2022 Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series – Clacton: race report and results
Matt Bostock took WiV SunGod's third Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series win of the year in Clacton, while Sammie Stuart crushed her opponents with a dominant solo victory
Matt Bostock was on fine form as he secured WiV SunGod’s third win of the year in Round 5 of the 2022 Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series at Clacton with a stunning winning sprint in the men’s race.
Sammie Stuart (Team LDN – Brother UK), meanwhile, was imperious in the women’s race, taking a crushing solo win well clear of her rivals.
Report
Men’s race
In what has become a tradition in this year’s edition of the Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series, the men’s race was a closely-contested affair from the very off with the squads of Trinity Racing, WiV SunGod and Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling holding an iron grip at the front of the race.
The first to test the triumvirate’s resolve was Cameron McLaren (Nopinz Motip Race Team), who put in an early attack on the very first lap. Despite pushing hard on the technical, 1.4km seaside circuit, McLaren’s charge didn’t last long as he got swallowed back up by the omnipresent yellow jerseys of series leaders WiV SunGod.
This allowed WiV’s Matt Bostock and Ribble Weldtite’s Harry Tanfield to position themselves at the front to resume hostilities in the Freewheel.co.uk sprints competition, with Bostock looking to defend his four-point series lead over Tanfield. And hostile proved to be the word for it, certainly in the first intermediate sprint.
Trying to position themselves perfectly in the lead-up to the sprint, Tanfield and Bostock came within millimetres of colliding with each other as they jostled for the front. A rapid approach to the final right-hander benefited Bostock who took five points and exchanged a few terse words with Tanfield.
2022 Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series – Round 5: Clacton, Essex, England – Men’s Race – Charlie (L) and Harry Tanfield (R) of Ribble Weldtite in action. Photo: Alex Broadway/SWpix.com
The rest stayed together for the second and third sprints – despite multiple attacks – with Bostock’s superior grip and confidence around the flying final right-hand corner allowing him to extend his lead in the competition with just two rounds remaining.
With the Freewheel.co.uk Sprint competition out of the way, the race finally began to open up, as Guernsey rider Sam Culverwell (Trinity Racing) made his move with just over 10 minutes remaining.
He soloed for about five minutes, before being joined by Charlie Tanfield (Ribble Weldtite), the track racer taking turns out front with Culverwell as they built up about half-a-dozen seconds over the chasing pack.
2022 Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series – Round 5: Clacton, Essex, England – Men’s Race – Sam Culverwell of Trinity racing in action. Photo: Alex Broadway/SWpix.com
They hung on until just three laps to go. First Bostock joined them before the pack behind then pulled them back in.
It looked like it was going to be a mass sprint to the line, but a crash for a Trinity rider halfway round the last lap split the leaders, which left Max Walker (Trinity Racing) with the WiV SunGod trio of Bostock, Matt Gibson and Jacob Scott, who essentially team time trialled their way to the line.
Despite Walker getting a good run through the final corner, Bostock’s speed and willingness to push to the very edge of the road in his quest to be the fastest out of the apex gave him the advantage he needed to take the win. Walker finished second for an Isle of Man one-two.
2022 Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series – Round 5: Clacton, Essex, England – Men’s Race – Matt Bostock of Wiv SunGod celebrates the win. Photo: Alex Broadway/SWpix.com
Winning every Freewheel.co.uk intermediate sprint, and taking maximum points at the finish, means Bostock retains his advantage over Harry Tanfield in the overall competition. To complete Bostock’s clean sweep, he won the Freewheel.co.uk Fastest Lap prize too.
His WiV SunGod squad, meanwhile, won the team competition on the night, meaning they extend their lead over Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling to five points with just two rounds remaining.
Women’s race
In contrast to the earlier men’s race, the women’s race was dominated by one rider from start to finish: Sammie Stuart. Stuart demonstrated just how dominant a rider she can be as she pulverised the competition in the fifth round of the series.
Despite a delayed start as barriers were replaced at the back of the Essex circuit, the action was frenetic from the off. Charlotte Broughton (AWOL O’Shea) was the first to in a meaningful attack as she sought to make up for missing the previous two rounds through illness.
