5-Apr-81
5-Apr-81
| Four Dales Road Race |
BRITAIN'S
most successful home professional Sid Barras (Coventry Eagle), was back on
the roads where he began his career as an amateur to take an impressive win
in the toughest local event so far this season, the Teesside Dairies'-sponsored
Four Dales road race.
It took only 12 of the scheduled 55-miles for Barras to begin to stamp his authority on the race, breaking clear of the field after confidently taking the first of the primes on Clay Bank before embarking on an 18-mile lone breakaway.
As the former national professional champion opened up a commanding lead, another of the four professionals, allowed into the race because of the recent relaxation of the rules on pro-am mixing, Dudley Hayton (Moducel), responded and was followed out of the regrouping field by Thornaby CRT-Been Bag's Dave Stockill.
A mile later Stockton Wheeler Paul Curran - who with Hayton and Gary Cresswell, now a member of the Manchester Wheelers, had already been involved in the race's opening break - completed the chasing trio midway through Bilsdale.
Climbing Newgate Bank after 21 miles to collect the second prime prize, Barras was almost two minutes clear of his three pursuers with the main bunch another one-and-a-half minutes in arrears.
But as they descended towards Helmsley, the gap began to close and nine miles later they joined Barras with the
bunch having reduced their lead to 45 seconds.
Holding their advantage, the leading quartet of two professionals and two amateurs faced the imposing climb out of Hutton-le-Hole and over Blakey Ridge.
After fighting hard to stay in such strong company, Stockill lost contact before reaching the White Lion, leaving Curran to hold his own with the two professionals, a performance which brought some well-deserved praise from Barras.
Once over Castleton Bank and with the Coventry Eagle man having picked up all three prime prizes, he mounted the decisive attack, jumping clear as they began the descent to Lockwood Beck with only five miles left and went on to win by 22 seconds.
Having encountered some of his toughest opposition on the road, Curran outsprinted Hayton over the final up-hill run for the line to make sure of second place.
The next amateur to finish, Whitby Wheeler Jon Greaves, followed home another professional Mick Morrison (Moducel) and the national road champion, Keith Lambert, to take sixth position two-minutes down on the winner.
1. Sid Barras (Coventry Eagle)
2. Paul Curran (Stockton Whs) at 22secs
3. Dudley Hayton (Moducel) st
4. Mick Morrison (Moducel) at 2mins
5. Keith Lambert
6. Jon Greaves (Whitby Whs) all st