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11-Oct-94

GEP International Road Race

Curran solos to victory in Bucks

EXPERIENCE won the day when former Commonwealth champion Paul Curran (Optimum Performance RT) outfoxed a field which was high on quality but low on quantity for Sunday's GEP International Autumn road race, promoted by Luton Arrow CC on the Mentmore circuit in Buckinghamshire.

Curran left his five breakaway companions on the last of eight laps and solo'd his way to a 23sec victory, leaving the equally experienced Neil Martin (Dinnington RC) to take a sprint for second place from Jeremy Harrison (Invicta RC), Pete Longbottom (North Wirral Velo) and Dave Watts (Halifax RC).

Dominic Sweeney (Invicta) and Simon Dring (Worcester St John's CC) came in just off the back to complete the top seven.

There were just 36 riders on the programme, and although seven more entered on the line there were 15 DNSs, leaving a field of 28 on the day.

They set a hot pace from the start, and the race stayed together on the first lap with Longbottom and Curran leading the field through.

Several riders were dropped as the pace began to take its toll, but there was no real split until the fourth lap when the field broke up into three groups.

Longbottom, winner of the previous week's Merseyside Wheelers Invitation TT and a late entrant after the cancellation of Sunday's North Yorkshire Coureurs '25' because of roadworks, was joined in a front quartet by Dring, Tim Davis (Ross Wheelers) and Aaron McCaffrey (Invicta RC).

A chasing group of six was absorbed by the bunch next time round, and by the sixth lap the four leaders were only nine seconds ahead as the field regrouped.

The final selection came on the penultimate lap as the seven-man break went clear, and by the bell they were just over a minute clear of Vince Freeman (Cambridge CC), Andrew Maddocks (Leicestershire RC) and Paul Crook (Ross Wheelers), with McCaffrey chasing by himself at a further 14 seconds.

Curran attacked just before the hill in Mentmore, and was on his own at the foot of the climb, opening up his lead over the top and taking 23 seconds out of his breakaway rivals in the last three kilometres.

RESULTS

1. Paul Curran (Optimum Performance RT) 63m in 2-28-30
2. N. Martin (Dinnington RC) at 23sec
3. J. Harrison (Invicta RC)
4. P. Longbottom (North Wirral Velo)
5. D. Watts (Halifax RC) all st
6. D. Sweeney (Invicta RC) at 30sec
7. S. Dring (Worcester St John's CC) at 43sec
8. V. Freeman (Cambridge CC) at 3-00
9. A. Maddocks (Leicestershire RC) st
10. T. Davis (Ross Wh) at 3-43.