2008 News Archive
2007 News Archive
Gibb outsprints bunch to take second at Newport
3rd September 2007
Tony Gibb took Plowman Craven Evans Cycles a step closer to winning the National Circuit Race Series this weekend (1 September) when he outsprinted the field to take second place at the Newport Nocturne in Shropshire. The city centre circuit race was won by former Plowman Craven rider Malcolm Elliott, now riding for Pinarello, who slipped away from the field half way through the race to win by almost a minute.
Gibb beat a field containing some of the best criterium riders in the Country, as well as leading Continental-based riders Mark Cavendish of T-Mobile and Geraint Thomas of Barloworld.
"I'm really pleased with my ride," commented Gibb. "Outsprinting a quality field like this tells me my form is good and that I can be competitive in any gallops in the Tour of Britain."
Photo © Larry Hickmott & British Cycling
Gibb takes second at Newport
It was Geraint Thomas who made the early moves in the race and opened up gaps in the field, but it was Elliott, Gibb and Chris Newton of Recycling who made the decisive break. With the trio away a small chasing group made up of Geraint Thomas together with Peter Kennaugh of Pinarello and Tom Murray of Merlin tried in vain to reach them, while Gibb's team mates Gordon McCauley and James McCallum shut down any chase by the main bunch.
With half the race gone Elliott slipped away from his two companions, and with Newton leaving Gibb to try and close the gap on his own, he was soon soloing to victory while Newton and Gibb were caught by the Thomas group. The five chasers threw everything they had at bringing Elliott back but made no impression on a rider clearly in-form.
Gordon McCauley and Mark Cavendish, the winner of eight races this year for T-Mobile, attempted to get across from the bunch to the chasing group, but Cavendish could not hold McCauley's wheel and the New Zealander was left to bridge the gap to the chasers on his own, joining them with a lap to go. Although they were not going to catch Elliott, second place was set to be hotly contested. In the event Gibb won the sprint from Newton with McCauley fourth.
Current National Circuit Series leader, Plowman Craven Evans Cycles' Simon Gaywood finished in eleventh while team mates James Millard and James McCallum finished in twenty-sixth and –seventh places respectively. With two races left in the series – in London and Warrick – Gaywood's chances of overall victory are good, even though he and his team mates will not ride the London race as it is on the same day as the Tour of Britain prologue, and Plowman Craven Evans Cycles look set to take the team prize too.
Simon Barnes, team founder and boss of Hertfordshire based Geomatics company Plowman Craven, said the Team's performance boded well for the Tour of Britain:
"Ireland has given us the miles and experience of multiple stage racing, but tonight has shown we also have the firepower in Tony and the tactical ability and awareness to close down the chase to protect our attacks. Gordon was amazing coming across the gap – Cavendish couldn't hold his wheel and when you consider that Tony also rode away from Geraint Thomas I think we're in excellent shape for the Tour."
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