2008 News Archive
2007 News Archive
Plowman Craven Evans Cycles "the complete package"
4th June 2007
Gordon McCauley gave Plowman Craven Evans Cycles lived up to BBC Sport's recent description of the team as "the complete package" with a string of excellent results over the weekend, taking five out of the top six places, including first, in the Team Cambridge 10 mile TT on Saturday - narrowly missing the national team record for the event - as well as taking three of the top four places at the Central RR Championships on Sunday, which they also won. The team also placed third in the Eastern RR Championships and seventh in the Southern.
On Saturday (2nd June) Plowman Craven Evans Cycles dominated the Team Cambridge 10 on the E2/10 course on the A11, only narrowly missing the team record for the event set by Team Brite in 1998. Gordon McCauley, Bronze TT medallist for New Zealand at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, led the squad to victory with a time of 19.01, swiftly followed by team mates James Millard in second with a 19.10 and Tony Gibb in third with a 19.16. Simon Gaywood and Jason Allen completed the Plowman Craven Evans Cycles domination with a 19.24 and 19.35 for fifth and sixth places respectively, Allen riding the event on a fixed wheel.
Plowman Craven Evans Cycles came within three seconds of the Team Brite competition record of 57.24 set by Rob Hayles, Johnny Clay and Matt Illingworth in 1998. Although the record had not been a conscious target for the team before the event, Tony Gibb felt they were likely to have another crack in the near future.
Photo © Dave O'Nyons & British Cycling
McCauley wins at Woodcote
"We didn't set out to attack the record this weekend, but seeing how close we came I think we'll certainly give it a go sometime in the future " he commented.
The Plowman Craven Evans Cycles riders donated their prize money to a local hospice which had recently cared for one of the event organisers during a long illness.
North of the border Plowman Craven Evans Cycles' James McCallum and Kevin Barclay rode the 15 km Scottish Championship in Dundee. The pair were part of a decisive break of five riders before McCallum gave Barclay a textbook leadout to take third.
The following day (3rd June) Plowman Craven Evans Cycles continued their string of excellent results competing in regional road race championships across the UK.
McCallum and Barclay at Dundee
Gordon McCauley proved his powers of recovery when he comfortably won the Central RR Championships on the Woodcote circuit near Oxford, ahead of team mates Tony Gibb and Simon Gaywood who took third and fourth places respectively. This was the home championship for the majority of the Plowman Craven Evans Cycles squad and from the start the pink and blue Impsport jerseys of the team set an impressive pace which the peleton found hard to match. Tony Gibb and Simon Gaywood lead an early breakaway but with two laps to go McCauley came across to them and then attacked, taking Gibb and Alex Higham (Bike and Run) with him before dropping them with quarter of a lap to go.
Photo © Dave O'Nyons & British Cycling
Plowman Craven Evans Cycles drive the pace at Woodcote
Not wanting to chase down his team mate Gibb sat behind Higham and did not contest the sprint for the line but a minute later Gaywood and Colin Roshier (Team Quest) did sprint it out for fourth spot with Archer winner and National Crit Series leader Gaywood the stronger on the day. Plowman Craven Evans Cycles team mates Jason Allen and Brian Biggs finished in the main field.
Meanwhile despite riding on his own Plowman Craven Evans Cycles' James Taylor took seventh in the Southern RR Championship in Owlsbury, Hampshire after joining the winning break formed on the first lap which quickly developed a two minute lead on the chasing peleton. It was a similar story in the Eastern Road Race Championship where Plowman Craven Evans Cycles team mates James Millard and Adam Norris were part of a decisive eight man break that went away early in the race, before a sprint finish determined the podium places with Millard taking third.
Simon Barnes, Team founder and boss of Herts based geomatics company Plowman Craven, was delighted with the weekends results. Photo © Gerry McManus & British Cycling
Taylor leads the break at Owlsbury "No other team achieved the spread of results we did over the weekend. Not only are we riding and winning individual races well, we're also recovering strongly and racing hard and winning the next day, proving that multi-stage races like the Tour of Britain are a real possibility for us. I'm very pleased with all of the team at the moment."
Next weekend Plowman Craven Evans Cycles will be looking to defend team member Simon Gaywood's lead in the National Criterium Series when they race at the Hillingdon Grand prix on Saturday and the Brentwood Town Centre Crit on Sunday.
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More information from Jonathan O’Neil: +44 (0) 7956250837 or click here
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