2022 Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series – Round 5: Clacton, Essex, England – Women’s Race – Sammie Stuart of Team Brother UK LDN. Photo: Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com
She did a lap on the front before being reeled back by the lead pack. There was no time for anyone else to really get a look in at the front before Stuart flicked the switch and made the race her own.
Clipping off the front just four minutes into the one-hour plus five-lap race, the Team Brother UK – LDN rider built up a gap of more than 20 seconds within ten minutes.
After the second Freewheel.co.uk intermediate sprint just on the half-hour mark, it appeared as though the chasing group – made up of about 18 riders including Stranraer winner Emma Jeffers (Jadan – Vive Le Velo), Guisborough winner Sophie Lewis (CAMS-Basso) and the National Circuit Race champion Jo Tindley (Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes) – was starting to work on bringing Stuart back, with the deficit chopped down to 13 seconds.
2022 Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series – Round 5: Clacton, Essex, England – Women’s Race – Jo Tindley of Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes p/b Heidi Kjeldsen lead the bunch. Photo: Alex Broadway/SWpix.com
However, with the twisty, technical circuit allowing Stuart to stay out of sight from her pursuers, the chasing group never got close enough to see her again. The chase may not have been as cohesive as it might have been, but Stuart was unrelenting up front, claiming the fastest lap of the race as if to underline her dominance.
With around ten minutes remaining, Stuart’s advantage had shot back up to half a minute, allowing the Aughton Road Race winner to almost cruise to her second victory of the series, having triumphed in Sunderland.
2022 Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series – Round 5: Clacton, Essex, England – Women’s Race – Sammie Stuart of Team Brother UK LDN celebrates the win. Photo: Alex Broadway/SWpix.com
Behind, Lewis out-sprinted Tindley for second. Holly Breck (Torelli – Cayman Islands – Scimitar) took fourth while Jeffers took another great result on her junior gears in fifth.
Jo Tindley retains her Freewheel.co.uk sprint leaders jersey, but has had her advantage cut to five points after Stuart’s clean sweep of the sprints on the night. Tindley’s Pro-Noctis team also keeps its commanding lead in the team standings, despite Team Spectra-Wiggle p/b Vitus taking the glory on the night.
Results
Men’s results
Individual classification
Rank
#
Name
Team
Laps
Time
Behind
1
15
Matthew Bostock
Wiv SunGod
39
1:10:06.987
2
66
Max Walker
TRINITY Racing
39
1:10:07.931
+0.944
3
14
Matthew Gibson
Wiv SunGod
39
1:10:08.595
+0.664
4
12
Jacob Scott
Wiv SunGod
39
1:10:11.012
+2.417
5
26
Owain Roberts
Wales Racing Academy
39
1:10:13.226
+2.214
6
35
Isaac Mundy
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
39
1:10:13.236
+0.010
7
9
Harry Tanfield
Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
39
1:10:13.455
+0.219
8
33
Dan Barnes
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
39
1:10:15.562
+2.107
9
8
Charlie Tanfield
Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
39
1:10:16.011
+0.449
10
54
Leon Mazzone
Saint Piran
39
1:10:17.062
+1.051
11
18
Oliver Wood
Wiv SunGod
39
1:10:20.754
+3.692
12
69
Blake Quick
TRINITY Racing
39
1:10:22.072
+1.318
13
17
Rory Townsend
Wiv SunGod
39
