2008 News Archive
2007 News Archive
Evan Oliphant takes second place in Bikeline Two Day in North Wales
10th March 2008
Plowman Craven's Evan Oliphant took second place overall in the opening race of the 2008 Premier Calendar series, the Bikeline Two Day in North Wales. Oliphant had won the second stage of the race on day one and was involved in a bunch sprint after several unsuccessful attempts to break away for the third and final stage, but lost out to Ian Wilkinson of SiS, eventually crossing the line in ninth. Wilkinson had also won the opening prologue, but it was Dean Downing of Rapha-Recycling who won the overall race.
The seven-man Plowman Craven squad of Oliphant, Simon Gaywood, Simon Richardson, James Millard, Tom Barras, Alex Higham and Neil Coleman started the two-day, three-stage race well with four of the top ten places in the 1.6 km prologue. An undulating course and strong, cold winds made for tough conditions. Former mountain biker and winner of the race in 2006 Simon Richardson managed third, only three seconds down on winner Ian Wilkinson while team mates Tom Barras came in fifth, with Simon Gaywood taking seventh and Evan Oliphant ninth.
But it was on stage two, held on the same day as the prologue, that the pink and blue trademark jerseys of Plowman Craven really came to the fore.
Oliphant won the second stage despite breaking a spoke during the first few miles and seeing the main field sweep past. Undeterred, he took a new wheel and worked his way back through the convoy and riders to reach the front, where he promptly attacked again gaining 11 seconds on the field. A small chasing group caught him with 20 km to go, including three Rapha-Recycling riders, but despite his earlier efforts during the 56 km stage Oliphant's legs still proved to be the strongest and he won the sprint, gapping the other riders in the group. Team mate Simon Gaywood won the bunch sprint behind.
"With four Plowman Craven riders in the top ten at the start of the stage we were trying to gain as much time as possible," commented Oliphant. "I snapped a spoke early in the stage and found myself at the rear and having to chase hard to get back on which wasted a lot of energy.
"I got away later in the stage and was joined by a small group including three Rapha riders who were attacking me in turn on the run in to the finish. I sat in and let one of them - Downing - get a small gap and then closed up and attacked myself, gaining a few seconds."
Oliphant's win left him in second place in the GC, eight seconds down on leader Dean Downing of Rapha. Team mates Simon Richardson and Tom Barras were also well placed in eighth and tenth respectively, some 36 seconds down on the leaders.
Oliphant joined Plowman Craven from the DFL squad at the start of this season, where he was the highest domestic finisher in the 2007 Tour of Britain in sixteenth place.
Stage three, the following day, was 138 km of windy, undulating and twisting roads ending in a long climb. Plowman Craven attacked from the go in an attempt to nudge Oliphant or one of the others still high on GC into top spot. First Neil Coleman, another new Plowman Craven signing from Abercrombie and Fitch, got away with a small group and then, when they were caught, Simon Gaywood attacked, this time opening up a more significant gap which at one point earned him leader on the road.
Gaywood was soon joined by team mate and former Rapha rider Alex Higham, as well as a few others including Russell Downing of Pinarello. With no Rapha-Recycling rider in the break the men in black took control of the chase which lasted for most of the day until the race hit the outskirts of the finish in Denbeigh.
Plowman Craven continued their attacks as the race came together on the main climb of the day, first with James Millard and then with Neil Coleman and Tom Barras, before Simon Richardson was part of a short-lived three man break. In the run in to the line Oliphant tried once again to gain a few seconds over the bunch and give his team that all-important season opener victory. But it was Stage one winner Ian Wilkinson who timed his run the best to beat Dean Downing and win the stage in a bunch sprint. Oliphant crossed the line ninth in the same time as Wilkinson and Downing, but his eight second deficit from day one saw him remain in second overall. Tom Barras and Simon Richardson also finished in the leading group of riders.
Despite losing out in the GC, an upbeat Oliphant was already looking forward to the next round of the Series:
"Obviously I'm disappointed but that was a good start to the season for me and the Team. I had to get eight seconds from Dean so the plan was to attack, which we did from the go, but on the day we couldn't quite pull it off.
"The next Premier Calendar race is the Girvan, another multi-stage event, and we'll be looking to even the score then, especially as it's home territory for myself and James McCallum."
