NORTH EAST STAR TROPHY |
WITH 20 miles to go of Sunday's Hardisty Cycles North East Star Trophy race, Steve Farrell (Tunstall Wheelers-L & M Autos) broke away to win for the third successive week, and so consolidate his lead in the season-long Star Trophy competition.
Farrell had an extra reason to celebrate, as he had heard that he would be going to the World Championship's after all, to replace unlucky national champion John Hughes who had broken his wrist in a racing accident in Germany.
'I have been trying to break my wrist ever since,' he joked afterwards. 'I shall have to get him a special support so that he can ride instead of me.
He wasn't joking when he attacked on the final prime with 20 miles to go to the finish in the small village of Edmundbyers in County Durham, leaving his nearest challenger Paul Curran to decide what to do about his team-mate Peter Longbottom, John Charlesworth (Ace RT), and the non-working Andrew Perks (Royal Sutton CC).
It was Race Director Mike Hodgson's idea to have the Hardisty Cycles-sponsored race over some of the toughest terrain in County Durham, mainly to revive memories of the days when Peter Chisman and the Baty brothers, Bill and Norman, ruled the roost, and with only 24 finishers his wish was granted.
Three riders were dropped on the first climb, the 1-in-7 Balehill Farm: Bryan Long (Southend & County), Andrew McClure (Newcastle Cheviot) and Peter Ruffhead (North London CC), meanwhile four riders had got away: Mark Gornall (Manchester Wheelers), Dominic Sweeney (Invicta RC), John Tanner (Dinnington RC) and John Charlesworth (Ace RT), gaining 35 seconds as they approached the prime at Dead Friars.
Gornall took that from Charlesworth, Sweeney and Tanner, and the lead was 50 seconds. The break was working well together, although Sweeney lost ground several times on the descent off the moors to Edmund-byers, quickly regaining it on the flat as the break reached 1-5 and the race went past the Derwent reservoir.
A rear wheel puncture saw Tanner off his bike at the Moorcock pub, but he virtually destroyed his front changer as he wrestled with his wheel, and the break went on without him.
A chase had been organised, and the break was caught only for a new one to go: Jeff Wright (Tyne Velo), Simon Telford (Ridley CC), Scott O'Brien and Peter Longbottom (Manchester Wheelers), Gomall, Curran, Victor Slinn (Paragon RT), Tim Hall (Ace RT), Mark McKay (CC Luton), Farrell, Perks, and Mark Lovatt (Congleton CC).
The break gained 1-6, then Lovatt was forced to stop when something went into his front wheel, but he regained the break as the lead went to 2-3 at Blanchland.
Both Gornall and Perks missed their gears on the climb past the village, but a determined chase saw them back on again. There were only 18 riders left in the main bunch and Charlesworth was still trying to get back to the front and into the action after his puncture earlier on.
Perks was still having gear trouble and he dropped back, then finally got back on again in time to see Gomall go off the front again.
Hall had a rear wheel puncture, Gornall came back, and then Curran attacked. His move was covered by Telford and the break was on in earnest, with Farrell leading the chase after them, and Hall now back to help out.
The force of the chase saw Lovatt, Slinn, O'Brien and Gornall being dropped from the break as Curran and Telford were caught, and the re-vamped break was now Curran, Telford, Wright, Farrell, Charlesworth, Hall, Perks and Longbottom.
O'Brien retired - he'd had a hard two days, first on the track with the gold medal-winning Manchester Wheelers team pursuit squad, and then this hardest of all Star Trophy races.
Wright went out with a front wheel puncture, but local hopes were still on Curran and Telford. Curran tried to oblige the fans by breaking away on a descent, but the rest of the break were not standing for that and he was caught.
Wright was still trying to get back on terms, along with Gornall and Lovatt, and just as they made contact, Gornall dropped back on the climb at Mugglesworth.
On the climb past the Moorcock Curran, Longbottom, Farrell and Perks had gone clear, with Charlesworth trying to bridge the gap and finally making it.