1:11:03.196
+41.124
14
58
Bradley Symonds
Saint Piran
39
1:11:03.980
+0.784
15
61
Sam Culverwell
TRINITY Racing
38
1:08:26.485
+1 Lap
16
6
Ollie Peckover
Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
36
1:06:41.873
+2 Laps
17
52
Charles Page
Saint Piran
36
1:06:42.172
+0.299
18
21
Joe Holt
Wales Racing Academy
36
1:06:42.243
+0.071
19
25
Joseph Beckingsale
Wales Racing Academy
36
1:06:42.783
+0.540
20
73
Jamieson Blain
Embark – BikeStrong
36
1:06:42.793
+0.010
21
4
Cameron Jeffers
Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
36
1:06:42.924
+0.131
22
27
William Truelove
Wales Racing Academy
36
1:06:43.318
+0.394
23
85
Kieran Riley
Team PB Performance
35
1:05:05.279
+1 Lap
24
130
Monte Guerrini
05/03
35
1:05:05.910
+0.631
25
78
David Hird
Embark – BikeStrong
35
1:05:05.984
+0.074
26
101
Matt Witts
Nopinz Motip Race Team
35
1:05:06.928
+0.944
27
31
Ben Chilton
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
35
1:05:07.663
+0.735
28
94
Ukko Peltonen
Global 6 Cycling
35
1:05:08.152
+0.489
29
76
Cai Davies
Embark – BikeStrong
35
1:05:08.850
+0.698
30
46
Neil Phillips
TEKKERZ
35
1:05:19.705
+10.855
31
29
William Roberts
Wales Racing Academy
35
1:05:19.866
+0.161
32
72
James Bevan
Embark – BikeStrong
35
1:06:41.228
+1:21.362
33
98
Kiaan Watts
Global 6 Cycling
35
1:06:44.723
+3.495
34
82
Jacques Coates
Team PB Performance
35
1:06:47.108
+2.385
35
55
William Bjergfelt
Saint Piran
35
1:07:05.883
+18.775
36
43
Benjamin Tuchner
TEKKERZ
34
1:05:04.268
+1 Lap
37
38
Travis Bramley
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
34
1:06:16.783
+1:12.515
38
80
James Satoor
Embark – BikeStrong
34
1:06:44.322
+27.539
39
89
James Dent
Team PB Performance
34
1:06:45.229
+0.907
40
124
Rob McPherson
05/03
34
1:06:45.391
+0.162
41
107
Dan Shoobridge
Nopinz Motip Race Team
34
1:06:45.984
+0.593
42
123
Harry Jukes
05/03
33
1:05:24.806
+1 Lap
43
57
Jake Crossley
Saint Piran
32
1:06:19.794
+1 Lap
44
90
Chris Walkinshaw
Team PB Performance
31
1:05:04.418
+1 Lap
45
125
Jordan Retallack
05/03
24
1:07:11.599
+7 Laps
DNF
88
Max Sillifant
Team PB Performance
23
0:49:47.607
DNF
41
Alec Briggs
TEKKERZ
20
0:36:58.571
DNF
3
Finn Crockett
Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
18
0:32:38.187
DNF
42
Jon Mould
TEKKERZ
17
0:34:55.479
DNF
116
Thomas Lowther
SRCT Muc-off
15
0:28:46.045
DNF
100
Xeno Young
Global 6 Cycling
12
0:23:03.011
DNF
99
Alex Williams
Global 6 Cycling
7
0:13:25.269
DNF
37
Simon Wyllie
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
6
0:10:53.656
DNF
102
Cameron McLaren
Nopinz Motip Race Team
6
0:10:54.264
DNF
108
Nathan Hallett
Nopinz Motip Race Team
4
7:47.233
DNS
45
Kiam Bowerbank-Robinson
TEKKERZ
0
DNS
106
Max Fleming
Nopinz Motip Race Team
0
DNS
112
Oliver Maxwell
SRCT Muc-off
0
Team classification
Round
Rank
Team
Time
Points
1
Wiv SunGod
3:30:26.594
10
2
TRINITY Racing
3:30:44.553
9
3
Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
3:32:44.828
8
4
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
3:33:03.051
7
5
Saint Piran
3:33:36.728
6
6
Wales Racing Academy
3:34:45.337
5
7
Embark – BikeStrong
3:37:24.317
4
8
Team PB Performance
3:43:30.893
3
9
05/03
3:46:25.126
2
10
TEKKERZ
4:19:47.444
1
11
Global 6 Cycling
4:20:38.552
0
12
Nopinz Motip Race Team
4:23:49.881
0
Overall
Rank
Team
Points
1
Wiv SunGod
47
2
Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
42
3
Wales Racing Academy
34
4
TRINITY Racing
33
5
Saint Piran
32
6
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
