Location: Bournemouth, Forset
Event: 20 July 2013
Report: Eamonn Deane/Snowdon Sports
Justin Hoy (Felt-Colbournes-Hargroves RT) won the first Bournemouth Twilight Criterium, sprinting to victory in the heart of the seaside town.
Hoy finished a good three lengths clear of Al Murison (Equipe CMI) and Joe Barry (Ride 24/7) after an hour of fast, cat & mouse racing.
The 1km circuit took the riders through the town square, up Exeter Road, down past the pier and seafront, up Bath hill before the tight left hander down to the finish in Westover Road.
The fast course called for little technique and a breakaway always seemed unlikely as the pace remained high. Joe Barry took a £20 prime at half distance, his teammates putting the brakes on to allow the escape.
Robert Ward (Felt-Colbornes-Hargroves) had a dig off the front as did James Smith (Spin-Rotor-Primal C-Originals) as the Felts, Pedal Heaven, Spin-Rotor and 24/7 teams started to control the race.
The paced eased in the last two laps as the sprint became inevitable, and into the final corner the only place to be was on the front and that’s just where Hoy was.
Barnaby Cox (Gillingham and Dist Wh) won the 3/4 category event that got the evening underway. The 16-year-old only started racing in April this year and took his second win, easily outsprinting James Horton (Cannondale) and Samuel Sturgeon (NRG Sports Massage.co.uk).
Credit must go to Bournemouth Council who closed the town centre roads down on a busy Saturday night, their vision was rewarded with hot weather and a bumper crowd. The event also included a twenty minute corporate race, a night Sky ride & Night glow cycle spectacular.
What Was Said
Justin Hoy: “I sussed it out early on that you needed to be on the front in the final corner, if you are not in the first two you are stuffed, you have lost a lot of speed and accelerating downhill everybody is going to go pretty much the same speed.
“My teammate Colton Jarisch rode really strong on the front in the last few laps. There was a dead spot round the back of the course into the wind, it was like riding through treacle.
“I always intend to win, I thought if it was a bunch sprint, then I had a reasonable chance. I knew Al (Murison) would be up there. It was good to come into the last corner first.”
Al Murison: “It was a good fast flowing course, but it was really difficult to get away as the four main teams were controlling everything. I tried to get away once but after that I just sat in. It was a good positive race though.
“It got a bit messy towards the end as you would expect, I am happy with second, everyone likes to win but Justin is fast. I was on the brakes round the last bend, I got squeezed into the barriers and just salvaged what I could.”
Grant Bayton: “The circuit was not that technical, it lent itself to staying together. There were people attacking but you really have to put the hammer down to stay away, it kept coming back, nobody was really staying out there.
“Most of the riders knew it was getting controlled and would come down to a sprint finish. It was an amazing event with a great crowd, let’s hope it is on again next year.”
Result:
E/1/2:
1 Justin Hoy (Felt-Colbornes-Hargroves RT)
2 Al Murison (Equipe CMI)
3 Joe Barry (Ride 24/7)
4 Jamie Pine (Pedal Heaven RT)
5 Lee Smith (Felt- Colbornes –Hargroves RT)
3/4th Cat:
1 Barnaby Cox (Gillingham & Dist Wh)
2 James Horton (Cannondale Racing)
3 Samuel Sturgeon (NRG Sportsmassage.Co.Uk)
4 Vince Avery (Mid Devon RC)
5 Ross Adams (Juice Lubes Racing)
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.
