Location: Pimbo, Lancashire
Event: 25 March 2012
Report: Snowdon Sports
Rekindling his passion for road racing this season after a year largely devoted to time trials, Lee Tunnicliffe (Clay Cross RT) recorded his first win in new colours in Merseyside Wheelers’ 81-km promotion at Skelmersdale.
After two hours of racing on the Pimbo circuit, the 26-year-old was part of an eight-strong group which was caught on the line by the chasing bunch - Giles Piddock (Chevin Cycles) and Richard Moore (Squadra RT) holding on for second and third places with Martin Lonie (Dooleys Cycles) getting up to fourth as best of the chasers.
“It was brilliant,” said Tunnicliffe, from Leeds. “It was quite hard to get away in the beginning, there was a lot of activity but nothing was really working.
“The break just drifted away in the end and was working really well until the final lap when everyone began looking at each other.
“ I kind of knew I couldn’t do anything until the finishing straight, it was too windy on the circuit, and I think people were getting nervous because they could see the bunch coming up.
“I just chose the right wheel and came through to win the sprint.”
Added the winner: “I’ve predominantly been doing time trials in the last few years, but I’ve joined a team now with the emphasis on road racing. I’m going to do a selection of Premier Calendar races, I realise from past experience how hard they are so I’ll just dip my toe in the water and see what happens.”
Results:
1 Lee Tunnicliffe (Clay Cross RT) 2-03-00
2 Giles Piddock (Chevin Cycles)
3 Richard Moore (Squadra RT)
4 Martin Lonie (Dooleys Cycles)
5 Hamish Graham (ASFRA RT Flanders)
6 Sam Ward (Hope Factory Racing)
7 Christopher Quinn (Macclesfield Wheelers)
8 Spencer Coltman (Southport CC)
9 James Claydon (Bill Nickson RT)
10 Michael Rawson (Maxgear)
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.