24
7
TEKKERZ
21
8
Team PB Performance
11
9
Nopinz Motip Race Team
11
10
Embark – BikeStrong
10
11
05/03
5
12
Global 6 Cycling
5
13
SRCT Muc-off
0
Sprint classification
Round
Rank
#
Name
Team
Points
1
15
Matthew Bostock
Wiv SunGod
20
2
9
Harry Tanfield
Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
12
3
66
Max Walker
TRINITY Racing
6
4
61
Sam Culverwell
TRINITY Racing
6
5
14
Matthew Gibson
Wiv SunGod
5
6
12
Jacob Scott
Wiv SunGod
5
7
8
Charlie Tanfield
Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
3
8
26
Owain Roberts
Wales Racing Academy
1
9
17
Rory Townsend
Wiv SunGod
1
10
54
Leon Mazzone
Saint Piran
1
Overall
Rank
#
Name
Team
Points
1
15
Matthew Bostock
Wiv SunGod
68
2
9
Harry Tanfield
Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
56
3
16
Thomas Mein
Wiv SunGod
23
4
14
Matthew Gibson
Wiv SunGod
19
5
67
Luke Lamperti
TRINITY Racing
18
6
8
Charlie Tanfield
Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
16
7
12
Jacob Scott
Wiv SunGod
15
8
3
Finn Crockett
Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
11
9
19
Reece Wood
Wiv SunGod
9
10
61
Sam Culverwell
TRINITY Racing
8
11
13
Jim Brown
Wiv SunGod
7
12
54
Leon Mazzone
Saint Piran
7
13
66
Max Walker
TRINITY Racing
6
13
6
Ollie Peckover
Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
6
15
69
Blake Quick
TRINITY Racing
5
16
26
Owain Roberts
Wales Racing Academy
5
16
1
Stuart Balfour
Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
5
18
30
Joshua Tarling
Wales Racing Academy
4
19
85
Kieran Riley
Team PB Performance
3
19
52
Charles Page
Saint Piran
3
21
98
Kiaan Watts
Global 6 Cycling
2
21
44
Noah Hobbs
TEKKERZ
2
23
65
Oliver Rees
TRINITY Racing
1
23
17
Rory Townsend
Wiv SunGod
1
Women’s results
Individual classification
Rank
#
Name
Team
Laps
Time
Behind
1
23
Sammie Stuart
Team LDN – Brother UK
35
1:11:50.591
2
7
Sophie Lewis
CAMS – Basso
35
1:12:22.545
+31.954
3
15
Jo Tindley
Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes
35
1:12:22.717
+0.172
4
92
Holly Breck
Torelli – Cayman Islands – Scimitar
35
1:12:22.830
+0.113
5
40
Emma Jeffers
Jadan – Vive Le Velo
35
1:12:22.861
+0.031
6
53
Becks Durrell
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
35
1:12:23.041
+0.180
7
84
Charlotte Broughton
AWOL OShea
35
1:12:23.463
+0.422
8
113
Sophie Holmes
Datalynx – Parenesis Cycling
35
1:12:23.523
+0.060
9
41
Ellen McDermott
Team Boompods
35
1:12:23.590
+0.067
10
51
Amira Mellor
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
35
1:12:24.525
+0.935
11
71
Frankie Hall
Loughborough Lightning
35
1:12:25.551
+1.026
12
14
Isabel Darvill
Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes
35
1:12:25.574
+0.023
13
122
Sophie Lankford
Alba Development Road Team
35
1:12:26.129
+0.555
14
16
Lucy Ellmore
Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes
35
1:12:26.340
+0.211
15
5
Beth Morrow
CAMS – Basso
35
1:12:26.386
+0.046
16
57
Sam Fawcett
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
35
1:12:26.571
+0.185
17
123
Sophie Enever
Alba Development Road Team
35
1:12:27.035
+0.464
18
48
Emma Matthews
Team Boompods
35
1:12:27.828
+0.793
19
50
Lucy Harris
Team Boompods
35
1:12:28.406
+0.578
20
49
Monica Greenwood
Team Boompods
31
1:05:32.188
+4 Laps
21
118
Megan Anderson
Datalynx – Parenesis Cycling
31
1:05:39.951
+7.763
22
109
Hannah Bayes
Saint Piran WRT
31
1:05:40.449
+0.498
23
12
Bexy Dew
Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes
31
1:05:40.754
+0.305
24
3