The sheep were out in their thousands to watch the race, and no doubt inspired by TV pictures of the Tour de France, one stepped out in the road to get a closer look and Longbottom almost swapped his bike for a sheep.
Charlesworth, one of the few riders in the peloton still using toeclips and straps, kept taking his foot out of the clips to ease the pain of cramp, and the lead moved from 55 seconds to 1-13 and then 2-6.
Eighty miles had been covered, the winning break had been established, with the rest of the field scattered around County Durham, and now came the time to sort out who was going to win.
Perks, perhaps the best finisher of the lot, wasn't doing too much work. Farrell came back to take a look, then in a swift move Curran propelled Perks from off his back wheel to the front, while taking up the position that Perks had previously made his own.
Once that had been decided, Farrell stamped hard on the pedals on the final climb of Dead Friars, looked round to see who was coming, and was gone.
There were 20 miles to go, but had he gone too early? There was still some tough racing to come on this final lap of four, but Curran appeared to be struggling.
Farrell was quickly into his stride, from 22 seconds to 35, 45 and then a full minute. It was a case of now you
see him, now you don't as the race twisted and turned through the moorland countryside, and Farrell was heading for a lone victory, his third in a row.
Behind him, Curran was launching an attack, downhill, in a daredevil descent that gained him yards only to be swallowed up again on the flat. As Curran came back, so Longbottom was launched into the fray, and Curran effectively blocked Perks to allow his team-mate to get the daylight he needed.
Charlesworth chased after Longbottom, to unsuccessfully fight out the sprint for second place 46 seconds after Farrell had crossed the line. Perks took fourth and Curran was fifth. It would be another five minutes before next man Mark McKay came in for sixth place.
'Everybody was frightened of the descents,' said Farrell. 'It was such a hard course. It was a dangerous descent to the finish, and if I had been in a group of 98 I would have been 98th.
'The stage race I rode in Switzerland brought my form on, and it has just come on from there.'
The man he replaced as the Star Trophy leader, Mark Gornall, had a day of mixed fortunes.
'I'm welded to the bike,' he said, as he ground to a halt in 14th place and 11-32 down. 'I decided to go from the gun today,' he explained. 'Then I never quite made contact after working hard to get back. I almost made it but then Steve attacked.'
It had been quite a week for Gornall as his family farm was busy hay-making, literally making hay while the sun shines, with the working day extended to 11:30pm some nights, and Gornall is now resigned to losing the competition to Farrell.
Farrell now looks unbeatable, but he is aware that Curran is also hitting top form and that the end of season time trial could make a difference.
'Last year I thought a time trial would be a good idea, but not on Boxing Day! Immediately after the Tour of the Peak would be OK, but by October I will be doing other things. Perhaps I will ride it with my dynamo on!'
1. STEVE FARRELL (Tunstall Wh-L & M Autos) 104m in 4-48-47
2. P. Longbottom (Manch-ester Wh) at 46sec
3. J. Charlesworth (Ace RT) st
4. A. Perks (Royal Sutton CC) at 49sec
5. P. Curran (Manchester Wh) at 50sec
6. M. McKay (CC Luton) at 5-3
7. V. SIinn (Paragon RT) st
8. S. Telford (Ridley CC) at 6-53
9. J. Wright (Tyne Velo)
10. T. Hall (Ace RT), both st
11. D. Sweeney (Invicta RC) at 6-56
12. M. Lovatt (Congleton CC) at 7-10
13. P. Rogers (VC St Raphael) at 8-45
14. M. Gornall (Manchester Wh) at 11-32
15. A. Hardy (N Bucks RC) at 11-36
16. S. Bray (Invicta RC)
17. Matheson (Musselburgh RCC)
18. King (Bath Univ)
19. M. Harrison (Congleton CC)
20. R. Thompson (GS Metro).
STAR TROPHY.- FARRELL, 79pt; 2, Curran, 59; 3, Gornall, 51; 4, Perks, 42; 5, W. Randle (Dinnington RC) 34; 6, I. Gilkes (Wembley RC)