Through mud and chaos, 2022 Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix victor Luke Lamperti (TRINITY Racing) continued his run of success in the UK as he won the 17th edition of the Rutland-Melton International CiCLE Classic on Sunday 23 April.
Featured image: Joe Cotterill/The British Continental
Report
It seems to be the way with cycling in Britain, a week of glorious sunshine in the build-up, giving way to a weekend of rain as soon as the merest hint of a bike race comes into view. And didn’t it rain.
A morning of sporadic heavy showers gave way to grey skies and ever so milder temperatures to lull the peloton into a false sense of security – yes the sectors would be wet but perhaps had avoided a battle with swirling showers. How wrong they were. Come lunchtime, an hour or so into the race, the rain came again.
The roll-out. Image: Joe Cotterill/The British Continental
That made damp sectors even more moist, with plenty of standing water on the Somerberg and Manorberg stretches adding yet another challenge for the 174 starters.
While the start was relatively calm – David Hird (ROKiT-SRCT) took the sprint at Wymondham – it was after that that the field started the splinter and the first break formed.
Breaking clear were Hird and his ROKiT-SRCT team-mate Tom Williams, BC East Midland’s Joseph Smith, James Nicholson (TAAP Endura) and Lucas Van De Vosse (Scorpians RT). Heading back into Oakham, the quintet built up a lead of more than two minutes on a lone chaser, and four minutes on the main peloton which seemed content to allow them to expend energy early doors.
The break is whittled down to four. Image: Joe Cotterill/The British Continental
Hird was the driving force for a time – winning the sprint in Oakham to add to his prize collection – with the five maintaining their advantage over the rest, benefitting from a brief stoppage to maintain the gap over the peloton, which had been caught by the level crossing in Oakham.
By the time they reached Owston for the first time, five became three as Van De Vosse dropped off the lead group and Hird cruelly got a puncture on the first pass of the Somerberg.
That didn’t slow them down, with the trio maintaining their advantage at just under four minutes as they charged towards the Burrough Berg for the first time. Edward Morgan (Wales Racing Academy) found himself in no man’s land as the lone chaser, a couple of minutes off the lead and three minutes clear of the peloton.
The first passage of the Manorberg proved as big a slog as expected. Still, the equilibrium was maintained with the exception of Morgan, who was re-absorbed back into the peloton as Lotto-DSTNY started raising the pace at the front.
That effort was starting to tell as the three leaders – Williams, Smith and Nicholson – had their advantage cut right down by the time they tackled the Manorberg for the second pass.
Tom Williams (ROKiT-SRCT). Image: Joe Cotterill/The British Continental
Another pass and the lead group shrank to just Williams and even then, his advantage had shrunk to under a minute as the peloton continued to turn the screw and ensure the break was nullified.
His lead became increasingly tenuous and then he was caught, as the unrelenting pace from what was left of an increasingly fracturing leading group reeled Williams in.
A small group still tried to break clear as the field tackled Stygate Lane for the final time. That didn’t stick, and it turned to Irish Road race champion Rory Townsend (Bolton Equities Black Spoke) to pace the field through Melton Mowbray for the first time – securing himself some dinner by taking the giant pork pie prize in the process – as part of an elite group of around 30 riders still in contention for what looked set to a tight and tense finale.
No one escaped on the finishing circuit, leaving nearly 30 riders to thunder back to Melton Mowbray for a battle royale on Sherrard Street.
Lamperti wins the sprint. Image: Joe Cotterill/The British Continental
By what must have been the width of a tyre Luke Lamperti (TRINITY Racing) powered to the victory just ahead of Lotto-DSTNY Development Team’s Trijl De Decker.
After the race, Lamperti credited his win to a great lead-out from team-mate Callum Thornley, adding that the team’s plan was always to keep the race together for a sprint finish. You can hear more of his thoughts in our video interview below.
Rounding out the podium, and carrying on a good run of recent results, was The British Continental’s very own James McKay, the Cycling Sheffield rider taking a top-three in his third appearance – and first finish – at the CiCLE Classic.
