley's lead in the individual rankings. Simon Gaywood's recent wins sees him climb to 10th place in the individual rankings with team mate Tony Gibb at 13th.
Next week Plowman Craven Evans Cycles travel north to ride the unique Premier Calendar event, the Rutland-Melton Classic. Known as the British Roubaix, or Hell of the North, the Rutland-Melton Cicle Classic is regarded as one of Britain's most challenging and spectacular single day road races. Based around the picturesque Rutland Water, the event takes riders over a mixture of tarmac roads and narrow farm tracks reminiscent of those found in the Spring classic races of northern France and Belgium, such as Paris-Roubaix.
» view full race calender - click here
More information from Jonathan O’Neil: +44 (0) 7956250837 or click here
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