Location: South Kirkby, West Yorkshire
Event: 2 June 2013
Joe Moses (Team Sportscover) came through a manic sprint finish involving around 30 riders to take victory in the Ian Mountain Memorial.
After terrible luck with the weather in previous years, the fourth annual Ian Mountain Memorial road race organised by Andrew Lowrie and the Wakefield Cycling Club finally provided the conditions which Ian used to love riding in - glorious sunshine.
The race has quickly become a popular event on the calendar and covering a distance of 100km, this year was no exception with a full field of 63 riders on the start line.
After a cagey first few kilometres three riders got away - Team GB Junior Oliver Wood riding for Team Sportscover, Chris Daddy of Squadra RT and Nathan Wilson of Wilsons Wheels RT.
They managed to stay away for a lap but were then caught by Ashley Brown & Joe Moses, both of Team Sportscover. Jon Wilkinson of Sportscover's sister team, BBM Revolution Cycling and Duncan Moralee of Strategic Lions Cycling.
Working well together the seven strong break managed to keep the chasing peloton at bay but only by around 45 seconds and the long straights on the circuit meant they never disappeared from view.
By the bell the lead group began to crack and the Peloton quickly started to reel them in. Youth and experience prevailed in the end as Sportscovers young guns Joe Moses and Oliver Wood managed to stay away to take first and second respectively, whilst experienced campaigner Duncan Moralee reserved just enough energy to hold onto third.
What followed is what all event organisers dread. A bunch sprint with over 30 riders crossing the line within fractions of seconds! At the time of writing this report the result positions from fourth onwards are only provisional and may well change.
Joe said after the race: “I chased the leading group and we got a gap of up to 57 seconds, then on the final lap it was just 20 seconds.
“My little group worked together well. I decided to make an attack on Oli and Dunc, then soloed to the finish and won by about 15 to 20 seconds but the bunch were coming in really close behind them and they were right on their wheel by the finish.
“I felt strong and had a good week so I was hoping to win today. It wasn’t too windy, quite still in fact, and it was a quick race, the average was 26mph.”
Event organiser Andrew Lowrie and Ian's widow, Rae Mountain, would like to thank all the friends and family of Wakefield Cycling Club and the Northfield Hotel, without whom the event could not take place.
Provisional result:
1 Joe Moses (Team Sportscover)
2 Oliver Wood (Team Sportscover)
3 Duncan Moralee (Strategic Lions Cycling)
4 Danny Lowthorpe (Langsett Cycles RT)
5 Ben Last (Clay Cross RT)
6 Daniel Keena (Squadra RT)
7 Alex Orrell-Turner (VS Cycles)
8 Ged Millward (Ilkley CC)
9 Marc McLean (Out of the Saddle)
10 Tim Jackson (Clifton)
11 Michael Sloanes (Sunderland Clarion)
12 Paul Bell (Peak RC)
13 Dominic Smith (Retford CC)
14 Will Staveley (Dirtwheels Cycles)
15 Matt Stealt (Albarosa RT)
Please credit www.britishcycling.org.uk and link back if you use any of our race results.
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.
