Location: Sutton Bonnington, Nottingham
Event: 18 September 2011
Report: Snowdon Sports
National Time Trial Series winner Matt Bottrill powered to a solo victory in the Derby Mercury Road Race at Suttonm Bonnington in Nottinghamshire on Sunday.
Matt Bottrill wins the Derby Mercury Road Race
Bottrill, the 34-year-old I Ride Racing Team member from Leicester, took off from the front of the bunch with around three laps to go and left the rest of the field for dead with his time trialling skills.
Earlier in the race, a break of nine riders had gotten clear on the first lap, and although their lead never really exceeded 30 seconds they survived out front until lap eight of 12.
Almost as soon as the race was back together again, Bottrill attacked, and was quickly out of sight.
With two laps left a chase group formed, but it was too late to challenge for the win.
Bottrill crossed the line around a minute and a half ahead, while the promoting club's Andy Eagers used his experience to take second spot in the seven-up sprint from the chasing group.
The 48-year-old Derby based rider held off former Continental professional Flavio Zappi, the 51-year-old Italian who now lives in Abingdon.
Results:
1 Matt Bottrill (I Ride RT) 2:30:00
2 Andy Eagers (Derby Mercury RC) @ 1:30
3 Flavio Zappi (Team Zappis)
4 Paul Bell (Peak RC)
5 Conor Ryan (VC Montpellier)
6 Daniel Bill (Cult Racing)
7 Paul Dring (Team Echelon)
8 Neil Edwards (unattached) all @ same time
9 Tim Allen (Cyclesport) @ 2:00
10 Paul Bennett (Cycling Bargains) @ same time
British Cycling would like to thank the organising team, officials and everyone else who helped promote this event. Our sport could not exist without the hundreds of people, many of them unpaid volunteers, who put in many hours of hard work running events, activities and clubs.
