Clean sweep for Optimum Performance

TAKING a day out from the BBAR campaign and relinquishing his lead to Gethin Butler, Kevin Dawson had the consolation of heading a clean sweep by Optimum Performance-Power Bar riders in the Leeds RRC event at Spofforth, North Yorkshire, on Sunday.

Dawson, justifiably keen to remind his rivals that he is as much of a roadman as a tester, led team-mates Wayne Randle and Paul Curran over the line.

Curran had been in the action from the gun in this 83-mile event, going clear with Welsh international Will Wright (TS Tameside) scarcely after the race was deneutralised. Wright was looking to go one better than his second place in the Seacroft Wheelers race a week earlier.

The leading duo soon built up a two-minute advantage, and behind them a five-strong chasing group went clear of the bunch. It comprised Keith Gordon (New Brighton CC), Steve Cocker (Sheffield City RC) and Mark Wordsworth (Maltby CC), with Randle and Dawson policing these three as they relied upon Curran to do the business at the front.

Things changed when Curran was forced to stop on the fifth of 10 laps because of a problem with his front wheel and he dropped back to the first chasing group.

Now out on his own, Wright manfully set about the task of trying to win with the benefit of the two-minute advantage he had enjoyed with Curran, and he kept it that way for two laps as the six chasers stayed together and the main field slipped back to more than eight minutes in arrears.

At the bell, with just over eight miles to go, it was down to 42 seconds and the Optimum Performance trio - all international team time triallists - were showing what they could do. They had dropped Cocker, Wordsworth and Gordon who were at 2-35, and at last there were signs of life in the bunch, with Andy Brierley (TS Tameside), Brian Hughes (Dinnington RC), Martin Pitchford (Brough Wheelers), Peter Hey (West Pennine RC) and Gary Adamson (RT Italia) coming through at 8-50, with the remainder at 9-33.

Even commissaire John Hulin was impressed with the Optimum men when they made their move:

'You should have seen them go,' he said.

Go they did, rapidly sweeping up and leaving the tiring Wright until, with just over a mile to go, Dawson slipped his team-mates who chased him all the way to the line. But he got there with six seconds to spare as Randle took second place in front of Curran.

A weary Wright was 3-46 back in fourth place, before Steve Cocker won the sprint for fifth, which brought a choice and unprintable riposte from at least one of his erstwhile companions.

RESULTS

1. Kevin Dawson (Optimum Performance RT-Power Bar) 83m in 3-24-35
2. W. Randle (Optimum Performance RT) at 6sec
3. P Curran (Optimum Performance RT) st
4. W. Wright (TS Tameside) at 3-46
5. S. Cocker (Sheffield City RC) at 5-36
6. M. Wordsworth (Maltby CC)
7. K. Gordon (New Brighton CC) all st
8. G. Adamson (RT Italia) at 11-30
9. A. Brierley (TS Tameside)
10. M. Pitchford (Brough Wh) all st.