Team founder, and boss of Herts-based geomatics company Plowman Craven, Simon Barnes, was pleased with the way in which his riders took the race to the opposition:
"The Bikeline is a hard, hard race and an important one: it effectively determined the outcome of the Premier Calendar series last year, even though it comes at the start of the season. And within the race itself, it is the prologue that often sets the scene for the overall outcome. Dean's eight seconds on Evan after the prologue made all the difference at the end of Stage three."
"The Team rode well, constantly attacking and taking the race to the opposition. I'm pleased with every one of them, but special mention has to go to Evan for his fantastic ride on Stage two: to fight your way through the convoy and a fragmented field and then go on not only to attack but to win is impressive. I've stressed to the riders that part of our overall strategy is to race in an entertaining and exciting way, and Evan certainly lived up to my expectations.
"There is a lot of talk in the cycling media at the moment about Plowman Craven and Rapha-Recycling going head-to-head this season, and I've two comments on that. First, there are a lot of other really good teams and riders out there – Ian Wilkinson won two of the three stages this weekend – and second, although Dean took a well deserved win it wasn't easy and he knows we're snapping at his heels. It's going to be a great season!"
FULL RESULTS
Stage 1
1. Ian Wilkinson SIS 0:02:50.22 02:50.22
2. Dean Downing REC 0:02:52.59 @ :02.37
3. Simon Richardson PCA 0:02:53.11 @ :02.89
4. Russ Downing PIN 0:02:54.06 @ :03.84
5. Tom Barras PCA 0:02:54.83 @ :04.61
6. Freddy Johansson PIN 0:02:56.81 @ :06.59
7. Simon Gaywood PCA 0:02:57.56 @ :07.34
8. Richard Kent SIS 0:02:58.64 @ :08.42
9. Evan Oliphant PCA 0:03:00.51 @ :10.29
10. Kristian House REC 0:03:01.07 @ :10.85
28. Alex Higham PCA 0:03:07.88 @ :17.66
40. Neil Coleman PCA 0:03:11.08 @ :20.86
41. James Millard PCA 0:03:11.40 @ :21.18
Stage 2
1. Evan Oliphant PCA 1:16:15
2. Dale Appleby REC " "
3. Dean Downing REC " "
4. Matthew Stephens SIG @ :05
5. Matthew Higgins COR " "
6. Rob Partridge REC " "
7. Simon Gaywood PCA @ :35
8. Russ Downing PIN " "
9. Marc Perry SBN " "
10. Mark Wordsworth COR " "
11. Simon Richardson PCA " "
22. Tom Barras PCA " "
33. James Millard PCA " "
49. Neil Coleman PCA " "
71. Alex Higham PCA @ 01:58
Stage 3
1. Ian Wilkinson SIS 3:03:04
2. Dean Downing REC " "
3. Russ Downing PIN " "
4. Matthew Stephens SIG " "
5. Dale Appleby REC " "
6. Gary Hand PED " "
7. Tom Smith AWC " "
8. Matthew Higgins COR " "
9. Evan Oliphant PCA " "
10. Marc Perry SBN " "
18. Tom Barras PCA " "
22. Simon Richardson PCA " "
54. Simon Gaywood PCA @ 02:37
56. James Millard PCA " "
66. Neil Coleman PCA @ 04:12
73. Alex Higham PCA @ 05:24
FINAL OVERALL
1. Dean Downing Rapha-Condor Recycli 4:22:11 4:22:11
2. Evan Oliphant Plowman Craven RT 4:22:19 @ :08
3. Dale Appleby Rapha-Condor Recycli 4:22:25 @ :14
4. Rob Partridge Rapha-Condor Recycli 4:22:28 @ :17
5. Matthew Higgins Team Corley Cycles 4:22:32 @ :21
6. Matthew Stephens Sigmasport 4:22:35 @ :24
7. Ian Wilkinson ScienceInSport-Trek 4:22:44 @ :33
8. Simon Richardson Plowman Craven RT 4:22:47 @ :36
9. Russ Downing Pinarello RT 4:22:48 @ :37
10. Tom Barras Plowman Craven RT " "
40. Simon Gaywood Plowman Craven RT 4:25:28 @ 03:17
43. James Millard Plowman Craven RT 4:25:42 @ 03:31
61. Neil Coleman Plowman Craven RT 4:27:17 @ 05:06
68. Alex Higham Plowman Craven RT 4:29:48 @ 07:37
All article photos © Larry Hickmott, British Cycling
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