Tom Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) and Sophie Lewis (DAS-Hutchinson) were the winners in a pair of thrilling races at the second Cambridge Criterium (Sunday 24 August)
Tom Armstrong claimed his first National A circuit win of the season, holding off a rapidly closing peloton to take victory at the Cambridge Criterium for Wheelbase CabTech Castelli.
In the women’s race, Sophie Lewis also secured her first major circuit race win of the year, outsprinting Alice McWilliam (Hess Cycling Team) after a dominant display from the DAS-Hutchinson rider.
Featured Image: Monument Cycling/Nordin Ćatić
Reports
Open race
On a warm afternoon in Cambridge, the action wowed the crowds on Jesus Green from the off as the first 15 minutes of the race proved to be a flurry of attacking without much time to rest.
From the drop of the flag, it was Joe Adlam-Cook (Ride Revolution Coaching) who struck off the front of the peloton immediately. He was joined by a mixed bunch of riders also deciding to have a hit off the front with Carl Jolly (Schils – Doltcini Racing Team), Alec Briggs (TEKKERZ CC), Jake Jackson (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK), Freddie Scheske (Spectra Racing), and Will Perrett (DAS Richardsons) creating a strong half-dozen which gained about seven or so seconds over a peloton not willing to spend too much energy too early.
But then, the peloton got energised and pulled it back together – aided by the break itself not being entirely willing to push too hard with more than 45 minutes of racing ahead. Perrett attempted to launch a bit of a solo attack himself, but the commitment wasn’t quite where it needed to be to make it stick.
Image: Monument Cycling/Nordin Ćatić
Reeled back in, it was actually Tom Armstrong – who won the National Circuit Series title without actually winning a round – who launched an intriguing solo move. Telling Monument Cycling’s livestream afterwards that he knew if he was to have any chance of winning he needed to force a move himself, that was exactly what he did. After half-a-lap solo, he was joined by Perrett, Jolly, Raptor Factory Racing’s Rowan Baker, as well as Conor White (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK, and BCC Race Team’s William Salter.
The six worked perfectly together, with all of them taking turns on the front to grow a gap which grew from a dozen seconds to more than 25 as the peloton – headed by a number of teammates of the breakaway – didn’t make much of an effort to pull them back in.
Despite a few small groups attacking from the bunch and gaining a handful of seconds, that gap maintained all the way to the final lap, before being quickly reeled back in as the front six all started to look at each other to see who was going to be launching that final explosive sprint on what was a relatively long run to the finish.
Almost completely swallowed up by the bunch behind as they approached the closing 100m, Armstrong managed to just about keep himself far enough ahead that his sprint allowed him to hold onto the victory by just 0.047sec. Rowan Baker was second, himself just 0.049sec ahead of Will Tidball who took the final place on the podium by half-a-tenth of a second from Jolly.
Image: Monument Cycling/Nordin Ćatić
In the Rapha Super-League, Matt Bostock’s absence allowed his nearest challenger, Will Truelove, to close the gap to 35 points with one round remaining — the Wentworth Woodhouse Grand Prix — where a maximum of 70 points is on offer. Armstrong moves up to third on 192 points, but is too far behind Bostock and Truelove to contest the overall Super-League title.
Women’s race
After the non-stop attacking of the Open Race, the Women’s race proved to be the opposite end of the scale, with the winning break only forming within the final 15 minutes of the 50-minute race.
From the start, Sophie Lewis was clearly taking on the marshalling role within the peloton, the DAS-Hutchinson rider shutting down any attempts for riders to attack early – quickly snuffing out moves from a handful of Spectra riders and Hess Cycling Team’s Alice McWilliam, who tried to break clear after 10 minutes of racing alongside Xan Crees (Fatcreations/USE Components).
That process continued for a time, until Lewis found herself in a move with Grace Lister (Hess Cycling Team) and Spectra’s Anna Flynn. None of them, though, were too keen on pushing too hard and found themselves swallowed back up as Spectra massed with numbers on the front.
