Adam Lewis (Team Skyline) capped off the domestic road season in England with a storming solo win at the Riders Collective GP, the final round of the East Midlands Road Race League. On a rain-lashed afternoon, he attacked from the day’s breakaway and rode clear over the final lap and a half to claim the honours.
The race itself owed its existence to organiser Max Sillifant. When the Leicester Forest CC Road Race fell off the calendar, Sillifant stepped in to keep the fixture alive under the Riders Collective banner, ensuring the East Midlands retained a flagship end-of-season test.
The action came early. Around 45 minutes in, a nine-rider move established itself at the head of the race. The break gained reinforcements when Matthew King (Atom 6 – Decca Continental Team) led a chase group across, swelling the numbers to twelve. Among those present were Lewis, King, Tom Williams (riding in the colours of Edinburgh Bike Fitting RT), Ed Morgan (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK), Sam Llewellyn (Team PB Performance), Will Perrett (DAS-Richardsons), James Satoor (Bridgnorth CC), Oliver Snodden (Mandene Racing) and Charlie Genner (Telco’m – On Clima – Osés). With strong legs and committed riding, the group quickly carved out a gap on the bunch.
As the laps ticked down, cohesion gave way to aggression. The rain began to fall with around six laps remaining, adding another layer of difficulty as riders began to test each other. With two laps to go, the first serious digs came, and with a lap and a half left, Lewis launched what proved to be the winning move. He took the bell with just 15 seconds in hand but pressed on relentlessly, doubling and then tripling his advantage before hitting the line with around 45 seconds to spare.
“The break established around the 45-minute mark,” Lewis explained afterwards. “We all worked very well together to hold off the chasing groups and bunch. After a few attacks with 2 laps to go, I made my move with a lap and a half to go, crossing the line for the bell with around 15 seconds advantage. I managed to push out the gap over the final lap, finishing solo with around 45 seconds lead as I crossed the finish line.”
Behind, the remnants of the move fought out the minor placings. Williams proved fastest in the sprint to take second, with King rounding out the podium. Morgan, meanwhile, came home in eighth, despite an untimely puncture with one lap to go, enough to seal the end-of-season top spot in The British Continental’s national road race rankings — a fitting reward for his consistency across the year.
Adam Lewis (Team Skyline) capped off the domestic road season in England with a storming solo win at the Riders Collective GP, the final round of the East Midlands Road Race League. On a rain-lashed afternoon, he attacked from the day’s breakaway and rode clear over the final lap and a half to claim the honours.
Featured image: Chris McKnight
Report
The race itself owed its existence to organiser Max Sillifant. When the Leicester Forest CC Road Race fell off the calendar, Sillifant stepped in to keep the fixture alive under the Riders Collective banner, ensuring the East Midlands retained a flagship end-of-season test.
The action came early. Around 45 minutes in, a nine-rider move established itself at the head of the race. The break gained reinforcements when Matthew King (Atom 6 – Decca Continental Team) led a chase group across, swelling the numbers to twelve. Among those present were Lewis, King, Tom Williams (riding in the colours of Edinburgh Bike Fitting RT), Ed Morgan (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK), Sam Llewellyn (Team PB Performance), Will Perrett (DAS-Richardsons), James Satoor (Bridgnorth CC), Oliver Snodden (Mandene Racing) and Charlie Genner (Telco’m – On Clima – Osés). With strong legs and committed riding, the group quickly carved out a gap on the bunch.
As the laps ticked down, cohesion gave way to aggression. The rain began to fall with around six laps remaining, adding another layer of difficulty as riders began to test each other. With two laps to go, the first serious digs came, and with a lap and a half left, Lewis launched what proved to be the winning move. He took the bell with just 15 seconds in hand but pressed on relentlessly, doubling and then tripling his advantage before hitting the line with around 45 seconds to spare.
“The break established around the 45-minute mark,” Lewis explained afterwards. “We all worked very well together to hold off the chasing groups and bunch. After a few attacks with 2 laps to go, I made my move with a lap and a half to go, crossing the line for the bell with around 15 seconds advantage. I managed to push out the gap over the final lap, finishing solo with around 45 seconds lead as I crossed the finish line.”
Behind, the remnants of the move fought out the minor placings. Williams proved fastest in the sprint to take second, with King rounding out the podium. Morgan, meanwhile, came home in eighth, despite an untimely puncture with one lap to go, enough to seal the end-of-season top spot in The British Continental’s national road race rankings — a fitting reward for his consistency across the year.
Results
Provisional results.
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