Being in the right place, at the right time, has allowed Phil Large (Wold Top Pactimo) to hold the race lead after breakaways ruled the opening day of the Sherpa Performance Stage Race.
Despite holding General Classification lead, it was Josh Horsfield (Reflex Nopinz) and Callum Laborde (Ornata Factory Racing) who picked up the wins in the opening two 60-minute criteriums at a windswept Northern Gateway Sports Park in Colchester.
Josh Horsfield outgunned his breakaway companions in the sprint for the line after a fast, furious, and tactical affair in the morning’s opening stage.
With the flowing circuit encouraging fast racing, the 40-rider field obliged from the opening lap, with a barrage of attacks going early on.
Dexter Mansel-Thomas (Schils Doltcini Racing) and Alex Pritchard (DAS-Richardsons) were among the most active, picking up the maximum points at intermediate sprints at 20 and 40 minutes. But no move gained significant traction, despite a good mix of riders and teams often represented as the wind proved a barrier to commitment.
Josh Horsfield (pictured at the 2025 Otley GP) – Image by Joe Hudson
With only ten minutes, and a handful of laps of the 1.6km circuit to go, Phil Large and Simon Alexander (DAS-Richardsons) made one last effort to get away. Their gap was the biggest the race had seen to that point but Horsfield sensed the danger, and opportunity, the move was bringing as he bridged to the duo along with the relatively unknown pair of Danny Hedley (UKAF Cycling) and Timothy Strickland (GTFL).
As the bell rang, the leading quintet’s gap had expanded to over 20 seconds and, safe from the bunch behind, turned from allies to enemies with the stage win up from grabs. Despite the numerous attacks, the front five all entered the final corner together with Large, Richardson, Hedley and Strickland opening up their sprints of the righthand-side of the track. Taking the brunt of the wind, their moves mainly benefited in sheltering Horsfield from the blustery wind as he came on the left to seal the win. Original aggressors Large and Richardson rounded out the podium, with Hedley and Strickland rolling in behind.
After the race Horsfield was fast to praise teammate Sam Walsham for the role he played in disrupting the chase, adding that he intended to again be an aggressor in the second stage ahead of the final day.
Stage Two
Callum Laborde offered a demonstration of his circuit racing class as he won the second stage from a break of four riders, putting himself in the points jersey in the process.
Disappointed to have missed the winning move in the opening stage, Laborde set about making amends as he launched multiple attacks from the off. Ten minutes in and his tenacity, and determination, paid off – he, Large, Strickland and Oliver Curd escaped, and instantly started working well together.
Splitting the workload and conquering the wind, the quartet’s gap remained steady until the final 15 minutes, when the resolve of the chasing bunch finally broke.
Laborde, a crucial member of the impressive Wheelbase-CabTech-Castelli team which rode so well during the National Circuit Series last year, had been picking up the intermediate sprints along the way and used his experience to win the sprint for the victory, opening it up with almost 400m to go and holding his effort to the line.
Callum Laborde (pictured earlier in the year) – Image by Joe Hudson
With the time gaps small, all is still to play for tomorrow. Laborde, who was unsure of his form coming into the race following an illness, told The British Continental that he’s “feeling good, and hoping for a hard race” in the afternoon’s road race, the Ornata Factory Racing rider eyeing a solo victory to deliver him the overall title.
With Horsfield stranded in the bunch behind on the second stage, Phil Large took over the race lead, the Wold Top Pactimo rider not expecting to be able to hold onto the jersey with an 8km time trial and attritional road stage yet to come. He told the British Continental: “Both races were tough so I’m expecting tomorrow to be a war of attrition and the person that recovers most to be up there.
“I’m feeling good, pleased to hold [the lead] into day two. I’m not expecting to hold it for the whole race, but it should put me in place for a decent GC position. I think [today] puts me 22 points off an elite [license], so that’s the main goal, anything more is a big bonus!”