Lamperti also took the under-23 honours, Joseph Smith took the King of the Bergs competition, and Townsend won the sprints competition.
James McKay talks to The British Continental’s Joe Hudson post-race. Image: Joe Cotterill/The British Continental
Through mud and chaos, 2022 Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix victor Luke Lamperti (TRINITY Racing) continued his run of success in the UK as he won the 17th edition of the Rutland-Melton International CiCLE Classic on Sunday 23 April.
Featured image: Joe Cotterill/The British Continental
Report
It seems to be the way with cycling in Britain, a week of glorious sunshine in the build-up, giving way to a weekend of rain as soon as the merest hint of a bike race comes into view. And didn’t it rain.
A morning of sporadic heavy showers gave way to grey skies and ever so milder temperatures to lull the peloton into a false sense of security – yes the sectors would be wet but perhaps had avoided a battle with swirling showers. How wrong they were. Come lunchtime, an hour or so into the race, the rain came again.
That made damp sectors even more moist, with plenty of standing water on the Somerberg and Manorberg stretches adding yet another challenge for the 174 starters.
While the start was relatively calm – David Hird (ROKiT-SRCT) took the sprint at Wymondham – it was after that that the field started the splinter and the first break formed.
Breaking clear were Hird and his ROKiT-SRCT team-mate Tom Williams, BC East Midland’s Joseph Smith, James Nicholson (TAAP Endura) and Lucas Van De Vosse (Scorpians RT). Heading back into Oakham, the quintet built up a lead of more than two minutes on a lone chaser, and four minutes on the main peloton which seemed content to allow them to expend energy early doors.
Hird was the driving force for a time – winning the sprint in Oakham to add to his prize collection – with the five maintaining their advantage over the rest, benefitting from a brief stoppage to maintain the gap over the peloton, which had been caught by the level crossing in Oakham.
By the time they reached Owston for the first time, five became three as Van De Vosse dropped off the lead group and Hird cruelly got a puncture on the first pass of the Somerberg.
That didn’t slow them down, with the trio maintaining their advantage at just under four minutes as they charged towards the Burrough Berg for the first time. Edward Morgan (Wales Racing Academy) found himself in no man’s land as the lone chaser, a couple of minutes off the lead and three minutes clear of the peloton.
The first passage of the Manorberg proved as big a slog as expected. Still, the equilibrium was maintained with the exception of Morgan, who was re-absorbed back into the peloton as Lotto-DSTNY started raising the pace at the front.
That effort was starting to tell as the three leaders – Williams, Smith and Nicholson – had their advantage cut right down by the time they tackled the Manorberg for the second pass.
Another pass and the lead group shrank to just Williams and even then, his advantage had shrunk to under a minute as the peloton continued to turn the screw and ensure the break was nullified.
His lead became increasingly tenuous and then he was caught, as the unrelenting pace from what was left of an increasingly fracturing leading group reeled Williams in.
A small group still tried to break clear as the field tackled Stygate Lane for the final time. That didn’t stick, and it turned to Irish Road race champion Rory Townsend (Bolton Equities Black Spoke) to pace the field through Melton Mowbray for the first time – securing himself some dinner by taking the giant pork pie prize in the process – as part of an elite group of around 30 riders still in contention for what looked set to a tight and tense finale.
No one escaped on the finishing circuit, leaving nearly 30 riders to thunder back to Melton Mowbray for a battle royale on Sherrard Street.
By what must have been the width of a tyre Luke Lamperti (TRINITY Racing) powered to the victory just ahead of Lotto-DSTNY Development Team’s Trijl De Decker.
After the race, Lamperti credited his win to a great lead-out from team-mate Callum Thornley, adding that the team’s plan was always to keep the race together for a sprint finish. You can hear more of his thoughts in our video interview below.
Rounding out the podium, and carrying on a good run of recent results, was The British Continental’s very own James McKay, the Cycling Sheffield rider taking a top-three in his third appearance – and first finish – at the CiCLE Classic.
Lamperti also took the under-23 honours, Joseph Smith took the King of the Bergs competition, and Townsend won the sprints competition.
Results
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