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Location: Chobham, Surrey
Event: 17 March 2013
Report: Andy Whitehouse/Snowdon Sports
Photos: Andy Whitehouse
Showing his intentions from the start, Jake Martin claimed a deserved victory on his local Chobham course in Hounslow and District Wheelers’ 85-mile Peter Young Memorial Road Race.
Martin (Kingsnorth International Wheelers) outsprinted Elliott Porter (Rapha Condor JLT) and former winner Alex Higham (Felt Colbournes Hargroves Cycles) after instigating a break that went clear well before half-distance and never appeared in danger of being caught in the wet conditions.
At the finish the leading trio were four minutes clear of Wouter Sybrandy (IG Sigma Sport) with Edward Clemens (Spirit Bikes RT) leading in the next group a further half a minute down.
An early nine-man break was away for the opening two laps of an 8.8-mile circuit, covered seven times, but the leaders grew to 19 riders before Martin put in a couple of digs which eventually saw him pull away with Porter, Higham and a fourth unidentified rider, opening a gap of 35 seconds over a chasing group of five who included early-season winner Ed Clancy (Rapha Condor JLT).
Martin continued to force the pace, eventually reducing the leaders to three, and they had an advantage of around three minutes moving on to the 2.9-mile finishing circuit and seven ascents of Staple Hill Road to the finish on Chobham Common.
Behind them, Sybrandy - second last year - took off in lone pursuit, but as the rain intensified it became an impossible task and he was left to preserve his advantage over the rest.
Said the delighted winner Martin: “It’s my first-ever road race win so I’m pretty chuffed. I felt pretty strong all day.
“I was pretty much away from the gun, and then it got back together, but I kept on going in a little group.
“I wanted to try and get a split so I was working hard. I love the rain - it makes me faster, even in the cold. I’m skin-suited up so it doesn’t bother me.
“This is my local road race and it only takes me half an hour to get here, but it’s great to win. I won a crit at Cyclopark last week, but it’s good to get a win in a this. I’ve got the Wally Gimber next week then I’m off to Belgium with Kingsnorth International.”
Result:
1 Jake Martin (Kingsnorth International Wheelers) 3-25-43
2 Elliott Porter (Rapha Condor JLT)
3 Alex Higham (Felt Colbournes Hargroves Cycles) all same time
4 Wouter Sybrandy (IG Sigma Sport) at 4-00
5 Edward Clemens (Spirit Bikes RT) at 4-30
6 Oliver Rossi (Twenty3c.co.uk-Focus)
7 Peter Hawkins (IG Sigma Sport)
8 Andy Betts (Felt Colbournes Hargroves Cycles)
9 Ed Clancy (Rapha Condor JLT)
10 Jamie Caldwell (MG-Maxifuel Po Cycling)
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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.