Katie Scott
CAMS – Basso
31
1:05:42.981
+2.227
25
58
Xan Crees
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
31
1:05:43.172
+0.191
26
124
Kate Richardson
Alba Development Road Team
31
1:05:43.803
+0.631
27
86
Georgia Bullard
AWOL OShea
31
1:05:43.865
+0.062
28
21
Harriet Dodd
Team LDN – Brother UK
31
1:05:44.628
+0.763
29
125
Beth Maciver
Alba Development Road Team
31
1:05:44.675
+0.047
30
33
Suzetta Guerrini
Jadan – Vive Le Velo
31
1:05:44.807
+0.132
31
18
Poppy Thompson
Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes
31
1:05:46.872
+2.065
32
65
Ellen Bennett
Brother UK – Orientation Marketing
31
1:06:07.221
+20.349
33
121
Victoria Smith
Alba Development Road Team
30
1:05:30.001
+1 Lap
34
56
Maddy Nutt
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
30
1:05:30.853
+0.852
35
47
Keri Parton
Team Boompods
30
1:05:31.165
+0.312
36
107
Elizabeth Sanders
Saint Piran WRT
30
1:05:31.665
+0.500
37
94
Caoimhe OBrien
Torelli – Cayman Islands – Scimitar
30
1:05:32.346
+0.681
38
111
Nicola Soden
Datalynx – Parenesis Cycling
30
1:05:32.538
+0.192
39
29
Sian Botteley
Team LDN – Brother UK
30
1:05:33.125
+0.587
40
73
Emily Tillett
Loughborough Lightning
30
1:05:37.245
+4.120
41
31
Polly Burge
Jadan – Vive Le Velo
30
1:05:37.580
+0.335
42
98
Annamarie Lipp
Torelli – Cayman Islands – Scimitar
30
1:05:37.998
+0.418
43
105
Gabriella Homer
Saint Piran WRT
30
1:05:38.528
+0.530
44
75
Roisin Lally
Loughborough Lightning
30
1:05:39.880
+1.352
45
119
Laura Cheesman
Datalynx – Parenesis Cycling
30
1:05:40.451
+0.571
46
64
Maddy Verdegal
Brother UK – Orientation Marketing
30
1:06:07.346
+26.895
47
74
Flora Knight
Loughborough Lightning
29
1:06:07.472
+1 Lap
48
28
Lauren Higham
Team LDN – Brother UK
29
1:06:07.505
+0.033
49
67
Hope Inglis
Brother UK – Orientation Marketing
29
1:06:19.090
+11.585
50
38
Rebakah Nash
Jadan – Vive Le Velo
28
1:06:11.479
+1 Lap
51
26
Amy Marks
Team LDN – Brother UK
28
1:06:11.523
+0.044
52
101
Emily Chilton
Saint Piran WRT
28
1:06:11.809
+0.286
53
63
Laura Pittard
Brother UK – Orientation Marketing
28
1:06:12.021
+0.212
54
88
Maisy Vasic
AWOL OShea
27
1:04:21.355
+1 Lap
DNF
104
Madeleine Gammons
Saint Piran WRT
7
0:15:24.223
DNF
72
Chloe Vickers
Loughborough Lightning
3
6:36.308
DNF
117
Leah Moorman
Datalynx – Parenesis Cycling
1
2:11.042
DNS
66
Grace Lister
Brother UK – Orientation Marketing
0
DNS
81
Maddie Wadsworth
AWOL OShea
0
DNS
87
Liv Bent
AWOL OShea
0
DNS
95
Lee Boon
Torelli – Cayman Islands – Scimitar
0
Team classification
Round
Rank
Team
Time
Points
1
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
3:37:14.137
10
2
Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes
3:37:14.631
9
3
Team Boompods
3:37:19.824
8
4
CAMS – Basso
3:39:00.684
7
5
Alba Development Road Team
3:39:05.845
6
6
Team LDN – Brother UK
3:42:32.849
5
7
Datalynx – Parenesis Cycling
3:42:59.816
4
8
Jadan – Vive Le Velo
3:43:10.518
3
9
Torelli – Cayman Islands – Scimitar
3:45:24.898
2
10
Loughborough Lightning
3:45:35.530
1
11
Saint Piran WRT
3:47:10.785
0
12
AWOL OShea
3:50:01.674
0
13
Brother UK – Orientation Marketing
3:51:50.040
0
Overall
Rank
Team
Points
1
Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes
48
2
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
38
3
Team Boompods
31
4
Jadan – Vive Le Velo
29
5
Team LDN – Brother UK
24
6
CAMS – Basso
23
7
Alba Development Road Team
23
8
Datalynx – Parenesis Cycling
16
9
Torelli – Cayman Islands – Scimitar
16
10
Loughborough Lightning
