Matthew Warhurst (ROKiT-SRCT) and first-year junior Cat Ferguson (Shibden Hope Tech Apex) beat the weather – and quality fields – at the Oakenclough road races, round 2 of the Proper Northern Road Race Series.
It was a tale of two solo attacks in a rain-soaked round two of Cold Dark North’s Proper Northern Road Race Series at Oakenclough on Sunday. Two quality fields graced a grippy, technical 17.4km circuit, punctuated with a finish atop the 5.8km Delph Lane climb. The racing was as fiercesome as the terrain and conditions suggested, Warhurst and Ferguson both full deserving winners.
The third and final round of the Proper Northern Road Race Series will be at Aughton on 23 July.
Men’s race
At the Capernwray road race, Round 1 of Proper Northern Road Race Series, race winner Ollie Peckover (trainSharp Elite) demonstrated that the early break can sometimes be the winning move.
Perhaps hoping to follow Peckover’s example, four riders forged clear on the second of six laps. Matt Warhurst (ROKiT-SRCT), Jacob Smith (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), Leon Mazzone (Saint Piran) and George Peden (Team PB Performance) were clear as the crossed the finish line for the second time, with Ed Morgan (Wales Racing Academy) sandwiched between the lead group and the bunch in a lone chase.
Crockett leads the chaser with two to go. Image: Ellen Isherwood
The four maintained a lead of around half a minute for the next lap or so, while behind, a small chase group had formed in pursuit. At the line with two laps to go, only Warhurst and Mazzone remained out front, holding a slender lead of ten seconds. Just behind them, the chase group had merged with the remainder of the former lead group, swelling the group to around a dozen riders, led over the line by Finn Crockett (The Cycling Academy).
Undeterred by the increasing rain and wind, or the close attendance of the of enlarged chase group, Warhurst pushed on over the next lap, dropping Mazzone and stretching out his lead to amost a minute as he took the bell, a dozen riders still in pursuit.
Warhurst maintained his lead to take a superb solo win. Morgan punched clear of the chase group to take second place, while Tim Shoreman (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) led home the rest of the chasers.
Women’s race
The wet and windy weather continued in the afternoon as the women’s field set out for four and a half laps of the same tough course.
The race stayed together for the first lap, but on the second lap Natalie Stevenson (Glasgow Ivy) began a brave solo escape. She had a 15-second lead on the second lap. By the third, she had tripled her advantage, enjoying 45 seconds over a splintering chasing peloton.
With the rain now falling once again, Stevenson drove onward. As she took the bell, her lead had grown once more. This time she had a minute and 20 seconds over a chasing bunch of around 25 riders.
Stevenson (in pink) tries in vain to hold off the marauding chase group. Image: Ellen Isherwood
Distinct in her striking pink club jersey, she was still leading as she hit the foot of the final climb up to the finish, but as the riders came into sight for the spectators braving the rain on the finish line, it was heartbreak for Stevenson, as she was swamped by the marauding chasers.
It was first-year junior Cat Ferguson who triumphed in the uphill sprint, her second win in succession at the Proper Northern Road Race Series, continuing a remarkable run of form for the 17-year-old. Ferguson’s teammate Imogen Wolff capped a brilliant day for Shibden Hope Tech Apex by taking second, with local rider Mary Wilkinson (Team Boompods) completing the podium.
And Stevenson? She rolled in 16th, exhausted after a heroic 50 kilometres out front. It turned out too that he had earlier shipped her chain on lap one, resulting in a chase back to the peloton even before she had launched her brave move. Her Instagram moniker is the extremely apt queen_of_cycling, and if she continues this type of performance, it might not be long before she begins to be regarded as cycling royalty around the hills of Lancashire.
Matthew Warhurst (ROKiT-SRCT) and first-year junior Cat Ferguson (Shibden Hope Tech Apex) beat the weather – and quality fields – at the Oakenclough road races, round 2 of the Proper Northern Road Race Series.
Featured image: Ellen Isherwood
Report
It was a tale of two solo attacks in a rain-soaked round two of Cold Dark North’s Proper Northern Road Race Series at Oakenclough on Sunday. Two quality fields graced a grippy, technical 17.4km circuit, punctuated with a finish atop the 5.8km Delph Lane climb. The racing was as fiercesome as the terrain and conditions suggested, Warhurst and Ferguson both full deserving winners.
The third and final round of the Proper Northern Road Race Series will be at Aughton on 23 July.
Men’s race
At the Capernwray road race, Round 1 of Proper Northern Road Race Series, race winner Ollie Peckover (trainSharp Elite) demonstrated that the early break can sometimes be the winning move.
Perhaps hoping to follow Peckover’s example, four riders forged clear on the second of six laps. Matt Warhurst (ROKiT-SRCT), Jacob Smith (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), Leon Mazzone (Saint Piran) and George Peden (Team PB Performance) were clear as the crossed the finish line for the second time, with Ed Morgan (Wales Racing Academy) sandwiched between the lead group and the bunch in a lone chase.
The four maintained a lead of around half a minute for the next lap or so, while behind, a small chase group had formed in pursuit. At the line with two laps to go, only Warhurst and Mazzone remained out front, holding a slender lead of ten seconds. Just behind them, the chase group had merged with the remainder of the former lead group, swelling the group to around a dozen riders, led over the line by Finn Crockett (The Cycling Academy).
Undeterred by the increasing rain and wind, or the close attendance of the of enlarged chase group, Warhurst pushed on over the next lap, dropping Mazzone and stretching out his lead to amost a minute as he took the bell, a dozen riders still in pursuit.
Warhurst maintained his lead to take a superb solo win. Morgan punched clear of the chase group to take second place, while Tim Shoreman (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) led home the rest of the chasers.
Women’s race
The wet and windy weather continued in the afternoon as the women’s field set out for four and a half laps of the same tough course.
The race stayed together for the first lap, but on the second lap Natalie Stevenson (Glasgow Ivy) began a brave solo escape. She had a 15-second lead on the second lap. By the third, she had tripled her advantage, enjoying 45 seconds over a splintering chasing peloton.
With the rain now falling once again, Stevenson drove onward. As she took the bell, her lead had grown once more. This time she had a minute and 20 seconds over a chasing bunch of around 25 riders.
Distinct in her striking pink club jersey, she was still leading as she hit the foot of the final climb up to the finish, but as the riders came into sight for the spectators braving the rain on the finish line, it was heartbreak for Stevenson, as she was swamped by the marauding chasers.
It was first-year junior Cat Ferguson who triumphed in the uphill sprint, her second win in succession at the Proper Northern Road Race Series, continuing a remarkable run of form for the 17-year-old. Ferguson’s teammate Imogen Wolff capped a brilliant day for Shibden Hope Tech Apex by taking second, with local rider Mary Wilkinson (Team Boompods) completing the podium.
And Stevenson? She rolled in 16th, exhausted after a heroic 50 kilometres out front. It turned out too that he had earlier shipped her chain on lap one, resulting in a chase back to the peloton even before she had launched her brave move. Her Instagram moniker is the extremely apt queen_of_cycling, and if she continues this type of performance, it might not be long before she begins to be regarded as cycling royalty around the hills of Lancashire.
Results
Men’s race
Full results, including all DNF and DNS information, will be updated here when available.
Women’s race
Full results, including all DNF and DNS information, will be updated here when available.
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