Being in the right place, at the right time, has allowed Phil Large (Wold Top Pactimo) to hold the race lead after breakaways ruled the opening day of the Sherpa Performance Stage Race.
Despite holding General Classification lead, it was Josh Horsfield (Reflex Nopinz) and Callum Laborde (Ornata Factory Racing) who picked up the wins in the opening two 60-minute criteriums at a windswept Northern Gateway Sports Park in Colchester.
Featured Image: Joe Hudson
Reports
Stage One
Josh Horsfield outgunned his breakaway companions in the sprint for the line after a fast, furious, and tactical affair in the morning’s opening stage.
With the flowing circuit encouraging fast racing, the 40-rider field obliged from the opening lap, with a barrage of attacks going early on.
Dexter Mansel-Thomas (Schils Doltcini Racing) and Alex Pritchard (DAS-Richardsons) were among the most active, picking up the maximum points at intermediate sprints at 20 and 40 minutes. But no move gained significant traction, despite a good mix of riders and teams often represented as the wind proved a barrier to commitment.
With only ten minutes, and a handful of laps of the 1.6km circuit to go, Phil Large and Simon Alexander (DAS-Richardsons) made one last effort to get away. Their gap was the biggest the race had seen to that point but Horsfield sensed the danger, and opportunity, the move was bringing as he bridged to the duo along with the relatively unknown pair of Danny Hedley (UKAF Cycling) and Timothy Strickland (GTFL).
As the bell rang, the leading quintet’s gap had expanded to over 20 seconds and, safe from the bunch behind, turned from allies to enemies with the stage win up from grabs. Despite the numerous attacks, the front five all entered the final corner together with Large, Richardson, Hedley and Strickland opening up their sprints of the righthand-side of the track. Taking the brunt of the wind, their moves mainly benefited in sheltering Horsfield from the blustery wind as he came on the left to seal the win. Original aggressors Large and Richardson rounded out the podium, with Hedley and Strickland rolling in behind.
After the race Horsfield was fast to praise teammate Sam Walsham for the role he played in disrupting the chase, adding that he intended to again be an aggressor in the second stage ahead of the final day.
Stage Two
Callum Laborde offered a demonstration of his circuit racing class as he won the second stage from a break of four riders, putting himself in the points jersey in the process.
Disappointed to have missed the winning move in the opening stage, Laborde set about making amends as he launched multiple attacks from the off. Ten minutes in and his tenacity, and determination, paid off – he, Large, Strickland and Oliver Curd escaped, and instantly started working well together.
Splitting the workload and conquering the wind, the quartet’s gap remained steady until the final 15 minutes, when the resolve of the chasing bunch finally broke.
Laborde, a crucial member of the impressive Wheelbase-CabTech-Castelli team which rode so well during the National Circuit Series last year, had been picking up the intermediate sprints along the way and used his experience to win the sprint for the victory, opening it up with almost 400m to go and holding his effort to the line.
With the time gaps small, all is still to play for tomorrow. Laborde, who was unsure of his form coming into the race following an illness, told The British Continental that he’s “feeling good, and hoping for a hard race” in the afternoon’s road race, the Ornata Factory Racing rider eyeing a solo victory to deliver him the overall title.
With Horsfield stranded in the bunch behind on the second stage, Phil Large took over the race lead, the Wold Top Pactimo rider not expecting to be able to hold onto the jersey with an 8km time trial and attritional road stage yet to come. He told the British Continental: “Both races were tough so I’m expecting tomorrow to be a war of attrition and the person that recovers most to be up there.
“I’m feeling good, pleased to hold [the lead] into day two. I’m not expecting to hold it for the whole race, but it should put me in place for a decent GC position. I think [today] puts me 22 points off an elite [license], so that’s the main goal, anything more is a big bonus!”
Results
Stage One
Stage Two
General Classification
Share this:
Discover more from The British Continental
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.