12
11
Saint Piran WRT
10
12
AWOL OShea
4
13
Brother UK – Orientation Marketing
1
Sprint classification
Round
Rank
#
Name
Team
Points
1
23
Sammie Stuart
Team LDN – Brother UK
20
2
71
Frankie Hall
Loughborough Lightning
8
3
7
Sophie Lewis
CAMS – Basso
8
4
15
Jo Tindley
Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes
6
5
113
Sophie Holmes
Datalynx – Parenesis Cycling
5
6
40
Emma Jeffers
Jadan – Vive Le Velo
5
7
84
Charlotte Broughton
AWOL OShea
3
8
92
Holly Breck
Torelli – Cayman Islands – Scimitar
2
9
51
Amira Mellor
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
2
10
41
Ellen McDermott
Team Boompods
1
Overall
Rank
#
Name
Team
Points
1
15
Jo Tindley
Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes
59
2
23
Sammie Stuart
Team LDN – Brother UK
54
3
40
Emma Jeffers
Jadan – Vive Le Velo
28
4
7
Sophie Lewis
CAMS – Basso
24
5
71
Frankie Hall
Loughborough Lightning
23
6
16
Lucy Ellmore
Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes
17
7
124
Kate Richardson
Alba Development Road Team
15
8
33
Suzetta Guerrini
Jadan – Vive Le Velo
13
9
77
Sophie Coldwell
Loughborough Lightning
13
10
1
Megan Barker
CAMS – Basso
11
11
113
Sophie Holmes
Datalynx – Parenesis Cycling
6
12
54
Charlotte Berry
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
5
12
48
Emma Matthews
Team Boompods
5
14
51
Amira Mellor
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
4
15
41
Ellen McDermott
Team Boompods
4
16
84
Charlotte Broughton
AWOL OShea
3
17
92
Holly Breck
Torelli – Cayman Islands – Scimitar
3
17
34
Beth Harley- Jepson
Jadan – Vive Le Velo
3
17
13
Corinne Side
Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes
3
20
22
Lucy Lee
Team LDN – Brother UK
2
20
118
Megan Anderson
Datalynx – Parenesis Cycling
2
22
53
Becks Durrell
Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
1
22
5
Beth Morrow
CAMS – Basso
1
22
11
Amy Gornall
Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes
1
Featured photo: Alex Broadway/SWpix.com. 2022 Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series – Round 5: Clacton, Essex, England – Women’s Race.
Matt Bostock was on fine form as he secured WiV SunGod’s third win of the year in Round 5 of the 2022 Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series at Clacton with a stunning winning sprint in the men’s race.
Sammie Stuart (Team LDN – Brother UK), meanwhile, was imperious in the women’s race, taking a crushing solo win well clear of her rivals.
Report
Men’s race
In what has become a tradition in this year’s edition of the Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series, the men’s race was a closely-contested affair from the very off with the squads of Trinity Racing, WiV SunGod and Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling holding an iron grip at the front of the race.
The first to test the triumvirate’s resolve was Cameron McLaren (Nopinz Motip Race Team), who put in an early attack on the very first lap. Despite pushing hard on the technical, 1.4km seaside circuit, McLaren’s charge didn’t last long as he got swallowed back up by the omnipresent yellow jerseys of series leaders WiV SunGod.
This allowed WiV’s Matt Bostock and Ribble Weldtite’s Harry Tanfield to position themselves at the front to resume hostilities in the Freewheel.co.uk sprints competition, with Bostock looking to defend his four-point series lead over Tanfield. And hostile proved to be the word for it, certainly in the first intermediate sprint.
