4-Sep-94
4-Sep-94
CLEVELAND GRAND PRIX |
DANISH visitor Jacob Piil became only the fourth overseas rider to claim the prestigious Cleveland Grand Prix 20km title in the blue riband event of the two-day track international at Middlesbrough.
Local contenders Paul Curran (Optimum Performance RT) and Norman Dunn and Chris Newton (Middridge CRT) had been the prime movers in setting a stiff early pace, but Piil made his winning move after taking a prime with 19 of the 43 laps remaining.
Bryan Steel (Team Haverhill) and Dean Downing (Jamor RT) took the Dane's wheel, with Dutchman Richard
Rozendaal also managing to bridge the gap before the elastic snapped.
This quartet quickly established a decisive break, and with five to go they had the tail-end of the bunch in their sights before the three North East riders responded to lead home the rest for the minor places.
The leaders had time to size each other up for the final sprint, Piil pulling clear in the final straight to win from Steel and Rozendaal, with Downing a more distant fourth.
Piil had already proved to be the master of the longer events, with victories in both the Hartlepool Power Station 8km scratch and the previous day's points race, while Rozendaal managed to edge out Peter Jacques (Manchester Wheelers) and fellow countryman Jurgen Denekamp in the British Steel Grand Prix sprint.