A late attack saw Archie Peet (Reflex Racing) take a solo win in the PB Performance Espoirs Road Race, Round 2 of the Under-23 Open National Road Series, on a day where the favourites found themselves out marked, and eventually out gunned.
A late attack saw Archie Peet (Reflex Racing) take a solo win in the PB Performance Espoirs Road Race on a day where the favourites found themselves out marked, and eventually out gunned.
With 10 laps of a rolling 16km circuit ahead, the race began at a frantic pace, any attacks quickly neutralised until a crash on the technical roads around Breedon-on-the-Hill saw a group of three escape on the second lap. Archie Fletcher (360 Cycling) was joined by Alexander Bosley (Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling) and Matthew Wilson (Ride Revolution Coaching) as they took advantage of the natural slackening of the pace and set about building a gap of one minute to a peloton led by the host team.
The trio stayed out for a couple of laps, Dylan Hicks (Saint Piran) launching an attack on Vinegar Hill, the focal point of the course with its steep kick and summit 300m on from the finish line, as the race neared the halfway point. The leading group continously shuffled members, but was kept on a tight leash by the intent peloton.
The attacks would keep coming with the bunch winning each skirmish, no riders being allowed a significant gap.
With three laps remaining the high pace of proceedings was proving too much for a number of riders, in pockets of ones and twos, as they went out the back of the race, while a strong group of five led the race having broken away earlier that lap. Early aggressor Fletcher was joined by a teammate, as well as Matthew Lord (Richardsons Trek DAS), David Hird (Cycling Sheffield) and Aaron King (Wheelsebase CabTech Castelli) in a group that saw the majority of the Elite Development Teams present represented.
Such was the nature of the race, again the peloton would bring the move back, this time bringing around the first real easing of the tempo as the riders prepared for the final laps. James Hartley (Cycling Sheffield) was forced to retire after a mechanical sustained in an earlier crash left him riding in his biggest 53×11 gear for the best part of 100km.
It would take another crash for the winning move to go, the Bridgnorth Cycling Club pair of Ben Pierce and James Satoor took advantage of the let up in pace with with a lap and a half to go. With the bunch letting them loose, potentially underestimating their ability, Archie Peet (Reflex Racing) set off in pursuit of the duo within the final lap as the kilometres ticked away. With all three committed, the bunch found themselves for the first time on the back foot, and they would not be able to close the gap.
21-year-old Peet caught the duo on the final ascent of Vinegar Hill, going straight over the top on the harsh gradients to take the biggest win of his career. With the Pierce moving clear of Satoor, it was Saint Piran’s Rowan Baker, winner of the East Cleveland Classic a week prior, who would emerge from the still intact group of around 50 riders to claim 4th up the drag to the line.
A late attack saw Archie Peet (Reflex Racing) take a solo win in the PB Performance Espoirs Road Race, Round 2 of the Under-23 Open National Road Series, on a day where the favourites found themselves out marked, and eventually out gunned.
Featured image: Emma Wilcock
Report
A late attack saw Archie Peet (Reflex Racing) take a solo win in the PB Performance Espoirs Road Race on a day where the favourites found themselves out marked, and eventually out gunned.
With 10 laps of a rolling 16km circuit ahead, the race began at a frantic pace, any attacks quickly neutralised until a crash on the technical roads around Breedon-on-the-Hill saw a group of three escape on the second lap. Archie Fletcher (360 Cycling) was joined by Alexander Bosley (Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling) and Matthew Wilson (Ride Revolution Coaching) as they took advantage of the natural slackening of the pace and set about building a gap of one minute to a peloton led by the host team.
The trio stayed out for a couple of laps, Dylan Hicks (Saint Piran) launching an attack on Vinegar Hill, the focal point of the course with its steep kick and summit 300m on from the finish line, as the race neared the halfway point. The leading group continously shuffled members, but was kept on a tight leash by the intent peloton.
The attacks would keep coming with the bunch winning each skirmish, no riders being allowed a significant gap.
With three laps remaining the high pace of proceedings was proving too much for a number of riders, in pockets of ones and twos, as they went out the back of the race, while a strong group of five led the race having broken away earlier that lap. Early aggressor Fletcher was joined by a teammate, as well as Matthew Lord (Richardsons Trek DAS), David Hird (Cycling Sheffield) and Aaron King (Wheelsebase CabTech Castelli) in a group that saw the majority of the Elite Development Teams present represented.
Such was the nature of the race, again the peloton would bring the move back, this time bringing around the first real easing of the tempo as the riders prepared for the final laps. James Hartley (Cycling Sheffield) was forced to retire after a mechanical sustained in an earlier crash left him riding in his biggest 53×11 gear for the best part of 100km.
It would take another crash for the winning move to go, the Bridgnorth Cycling Club pair of Ben Pierce and James Satoor took advantage of the let up in pace with with a lap and a half to go. With the bunch letting them loose, potentially underestimating their ability, Archie Peet (Reflex Racing) set off in pursuit of the duo within the final lap as the kilometres ticked away. With all three committed, the bunch found themselves for the first time on the back foot, and they would not be able to close the gap.
21-year-old Peet caught the duo on the final ascent of Vinegar Hill, going straight over the top on the harsh gradients to take the biggest win of his career. With the Pierce moving clear of Satoor, it was Saint Piran’s Rowan Baker, winner of the East Cleveland Classic a week prior, who would emerge from the still intact group of around 50 riders to claim 4th up the drag to the line.
Results
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