Will Perrett (DAS Richardsons) fought off the competition, and the impact of temperatures exceeding 30 degrees, as he stormed to victory at the GA Bennett Road Race – pipping Clay Davies (Ride Revolution Coaching) on the run to the line in Grantham.
As the country recorded the warmest ever May temperature, the GA Bennett took place under very different conditions than 12 months previously as rain and fall were replaced by scorching temperatures with just a light breeze providing little relief.
With those conditions, then, it was no surprise that the peloton was in no hurry to really get fired up. Through the first three-quarter lap, having joined the circuit after the neutralised section from HQ, the only move of real note was Perrett attacking off the front coming out of Skillington but with the peloton breathing down his neck.
Will Perrett tries an early break. Image: Joe Hudson
He was a man clearly eager to be out of reach of the embrace of a hot and sweaty peloton as just a lap later he was once again clear of the competition coming out of the village. This time, though, he brought company in the shape of Dean Watson (Doncaster Wheelers CC) and had started to open up 10 or so seconds on the peloton behind.
A lap later and they had become a gang of eight as the peloton’s togetherness well and truly melted away. Joining them were Clay Davies (Ride Revolution Coaching), Ben Goodwin (Stolen Goat 4Endurance), Colin Ward (Primo RT), Peter Cocker (DAS Richardsons), Adam Quixall (54/11 Coaching), and Andrew Nichols (Team Lifting Gear Products). The group were working solidly together and with riders trying to bridge across the lead group’s numbers only continued to swell.
Image: Joe Hudson
Add in Charlie Crawt (Primo RT), Ethan Storti (Schils – Doltcini Racing Team) and Oliver Hurdle (Stolen Goat 4Endurance), and it apparent that this was the decisive move of the day.
But the lead group’s cohesiveness didn’t last. With a chase group including two-time winner Jack Hartley (Moonglu SpatzWear) finally making the leap across to the leaders, Perrett and Watson once again teamed up to attack off the front. Three riders, headed by Primo RT, took up the immediate response as the rest of the group elected not to burn too much energy as the race got into the closing laps.
With two laps to go, the pair were out in front by about 20 seconds but the group behind were not running at full pace, indeed Davies took the opportunity to douse himself in a bottle of water to try and provide relief from the stranglehold of the ever hotter temperatures, suggesting that the race was going to boil down to a last lap full of action.
Perrett crosses the line with arms aloft. Image: Joe Hudson
And it was, come the final circuit and Perrett and Watson found themselves reabsorbed into the group with their position as lone attackers off the front being replaced by Ward as he attacked going across the line.
That move was quickly snuffed, and it was a large group until the final climb. With a lone rider trying to take a hit off the front, Perrett launched his decisive move. Powering up the hill, he was joined by Davies to form a two-up sprint to the line.
Putting out as much power as their energy-sapped bodies would let them, it was Perrett who could sustain it all the way to the win – taking victory a few lengths ahead of Davies, who admitted defeat just before the chequered flag.
Will Perrett (DAS Richardsons) fought off the competition, and the impact of temperatures exceeding 30 degrees, as he stormed to victory at the GA Bennett Road Race – pipping Clay Davies (Ride Revolution Coaching) on the run to the line in Grantham.
Featured image: Joe Hudson
Report
As the country recorded the warmest ever May temperature, the GA Bennett took place under very different conditions than 12 months previously as rain and fall were replaced by scorching temperatures with just a light breeze providing little relief.
With those conditions, then, it was no surprise that the peloton was in no hurry to really get fired up. Through the first three-quarter lap, having joined the circuit after the neutralised section from HQ, the only move of real note was Perrett attacking off the front coming out of Skillington but with the peloton breathing down his neck.
He was a man clearly eager to be out of reach of the embrace of a hot and sweaty peloton as just a lap later he was once again clear of the competition coming out of the village. This time, though, he brought company in the shape of Dean Watson (Doncaster Wheelers CC) and had started to open up 10 or so seconds on the peloton behind.
A lap later and they had become a gang of eight as the peloton’s togetherness well and truly melted away. Joining them were Clay Davies (Ride Revolution Coaching), Ben Goodwin (Stolen Goat 4Endurance), Colin Ward (Primo RT), Peter Cocker (DAS Richardsons), Adam Quixall (54/11 Coaching), and Andrew Nichols (Team Lifting Gear Products). The group were working solidly together and with riders trying to bridge across the lead group’s numbers only continued to swell.
Add in Charlie Crawt (Primo RT), Ethan Storti (Schils – Doltcini Racing Team) and Oliver Hurdle (Stolen Goat 4Endurance), and it apparent that this was the decisive move of the day.
But the lead group’s cohesiveness didn’t last. With a chase group including two-time winner Jack Hartley (Moonglu SpatzWear) finally making the leap across to the leaders, Perrett and Watson once again teamed up to attack off the front. Three riders, headed by Primo RT, took up the immediate response as the rest of the group elected not to burn too much energy as the race got into the closing laps.
With two laps to go, the pair were out in front by about 20 seconds but the group behind were not running at full pace, indeed Davies took the opportunity to douse himself in a bottle of water to try and provide relief from the stranglehold of the ever hotter temperatures, suggesting that the race was going to boil down to a last lap full of action.
And it was, come the final circuit and Perrett and Watson found themselves reabsorbed into the group with their position as lone attackers off the front being replaced by Ward as he attacked going across the line.
That move was quickly snuffed, and it was a large group until the final climb. With a lone rider trying to take a hit off the front, Perrett launched his decisive move. Powering up the hill, he was joined by Davies to form a two-up sprint to the line.
Putting out as much power as their energy-sapped bodies would let them, it was Perrett who could sustain it all the way to the win – taking victory a few lengths ahead of Davies, who admitted defeat just before the chequered flag.
Results
Here it is: https://stats.thebritishcontinental.co.uk/js/embed-loader.jsShare this:
Discover more from The British Continental
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.