Location: Stafford, Staffordshire
Event: 16 June 2013
Report: Alastair Semple
The Stafford Grand Prix took place in excellent conditions on Sunday with a full field of, dominated by category two riders.
This year’s event entailed 10 laps of the Huntingdon circuit, clocking in at107km with 1,300m of climbs. And with five primes up for grabs, the attacks went on the first lap.
Gareth Jones (Wolverhampton Whls) took the first prime at the end of the first full lap and being chased by five other riders, a breakaway formed on the second lap. By the time they reached the prime at the end of the third lap they had extended this to a 30 second lead over the chasing bunch.
Tony Kiss (Dynamic Bicycles UK/RPC ) took the second prime by half a wheel out sprinting Gareth Jones. The breakaway riders (Steve Fidler (Dave Hinde Racing Team), Andy Prince (Stafford RC), Paul Searson (Nottingham Clarion CC), Gareth Jones (Wolverhampton Whls), Chris Wilkinson (Paramount CRT) and Tony Kiss (Dynamic Bicycles UK/RPC) extended their lead to 50 seconds by the end of the fourth lap.
Gareth Jones took the third prime at the end of the fifth lap but with the group attacking each other to take the primes their lead had now been reduced to just 35 seconds and they were caught on the next lap.
A breakaway of four riders lead by Simon Alexander (Bush Healthcare CRT), Dion Black (Kenilworth Wheelers CC), William Goulbourne (Team V-Sprint Racing), Gareth Jones (Wolverhampton Whls), got away on the seventh lap after William Goulbourne picked up the forth prime and they extended their lead to just over one minute by the end of the eighth lap
On the ninth lap and final prime, William Goulbourne lead the small group across the line as the bell rang for the final lap. The peloton now had the riders in their sight and the breakaway looked destine to be caught.
But Goulbourne attacked on the final big climb up to Pottal Pool roundabout and turned for a the fast descent to Penkridge with a nice lead over his chasers. He held this wining the Stafford GP with a comfortable 10 second lead over his rivals and time to sit up and take the applause of the crowds watching.
Top ride today by Gareth Jones (Wolverhampton Whls) who attached on the first lap and was in every break of the day finishing fourth overall.
Stafford RC laid on over £1,200 in prizes and they would like to thanks their sponsor Henry Burton Cycles and La Pattiserrie for these and Xero for the set of race wheels put up for first prize.
Results:
1 William Goulbourne Team V-Sprint Racing
2 Dion Black Kenilworth Wheelers CC
3 Simon Alexander Bush Healthcare CRT
4 Gareth Jones Wolverhampton Whls
5 Josh Williams Paramount CRT
6 Steven Fidler Dave Hinde Racing Team
7 Alastair Hepworth Clay Cross Road Team
8 David Lowe
9 Jeff Vernon Birkenhead North End CC
10 Michael Garner Birkenhead North End CC
11 Paul Searson Nottingham Clarion CC
12 Martin Boakes CC Luton
13 Mike Jones Paramount CRT
14 Tony Kiss Dynamic Bicycles UK/RPC
Primes:
1 Gareth Jones
2 Tony Kiss
3 Gareth Jones
4 William Goulbourne
5 William Goulbourne
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.