Image: Monument Cycling/Nordin Ćatić
One constant in what turned into a race of domination for Lewis, was being at the right place at the right time as she took all three of the Primes. After that, came something of a breather as one of quite a few local riders – Lucy Harvard (Cambridge University CC) – took a turn on the front and provided another motor for a bunch that was shelling riders out the back at a constant rate, such was the pace being put out.
It was with five laps to go that the decisive move took place, as McWilliam powered clear and was joined by teammate Lister, Flynn and – who else – Lewis to form a quartet of formidable riders breaking clear from a peloton losing resolve. Indeed, when the move went it was only Crees who put in a serious attempt to bridge across, but with no support her efforts proved to be in vain.
Despite Hess having the numerical advantage, there were no attempts at gamesmanship within the lead four as all took turns to drive the move forward and ensure the gap expanded from five, to 13 and ultimately 32 seconds as they took the bell for the final lap.
Image: Monument Cycling/Nordin Ćatić
That last lap was a typically cagey affair, with the four looking over their shoulders – and at each other – to make sure they weren’t going to lose their advantage, and that none of them was going to try and launch a sneak attack. The only move of significance early in the final tour was Lister trying one of her favourite long attacks, but Lewis and Flynn were quick to shut that down.
Come the left-kink which marks the final turn of any significance on the Cambridge course, McWilliam was the first to launch her sprint but Lewis was on it immediately and the rising track star proved too strong as she used every ounce of her power to raise her hands in the air first, taking her first circuit win of the season by two-tenths of a second.
McWilliam took second, with Flynn just pipping Lister to the final place on the podium. The peloton was 25 seconds behind on the line, and it was late entry Kim Baptista (Spectra Racing) who claimed the bunch sprint just ahead of DAS-Hutchinson’s Libby Smithson.
Image: Monument Cycling/Nordin Ćatić
In the Rapha Super-League, Lewis climbs to fourth place on 216 points, while Madeline Cooper adds 14 points to strengthen her hold on third. But neither rider can now challenge the top two, Robyn Clay and Anna Morris. With just one round remaining — next weekend’s Wentworth Woodhouse Grand Prix — Clay leads on 328 points, with Morris close behind on 311. Only these two riders can still win the title.
Tom Armstrong claimed his first National A circuit win of the season, holding off a rapidly closing peloton to take victory at the Cambridge Criterium for Wheelbase CabTech Castelli.
In the women’s race, Sophie Lewis also secured her first major circuit race win of the year, outsprinting Alice McWilliam (Hess Cycling Team) after a dominant display from the DAS-Hutchinson rider.
Featured Image: Monument Cycling/Nordin Ćatić
Reports
Open race
On a warm afternoon in Cambridge, the action wowed the crowds on Jesus Green from the off as the first 15 minutes of the race proved to be a flurry of attacking without much time to rest.
From the drop of the flag, it was Joe Adlam-Cook (Ride Revolution Coaching) who struck off the front of the peloton immediately. He was joined by a mixed bunch of riders also deciding to have a hit off the front with Carl Jolly (Schils – Doltcini Racing Team), Alec Briggs (TEKKERZ CC), Jake Jackson (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK), Freddie Scheske (Spectra Racing), and Will Perrett (DAS Richardsons) creating a strong half-dozen which gained about seven or so seconds over a peloton not willing to spend too much energy too early.
But then, the peloton got energised and pulled it back together – aided by the break itself not being entirely willing to push too hard with more than 45 minutes of racing ahead. Perrett attempted to launch a bit of a solo attack himself, but the commitment wasn’t quite where it needed to be to make it stick.
Reeled back in, it was actually Tom Armstrong – who won the National Circuit Series title without actually winning a round – who launched an intriguing solo move. Telling Monument Cycling’s livestream afterwards that he knew if he was to have any chance of winning he needed to force a move himself, that was exactly what he did. After half-a-lap solo, he was joined by Perrett, Jolly, Raptor Factory Racing’s Rowan Baker, as well as Conor White (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK, and BCC Race Team’s William Salter.
