Location: Olveston Sports & Social Club, Old Down, Olveston, South Gloucestershire
Event: 3 March 2013
The the 41st year of the Severn Bridge Road Race takes place on the 3 March around a six mile circuit near Olveston in North Bristol.
This year the competition for places in the event has been its fiercest ever even though there are now two races.
The main race which starts at midday will see 80 riders start off from the HQ at Olveston Sports & Social Club and covering 10 laps of the 10-kilometre circuit which takes in a “King of The Mountains” (KOM) competition on the Old Down Hill.
This year there are 20 pro cycling teams as well as many local riders. The teams include Rapha Condor JLT, Team Corley Cycles, Herbalife-Leisure Lakes, Felt-Colbornes-Hargreaves RT, RST Racing Team, Metaltek, Team IG Sigma Sport, Spin Rotor primal, Team UK Youth, NODE4 Giordana Racing and a brand new local team, Team Diabetes UK.
Previous winner Grant Bayton (Ride 24/7) returns, along with several team mates of last year’s winner (Marcin Bialoblocki) from Team UK Youth. Although not riding as he is racing abroad, Marcin led UK Youth to the top six places in the recent season opener, Perfs Pedal Race, with fourth placed Josh Hunt riding the Severn Bridge RR this time. Mountain bike star Oli Beckingsale is also (Endura) riding after a successful cyclo-cross season which saw him winning the UK National Series.
Several other top ten finishers from last year’s race are also here including Colin Parry (Spin Rotor Primal C-Originals RT), Robert Smail (Metaltek-Knights of Old RT), Tom Stockdale (Spin Rotor Primal C-Originals RT) and Toby Eichler (Team Diabetes UK).
Many riders will only return from early season training in Majorca just the day before the race. There are two young riders from the Welsh Cycling junior programme, particularly Scott Davies who is also in his first year of the Olympic Development Programme.
Will Stephenson, a new young rider for Rapha Condor JLT whose aggressive performance at the junior world road race championships in Limburg last year was enough for manager, John Herety, to offer the youngster a place in the team.
Colin Parry (Spin Rotor Primal C-Originals RT) will always in the mix as a matured season professional who knows this circuit well.
Expect the field to be well spread out with likely a small break of riders dominating at the front from the earlier laps.
