TOUR OF THE COTSWOLDS

Farrell takes it in convincing fashion

THE great enigma of road racing -Steve Farrell - jumped to the top of the Star Trophy table after winning the City of Gloucester Tour of the Cotswolds on Sunday in a totally convincing fashion.

The 39th promotion of the event by the Severn Valley CRC ended with the Tunstall Wheeler leaving French strongman Christophe Le Bars for dead on the short finishing circuit, the pair having defied all pursuers for the last 40 miles of the gruelling 125-mile race.

It was a pensive Farrell at the start, collecting his thoughts in splendid isolation as the other 86 starters jostled for position on the Gloucester Park start-line. 'Curran should take this,' he opinioned, 'I have not been feeling too clever this week. No, I'm not too put out about missing out on the World's selection. I have been twice and done nothing but Mark (Gornall) must feel different, he is leading the Star Trophy and won a stage in the Milk Race.'

What followed could well he interpreted as the Stoke-on-Trent rider's deeper expression of feeling for he was to leave no doubts that he possessed a strength and character that few others on the domestic scene can match - even on a good day. Very much part of the initial breakaway move to which a total of 13 riders; including clubmate Lee Travis, Deno Davie and Paul Barrett (Paragon RT), Eric Rigby (Calder Clarion), Matt Rogers (Bristol RC), Vince Divine (CC Luton), Andy Lyons (Olympia Sport), Simon Bray (Invicta RC), Andrew Perks (Royal Sutton), Steve Calland (ABC Centreville) - a young man about to do the ride of his life - and ominously two French riders from the oh-so-tough Breton school of riding:

Laurent Lechevalier and eventual second Le Bars; all contributed.

Farrell never lost control of the situation as the group whittled down and down. After Cirencester (37 miles), Matthew Postle (CC Abergavenny) and four others steamed in pursuit but never made it nearer than a minute in arrears.

A more menacing and obvious gang of four, Mark McKay (CC Luton), Tim Hall (Ace RT), Neil Martin (Dinnington RC) and the inevitahle crouching figure of Paul Curran (Manchester Wheelers) swept them by as the hairy descent to Winchcomhe was overcome. But, the leg and heart-breaking pull up Corn Dean Hill came all too soon. A sharp left after the town and the pressure from Farrell and Le Bars snapped the lead group. Over the top with the Cotswold countryside all around literally beaming with beauty and the duo were away at an astonishing rate of knots.

The lead stabilised at around two minutes as the roads pitched up and down throughout the final third of the race. Always the white helmet of Curran was at or near the front of the chase group forcing and forcing but losing the battle of the Star Trophy stars. Minutes further back, the erstwhile series leader Mark Gornall (Manchester Wheelers) was strangely anonymous in the remnants of the bunch.

Over seven laps of the City centre circuit Farrell sparred and sparred again before striking at his weakening opponent. The Curran group had been never more than two minutes behind for over 80 miles of racing - but never much nearer.

'I think it was Davie who started the break off. Good, wasn't it, getting there without Curran or Gornall? I don't know if I can win the Trophy now (he is 11 points clear of Curran). There has been too many events this year and next week Curran will he on his home ground. What bothers me is that the time trial is so late (October 13), it will he hard to keep going.' Despite the excellence of the promotion and the form of the winner, one had the nagging feeling that we should have seen better.

As one of the pillars of the Star Trophy - along with 'the Manx International and the Tour of the Peaks, the Cotswolds deserves all the best domestic riders. Perhaps its timing needs to be altered, a Spring-time date as an ideal Milk Race preparation maybe. Perhaps then also it will attract major commercial sponsorship to give it a higher public profile.

RESULTS

1. STEVE FARRELL (Tunstall Wh-Brian Rourke) 125m in 5-9-36
2. C. La Bar (Fr) at 5sec
3. M. McKay (CC Luton) at 2-10
4. S. Calland (ABC Centreville) st
5. N. Martin (Dinnington RC) at 2-30
6. A. Perks (Royal Sutton CC)
7. P. Curran (Manchester Wh)
8. S. Bray (Invicta RC)
9. L. Lechevalier (Fr) all st
10. P. Barrett (Paragon RT) at 3-20
11. L. Travis (Tunstall Wh)
12. E. Rigby (Calder Cl) both st
13. P. Rogers (VC St Raphael) at 4-30
14. J. Wright (Tyne Velo)
15. M. Postle (CC Abergavenny)
16. J. Charlesworth (Ace RT)
17. S. Thompson (Keighley RC)
18. A. Cooke (VC Chesterfield) all st.

Birdlip Prime.- Jeff Wright (Tyne Velo)

Team.- Manchester Wh-Trumanns Steel (Curran, S. O'Brien, P. Longbottom).