The six worked perfectly together, with all of them taking turns on the front to grow a gap which grew from a dozen seconds to more than 25 as the peloton – headed by a number of teammates of the breakaway – didn’t make much of an effort to pull them back in.
Despite a few small groups attacking from the bunch and gaining a handful of seconds, that gap maintained all the way to the final lap, before being quickly reeled back in as the front six all started to look at each other to see who was going to be launching that final explosive sprint on what was a relatively long run to the finish.
Almost completely swallowed up by the bunch behind as they approached the closing 100m, Armstrong managed to just about keep himself far enough ahead that his sprint allowed him to hold onto the victory by just 0.047sec. Rowan Baker was second, himself just 0.049sec ahead of Will Tidball who took the final place on the podium by half-a-tenth of a second from Jolly.
In the Rapha Super-League, Matt Bostock’s absence allowed his nearest challenger, Will Truelove, to close the gap to 35 points with one round remaining — the Wentworth Woodhouse Grand Prix — where a maximum of 70 points is on offer. Armstrong moves up to third on 192 points, but is too far behind Bostock and Truelove to contest the overall Super-League title.
Women’s race
After the non-stop attacking of the Open Race, the Women’s race proved to be the opposite end of the scale, with the winning break only forming within the final 15 minutes of the 50-minute race.
From the start, Sophie Lewis was clearly taking on the marshalling role within the peloton, the DAS-Hutchinson rider shutting down any attempts for riders to attack early – quickly snuffing out moves from a handful of Spectra riders and Hess Cycling Team’s Alice McWilliam, who tried to break clear after 10 minutes of racing alongside Xan Crees (Fatcreations/USE Components).
That process continued for a time, until Lewis found herself in a move with Grace Lister (Hess Cycling Team) and Spectra’s Anna Flynn. None of them, though, were too keen on pushing too hard and found themselves swallowed back up as Spectra massed with numbers on the front.
One constant in what turned into a race of domination for Lewis, was being at the right place at the right time as she took all three of the Primes. After that, came something of a breather as one of quite a few local riders – Lucy Harvard (Cambridge University CC) – took a turn on the front and provided another motor for a bunch that was shelling riders out the back at a constant rate, such was the pace being put out.
It was with five laps to go that the decisive move took place, as McWilliam powered clear and was joined by teammate Lister, Flynn and – who else – Lewis to form a quartet of formidable riders breaking clear from a peloton losing resolve. Indeed, when the move went it was only Crees who put in a serious attempt to bridge across, but with no support her efforts proved to be in vain.
Despite Hess having the numerical advantage, there were no attempts at gamesmanship within the lead four as all took turns to drive the move forward and ensure the gap expanded from five, to 13 and ultimately 32 seconds as they took the bell for the final lap.
That last lap was a typically cagey affair, with the four looking over their shoulders – and at each other – to make sure they weren’t going to lose their advantage, and that none of them was going to try and launch a sneak attack. The only move of significance early in the final tour was Lister trying one of her favourite long attacks, but Lewis and Flynn were quick to shut that down.
Come the left-kink which marks the final turn of any significance on the Cambridge course, McWilliam was the first to launch her sprint but Lewis was on it immediately and the rising track star proved too strong as she used every ounce of her power to raise her hands in the air first, taking her first circuit win of the season by two-tenths of a second.
McWilliam took second, with Flynn just pipping Lister to the final place on the podium. The peloton was 25 seconds behind on the line, and it was late entry Kim Baptista (Spectra Racing) who claimed the bunch sprint just ahead of DAS-Hutchinson’s Libby Smithson.
In the Rapha Super-League, Lewis climbs to fourth place on 216 points, while Madeline Cooper adds 14 points to strengthen her hold on third. But neither rider can now challenge the top two, Robyn Clay and Anna Morris. With just one round remaining — next weekend’s Wentworth Woodhouse Grand Prix — Clay leads on 328 points, with Morris close behind on 311. Only these two riders can still win the title.
Results
Open race
Women’s race
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