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Gaywood survives brush with the barriers
20th June 2008
Abergavenny was host this weekend (20-22 June) to the Welsh Cycling Festival. Friday evening saw Team Plowman Craven line up in the International Criterium.
The race was fast from the gun as Team Plowman Craven battled to get to the front after lining up early on the start line, only to have other riders joining in front of them. Simon Gaywood was the first member of the team to make it to the head of the race after 15 minutes of racing and was joined by team mate Evan Oliphant 20 minutes later, showing how fast the peleton was moving around the tight Welsh circuit as riders tried to go clear but almost immediately found themselves back in the peleton.
Gaywood was clearly comfortable at the front of the race and made a few attacks to try to force a smaller group clear. The pace however was so high that this proved impossible and the race stayed together for well over an hour. The faces of the riders showed how tough the race had been up until this point and it was only a matter of time before the decisive move would come.
Following on from an attack from Malcolm Elliot team mate Russell Downing attacked as the race entered the finale, he was quickly joined by Great Britain team member Ben Swift as they raced towards the finish line. Gaywood attempted to break clear of the chasers but came to grief through the tight chicane section of the course, finding himself being forced wide Gaywood collided with the barriers at 30mph. Showing his skill he managed to stay up right although the impact caused his leg to numb and with only a few short laps left he was out of the race.
As they entered the final lap the duo had a small advantage over Alex Dowsett (100% ME) as the group behind tried to get back on to terms. Downing hit the line one lap later victorious with Swift in second and Dowsett in third 5 seconds in arrears, the chasers finished 20 seconds later with Evan Oliphant finishing safely in the group. Simon Gaywood "Things were going to plan tonight, I felt good and was trying to follow the moves without using vital energy, I was moving up the group when I hit the barriers with my hip. It made my back go into spasm and effectively I was trying to ride on one leg. After a few trips to the physio and the osteopath I should be fine for the races for Otley and the Nationals".
Oliphants Welsh Experience
22nd June 2008
Competing off the back of the criterium on Friday night Team Plowman Craven lined up again for the Robert Price GP of Wales held on a mountainous course around the town of Abergavenny.
With inclusion of the accent of the Tumble after just 40miles the race set off at break neck speed, with riders trying to escape the peleton before the infamous climb to allow themselves some breathing space. This was unsuccessful as the large group that had broken free was caught on the lower slopes of the Tumble only to split again almost immediately with 30 riders moving clear as they climbed the windswept mountain. As the leaders crested the summit Plowman Craven's Simon Richardson could be seen stretching his legs as he drove the pace, also present were team mates Evan Oliphant and Alex Higham.
The race had been spread over countryside after only a few short kilometres of climbing, following a rapid descent the front group swelled in size as the race headed for the finishing circuit. As the riders crossed the finish line at the end of the first circuit Matt Stephens (Sigmasport) launched an attack followed by Oliphant, Malcolm Elliot and Rob Hayles (Halfords). The quartet worked well together and a few laps later they were joined by 15 riders including Simon Richardson. The group settled down and started to set a strong tempo, with 3 laps to go Martin Ford attacked on the climb taking a 500metre advantage joined by Downing, Stephens and Ben Swift. As the leaders headed towards the finish with 2 laps remaining Richardson was putting in a big effort behind to pull Oliphant back into contention.
Downing however had decided to make his move and pressed on alone finishing over a minute clear of his nearest rival, the rest of the front group had fragmented under the pressured of the chase and finished in ones and twos, with Oliphant leading home the Plowman Craven team in 7th place with Richardson in 15th after his mammoth efforts. Alex Higham finished shortly afterwards in 17th place after crashing in the final stages.
Before the long drive back to Scotland Oliphant commented "It was a gradual wearing down process today, I tried to keep my powder dry for an attack on the finishing circuit but the race didn't quite pan out how I had hoped."
Results
1. Russell Downing (Pinarello RT) - Four hours 16mins 18 secs
2. Peter Kennaugh (100% ME) @ 56 seconds
3. Martin Ford (South Regional) @ 1.08mins
7. Evan Oliphant (Plowman Craven) @ same time
15. Simon Richardson (Plowman Craven) @ same time
17. Alex Higham (Plowman Craven) @ 6.57mins
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