7-Jul-91
7-Jul-91
BRISTOL GRAND PRIX
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WELSHMAN Matthew Postle (CC Abergavenny-Owen Construction) gained his first Star Trophy points with an emphatic victory in the Royal Mail Bristol Grand Prix on Sunday.
With last year's Bristol winner Gethin Butler due to compete instead in the RTTC national team time trial championship, and overall Star Trophy contenders Steve Farrell and Wayne Randle on international duty, there was always the prospect of a new name emerging, but that in no way detracts from a superb performance by the 20-year-old South Wales rider.
He rode from the front, proving easily the strongest of a 12-man break which formed after 40 of the 109 miles, and crossed the line alone after a vain chase on the run-in to Bristol by Eric Rigby (Calder Clarion), also gaining Star Trophy points for the first time, and Gary Speight (Paragon RT).
Four-times Star Trophy winner Paul Curran had to settle for fourth place, a further 1-29 down, and moves into second position overall behind his Manchester Wheelers clubmate Mark Gornall, who was out of the points in 14th position.
The 76 starters set a brisk pace in the early tailwind, and the first split came after nine miles when Dominic Sweeney (Invicta RC) and Victor Slinn (Paragon) attacked near Chew Valley Lake.
They were joined by seven others, including Curran, Paul Barrett and Ian Chivers (Paragon RT) and Neil Martin (Dinnington RC), and as the gap went up to half a minute Slinn was dropped along with Nigel Brazier (VC Elan).
As the leaders started the climb to the first prime of the day at Burrington, first Matthew Rogers (Bristol RC)
and then Chris King (Bath University CC) lost contact, leaving Curran to take the points ahead of Martin, Chivers, Sweeney and Barrett.
These five were caught as they turned on to the A38 after 26 miles, and the main bunch was back up to 51 riders when Rigby and Andy Lyons (Olympia Sport) opened up a 250-yard lead after a further eight miles.
Ten riders got across to them as the main field dallied, and this proved the decisive break as the gap went up to almost a minute by Bridgwater, after 43 miles.
Notable riders missing the move were Curran and Dave Spencer (Alpha RT), and the lead had gone up to 3-29 at Glastonbury, after 65 miles, before the chase started and the bunch began to split under the pressure.
King, Rogers and Sweeney, all of whom had been in the first break, lost touch with the leaders on the Priors Hill climb, just after Wells, along with Adrian Allen (Team Haverhill) and Lyons, leaving Speight to take the prime from Postle, Rigby, Lee Davis (Bournemouth Arrow), Barrett, Mike Harrison (Congleton CC) and Patrick Foley (Heron RC).
These seven were more than four minutes up when Curran started to chase in the drizzle, going 21 seconds ahead of the bunch, but he had been pulled back when Postle and Davis went clear of the others in the break at 83 miles.
They were 1-42 up as they approached the final prime at Redhill, and Postle left Davis on the climb, after 97 miles, as Barrett was dropped by the other four.
Foley and Harrison then lost contact as they climbed towards Lulsgate airport, leaving Speight and Rigby in third and fourth places behind Postle and Davis, by which time Curran had started to chase from the bunch along with Spencer.
Rigby and Speight caught and passed Davis on the Long Ashton by-pass and were chasing Postle hard on the run-in as Curran and Spencer caught Barrett, Davis, Harrison and Foley.
Postle was home and dry as Rigby and Speight passed the kilometre board and it was down to a sprint for second place, Rigby leading out and holding Speight at bay all the way down Prince Street.
It was just reward for Postle, who had twice finished just outside the points in 11th place in Star Trophy events last year.
'When the two (Rigby and Lyons) were away, the bunch was easing off and I thought I might as well give it a go,' explained Postle.
'We got a group around us, and that was that.'
1. MATTHEW POSTLE (CC Abergavenny-Owen Construction) 109m in 4-23-3
2. E. Rigby (Calder Cl) at 1-47
3. G. Speight (Paragon RT) st
4. P. Curran (Manchester Wh) at 3-16
5. P. Barrett (Paragon RT)
6. D. Spencer (Alpha RT) both st
7. L. Davis (Bournemouth Arrow) at 3-24
8. M. Harrison (Congleton CC) at 3-31
9. P. Foley (Heron RC) st
10. P. Rogers (VC St Raphael) at 3-59
11. S. Telford (Ridley CC)
12. J. Charlesworth (Ace RT)
13. D. Smith (Festival RC) all st
14. M. Gornall (Manchester Wh) at 4-20
15. A. Perks (Royal Sutton CC)
16. G. Foord (Wembley RC)
17. I. Gilkes (Wembley RC)
18. R. Sharrock (Stoke AGO)
19. S. Bray (Invicta RC)
20. P. Goodwin (Tame Valley RC) all st.
Star Trophy overall.- MARK GORNALL (Manchester Wh-Trumanns Steel) 42pt; 2, Curran, 37; 3, S. Farrell Tunstall Wh) 34; 4, W. Randle (Dinnington RC) 31; S, Perks, 30; 6, S. Hempsall (GS Strada) 27.