Trying to position themselves perfectly in the lead-up to the sprint, Tanfield and Bostock came within millimetres of colliding with each other as they jostled for the front. A rapid approach to the final right-hander benefited Bostock who took five points and exchanged a few terse words with Tanfield.
The rest stayed together for the second and third sprints – despite multiple attacks – with Bostock’s superior grip and confidence around the flying final right-hand corner allowing him to extend his lead in the competition with just two rounds remaining.
With the Freewheel.co.uk Sprint competition out of the way, the race finally began to open up, as Guernsey rider Sam Culverwell (Trinity Racing) made his move with just over 10 minutes remaining.
He soloed for about five minutes, before being joined by Charlie Tanfield (Ribble Weldtite), the track racer taking turns out front with Culverwell as they built up about half-a-dozen seconds over the chasing pack.
They hung on until just three laps to go. First Bostock joined them before the pack behind then pulled them back in.
It looked like it was going to be a mass sprint to the line, but a crash for a Trinity rider halfway round the last lap split the leaders, which left Max Walker (Trinity Racing) with the WiV SunGod trio of Bostock, Matt Gibson and Jacob Scott, who essentially team time trialled their way to the line.
Despite Walker getting a good run through the final corner, Bostock’s speed and willingness to push to the very edge of the road in his quest to be the fastest out of the apex gave him the advantage he needed to take the win. Walker finished second for an Isle of Man one-two.
Winning every Freewheel.co.uk intermediate sprint, and taking maximum points at the finish, means Bostock retains his advantage over Harry Tanfield in the overall competition. To complete Bostock’s clean sweep, he won the Freewheel.co.uk Fastest Lap prize too.
His WiV SunGod squad, meanwhile, won the team competition on the night, meaning they extend their lead over Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling to five points with just two rounds remaining.
Women’s race
In contrast to the earlier men’s race, the women’s race was dominated by one rider from start to finish: Sammie Stuart. Stuart demonstrated just how dominant a rider she can be as she pulverised the competition in the fifth round of the series.
Despite a delayed start as barriers were replaced at the back of the Essex circuit, the action was frenetic from the off. Charlotte Broughton (AWOL O’Shea) was the first to in a meaningful attack as she sought to make up for missing the previous two rounds through illness.
She did a lap on the front before being reeled back by the lead pack. There was no time for anyone else to really get a look in at the front before Stuart flicked the switch and made the race her own.
Clipping off the front just four minutes into the one-hour plus five-lap race, the Team Brother UK – LDN rider built up a gap of more than 20 seconds within ten minutes.
After the second Freewheel.co.uk intermediate sprint just on the half-hour mark, it appeared as though the chasing group – made up of about 18 riders including Stranraer winner Emma Jeffers (Jadan – Vive Le Velo), Guisborough winner Sophie Lewis (CAMS-Basso) and the National Circuit Race champion Jo Tindley (Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes) – was starting to work on bringing Stuart back, with the deficit chopped down to 13 seconds.
However, with the twisty, technical circuit allowing Stuart to stay out of sight from her pursuers, the chasing group never got close enough to see her again. The chase may not have been as cohesive as it might have been, but Stuart was unrelenting up front, claiming the fastest lap of the race as if to underline her dominance.
With around ten minutes remaining, Stuart’s advantage had shot back up to half a minute, allowing the Aughton Road Race winner to almost cruise to her second victory of the series, having triumphed in Sunderland.
Behind, Lewis out-sprinted Tindley for second. Holly Breck (Torelli – Cayman Islands – Scimitar) took fourth while Jeffers took another great result on her junior gears in fifth.
Jo Tindley retains her Freewheel.co.uk sprint leaders jersey, but has had her advantage cut to five points after Stuart’s clean sweep of the sprints on the night. Tindley’s Pro-Noctis team also keeps its commanding lead in the team standings, despite Team Spectra-Wiggle p/b Vitus taking the glory on the night.
Results
Men’s results
Individual classification
Team classification
Round
Overall
Sprint classification
Round
Overall
Women’s results
Individual classification
Team classification
Round
Overall
Sprint classification
Round
Overall
Featured photo: Alex Broadway/SWpix.com. 2022 Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series – Round 5: Clacton, Essex, England – Women’s Race.
Share this: