McLoughlin back in winning form

JOEY McLOUGHLIN (Ever Ready-Halfords), after a string of second placings during the middle part of the season, scored his first win since April in the 86-mile Saltburn Grand Prix pro-am road race in the Cleveland Hills on Sunday.

McLoughlin bade farewell to his near race-long breakaway companions Paul Curran (unsponsored) and Dave Rayner (Banana-Falcon) on the last climb, and in the four miles from there to the finish on Saltburn's Marine Parade stretched out a solo 1-5 lead.

Curran, very much the local favourite and a clear winner of both the sprints and mountains competitions, jumped a tired Rayner at the yellow flag to take second place.

There was then a seven-minute wait before Mark Walsham (Ever Ready-Halfords) got the better of Steve Joughin (Percy's Direct Discount) for fourth, with Chris Lillywhite (Banana -Falcon) taking a sprint for sixth place, a further 25 seconds back, from Bernie Burns (Ever Ready-Halfords) and the leading amateur finisher, Norman Dunn (Northern Centre of Excellence).

Shane Sutton (Banana-Falcon) was wearing number one and appropriately led the field through the opening sprint of the day at New Marske, from McLoughlin and Dave Mann (Airmarshall-Kirk).

As the speed went up and the lead vehicle, baulked by a hesitant police car, was in danger of being swamped by riders, so the field started to split and Steve Joughin and Gary Baker (Ever Ready-Halfords) detatched themselves just before Skelton, after seven miles.

This developed into a break of nine riders, with Curran taking the first prime at Apple Orchard Bank from Mann and Chris Young (Ever Ready-Halfords) as track sprinter Steve Paulding (City of Edinburgh) went off the back.

It was all back together for the start of the second small circuit of just under 10 miles, Mann taking the New Marske sprint, but on the approach to the second prime the field split into two distinct groups with 19 riders going clear.

They quickly opened up a 40-second lead by the 14-mile mark, Curran taking the climb from McLoughlin and Sutton, and they had pulled out another minute by the time McLoughlin took the third New Marske sprint from Mann, Curran and Sutton.

As they turned off this circuit, Geoff Wright (Northern Centre of Excellence) took the Skelton Green prime from Curran and Hilton McMurdo (Airmarshall-Kirk), and on the approach to the one climb of Birk Brow, as they headed for the first of three laps across the moors, first Dave Mann and then his Airmarshall-Kirk team-mate Steve Sefton lost contact.

McLoughlin took the climb from Curran, Wright and Rayner, but while Sefton got back on it was the end of the race for Mann.

McLoughlin attacked over the top of the climb, first Curran and then Rayner going with him, and they quickly opened up a 200-metres gap.

Meanwhile, as Mann dropped back, Rob Holden (Banana-Falcon) was coming up fast from behind with Mark Walsham and, after Geoff Wright and fellow amateur Gary Firth (Ferryhill Wheelers) had fought their way back on, the two chasers also made contact at the 38-mile mark.

This made a 17-strong group behind the three leaders, who at Loftus after 41 miles were already 1-27 clear.

Curran took the first of three sprints in Loftus, and in fact the order was also Curran, McLoughlin and Rayner at all three climbs of Carlin How and two sprints at Lingdale.

The lead mounted steadily to 3-35 after 50 miles and 4-33 at 55 miles, and it was Curran and McLoughlin doing all the work with Rayner having an armchair ride on the back.

Joey McLoughlin's success in the Saltburn Grand Prix was his first since April.

In the main group, meanwhile, Sutton crashed with Andy Chatterton, of the Northern Centre, with two laps of the big circuit remaining, and while the Banana-Falcon captain was quickly back on his bike the amateur was taken to hospital for treatment to abrasions.

As the three leaders made the fast descent, with a sweeping left-hander, towards the final climb of Carlin How they had to brake sharply to avoid the two vehicles at the head of the race and they were baulked again before the finish by a police driver who clearly did not appreciate the speed of bike racing.

Banana-Falcon manager Keith Lambert came forward to talk with Rayner, who had to be warned to let go of the team car, and then Rayner and McLoughlin were in conversation as the leaders approached the final climb of the day.

Whatever was said was between the two of them but after the right turn in Skelton to start the run-in to Saltburn, McLoughlin jumped on Apple Orchard Bank and was 15 seconds clear by the top, with Curran taking second place from Rayner.

Behind them, Joughin had attacked on the moor road with a dozen miles remaining, Walsham going with him, and the rest of the group stayed together until the final climb of Carlin How where Gary Baker, Bernie Burns, Lillywhite, Dunn and Jon Clay (unsponsored) went clear of the others.

Rayner explained, later that he had been feeling the effects of the previous night's Newport Nocturne, and his busy week in Ireland.

'Joey only did half an hour last night, while I really stuffed myself. I felt really tired all day - in fact I think the whole team was tired.'

McLoughlin had no complaints about his passenger.

'Dave said he was tired, and I believed him,' said the Ever Ready-Halfords rider. 'He's a man of his word.'

RESULTS

1. JOEY McLOUGHLIN (Ever Ready-Halfords) 86m in 3-39-30
2. P.Curran (unsponsored) at 1-5
3. D. Rayner (Banana-Falcon) at 1-8
4. M. Walsham (Ever Ready-Halfords) at 8-7
5. S. Joughin (Percy's Direct Discount) st
6. C. LiIlywhite (Banana-Falcon) at 8-32
7. B. Burns (Ever Ready-Halfords)
8. N. Dunn (Northern C of E)
9. G. Baker (Ever Ready-Halfords)
10. J. Clay (unsponsored) all st.