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2010 RIS Junior Tour of Wales
August 28-30, 2010 | Wales | Day 1 (stages 1 & 2)
The classic Junior National Series stage race, the RIS Junior Tour of Wales, got underway on the Saturday morning with a time trial over a distance of 4.5 miles (7.2km). On a course of two halves, one which had the juniors spinning their maximum allowed gear around with a tailwind to be followed by a section of the infamous mountain climb, the Tumble (near Abergavenny), it was going to suit a multitude of riders.
The race would certainly sort out who would wear the first Yellow jersey and it came down to a battle between three riders who had ridden with distinction at the Junior World Road Championships a few weeks ago.
Winner of the Junior Tour of Wales stage 1 time trial in 11.46 was Sam Harrison (Wales), a rider at home on the track where he medaled at the Junior Worlds in the Team Pursuit but breathing down his neck was a rider who was 4th in the Junior Worlds Road Race, Joshua Edmondson (Motorpoint Marshals Pasta) with a time only four seconds slower than Harrison.
In third was a World champion no less, Simon Yates (Max Gear RT), the current Junior World Madison Champion who was another four seconds down on Edmondson and eight behind Harrison. The race was underway and the jerseys had been decided prior to stage 2 which would finish on top of a mountain.
Stage 2
Starting in the Market Square in Brynmawr, the classy field of Juniors was flagged away by the Mayor, Cllr Brian Thomas and lying a ahead of the riders was a lumpy course over 45 miles (72.4km). It was the sort of stage that would suit roadman Joshua Edmondson and so it proved but it was far from easy for him.
The Motorpoint Marshals Pasta rider admitted that his morale took a bit of a beating at the Track Nationals the week before and he even resorted to playing mind games with his rivals by telling them on Facebook how rubbish he felt. It was a ruse of course and after his second place in the time trial, Edmondson stepped up the pressure by winning stage 2 on top of the three mile long Llangynidr Mountain, which at its steepest is 11%.
During the second stage, Edmondson found himself playing catch up after a break got away and had a lead of three or four minutes as they approached the final climb. Before that, Dan Mclay had been leading the race and was away on his own by a minute from the break. His luck however took a turn for the worse as he was directed off course and while he made his way back, a strong chase group of Edmondson, Sam Harrison and Simon Yates started to close in on the break.
Joshua explained that in the chase group no-one was really doing anything or getting organised to chase the break and as the peloton approached the final climb, riders were chipping off the front due to nerves as to what might happen should they stay in the group on the mountain.
“I ended up off the front with Simon (Yates) and Sam (Harrison) and we battered it up the climb” Joshua says. “I caught the break with a kilometre to go and liked the climb which was very steep, and because it was quite windy, it was hard too.”
Joshua’s legs must have liked the climb because the lead the break had before the mountain finish melted like snow in the Saharan sun and on the finish line, Joshua had 11 seconds on the second placed rider, Owain Doull, the Welsh Junior Champion. Simon Yates was third while McLay who had been off course and had to double back, lost 27 seconds on Edmondson, finishing in 7th place.
With Sam Harrison also losing time, finishing in 9th, 34 seconds down on Edmondson, the yellow jersey went to Edmondson as did the King of the Mountains classification.
One day down, two more to do.
Results from Day 1
Stage 1 Time Trial
1.Sam Harrison,Wales 11.46
2. Joshua Edmonson Motorpoint - Marshalls Pasta 11:50 5
3. Simon Yates Maxgear RT 11:54 4
4. Adam Yates Maxgear RT 11:59 3
5. Joe Kelly Team Isle of Man 12:00 2
6. Owain Doull Hargroves Cycles/Trant/Next/Scott/GSI 12:07 1
7. Conor Dunne Glendene CC/Ridley/Vitesse/OCE 12:13 0
8. Oliver Rossi London Road Juniors 12:17 0
9. Daniel McLay Hargroves Cycles/Trant/Next/Scott/GSI 12:23 0
10. Matthew Hamilton, Scotland
Stage 2
1. Joshua Edmonson MPM 1:57:23
2. Owain Doull HAR 1:57:34
3. Simon Yates MAX 1:57:38
4. Oliver Rossi LRJ 1:57:40
5. Conor Dunne GLN 1:57:45
6. Alistair Slater EMR 1:57:50
7. Daniel McLay HAR 1:57:50
8. Jonny Knox HLW 1:57:55
9. Sam Harrison WAL 1:57:57
10. Adam Yates MAX 1:57:59
Overall after day 1
1. Joshua Edmonson MPM 2:08:58
2. Simon Yates MAX 2:09:27
3. Owain Doull HAR 2:09:31
4. Sam Harrison WAL 2:09:43
5. Oliver Rossi LRJ 2:09:57
6. Adam Yates MAX 2:09:58
7. Conor Dunne GLN 2:09:58
8. Daniel McLay HAR 2:10:13
9. Alistair Slater EMR 2:10:23
10. Jonny Knox HLW 2:10:36
Full Results at Event Website
