2008 News Archive
2007 News Archive
Two Wins in Two Days for Perfect Start to Season
3rd March 2008
Plowman Craven kicked off their 2008 season with two wins in two days this weekend, clearly demonstrating that the leading UK-based professional cycling team of 2007 are still the ones to beat this year.
Tony Gibb won the Eddie Soens Memorial race in Liverpool on Saturday, while team mate Simon Gaywood was victorious in the Wally Gimber road race in Kent the next day. Gibbs victory on the 50 mile closed circuit race on Aintree motor racing course was a fourth victory in the traditional season opener for the former World Cup and Commonwealth Games rider, equalling the record set in the 1970s by Doug Daley, now a coach with the GB Squad. Gibb previously won the event in 2001, 2002 and 2004.
Only a few days after the Team returned from a training camp in the French Pyrenees which caused them to miss last week's Clayton velo race where Rapha-Condor-Recycling took the top six places, Plowman Craven were determined to remind everyone why they were the most successful UK based pro cycling team last year.
The Eddie Soens is open to all racing categories, including fourth category riders, juniors and women, who are given a three minute advantage over the elite field. The handicapped group were caught after only six laps as a strong headwind slowed the field on the back straight and effectively prevented any attacks succeeding.
When, with ten laps to go a dangerous group did manage to get 30 seconds on the field, Plowman Craven organised themselves at the front and brought them back within two laps and from that point the pink and blue Plowman Craven riders controlled every move.
As the bell rang for the last lap the Plowman Craven train were still at the front with Rapha-Condor-Recycling lining up behind them. Dean Downing of Rapha tried to go early but it was Gibb, led out by team mate Evan Oliphant, who emerged first out of the final bend to power his way to the line and take an emphatic victory over Downing with third place going to Jon Mozley of Pearl Izumi-Planet X.
Commenting after the race, Gibb praised his new team mate Oliphant for providing the perfect lead out:
"van was a one-man motorbike down the back straight and gave me a perfect lead out. As soon as I came off his wheel I knew that was it."
The next day Plowman Craven showed their strength in depth when Simon Gaywood won a bunch sprint after six riders broke away in the 63 mile Dulwich Primavera Wally Gimber road race in Tenterden, Kent.
An early break from AW Cycles' Rob Enslin was soon caught by a chase group including Gaywood, Richard Sykes-Popham (KFS Special Vehicles), Roy Chamberlain (Corley Cycles) and Chris McNamara (Wildside). The five quickly established a lead of more than a minute on the main bunch before Plowman Craven's Simon Richardson soloed up to the breakaway to help his team mate.
In the sprint for the line Gaywood won from Sykes-Popham, while Chamberlain held off Enslin for third spot.
It was Gaywood's first road race win since last years Archer GP, a title he sadly won't be able to defend this season as the race has had to be cancelled due to lack of Police co-operation. The Bedford-based rider is often better known as a crit man, winning many of the National Circuit Series races last year and only losing out on the overall Series to (then) team mate Gordon McCauley in the final event. After the race a modest Gaywood was full of praise for team mate Richardson:
"Simon had a fantastic ride, coming across to us without any help and keeping the pace fierce during the last kilometre to stop anyone jumping. I was lying in third place, perfectly positioned when it came to the gallop."
Team founder, and boss of Herts based geomatics company Plowman Craven, Simon Barnes, commented:
"We've started the season as we mean to go on. In both races this weekend we've shown we have the talent and the tactics to make winning attacks and control any chasing group.
"This year we've put together a much more coherent team and the riders compliment each other very well. But other teams have also raised their game and so I think it's going to be an exciting season. Despite what some in the cycling press are saying, it's not just a two horse race between ourselves and Rapha-Condor-Recycling - SiS Trek are clearly a strong team and Pinarello have yet to race.
"Next weekend's Bikeline two-day in North Wales looks set to be an explosive start to the Premier Calendar. The race effectively decided the overall individual winner of the series last year but I think it will be much closer throughout this season."
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