Home
Previous Next
8-Oct-95

GEP International Road Race

Two in a row for Curran

ENDING his season on a winning note, Paul Curran outsprinted his Optimum Performance RT team-mate Mark Lovatt to take the GEP road race in Buckingharnshire on Sunday for the second consecutive year.

The duo shared a breakaway for most of the 56-mile event, leaving a demoralised chasing group which trailed by more than two minutes. Ian Knight (Olympia Sport) injected some aggression into the closing laps and was rewarded with third place.

Only 40 riders from a 60-strong entry started the seven laps of the Mentmore circuit which featured twisting lanes, a climb to Mentmore Park and a fast, downhill finish.

Curran had briefed Lovatt beforehand. 'I told him we should try to get away and perhaps finish first and second,' he said.

After a lively first lap, a powerful turn on the front by Lovatt had the followers gasping as they tackled a headwind drag. The rider on Lovatt's wheel sat up and the Optimum man pressed on alone.

Curran was alert to the move and jumped across the gap to join his team-mate. Their joint effort wreaked havoc in the bunch which split into three after 10 miles and never came together again.

Curran and Lovatt quickly built a 40-second lead, but were still in sight of the second group on the straight stretches of the circuit.

In the chase group were Ian Knight, Danny Axford (Team Energy), Martin Bunker (Edgware RC), Mick Gray (Chelmer CC), Alex Harrison and Shaun Tamblin (Letchworth Velo), Andy Lyons (Wembley RC ), Paul Moore

(Southport CC), Greg Sandy (Team Zoyland), Paul Wilkes (Dinnington RC), Karlo Porter (Open University) and the Hemel Hempstead CC pair of William Fotheringham and Mark Jervis.

The 13 chasers failed to make any impression. 'Nobody was doing any driving on the front - we were just riding tempo,' said Knight.

Meanwhile, Curran and Lovatt maintained their momentum, Curran doing noticeably longer turns on the front than his tall team-mate. Race radio reported that the most energetic pursuers were Bunker, Knight, Porter, Fotheringham and Tamblin.

As the leaders climbed up to Mentmore for the fifth time they held a 2-07 advantage over the group which was starting to feel the strain. Knight attacked, Axford and Gray chased him down. There was a general regrouping but the acceleration saw Porter and Jervis dropped.

At 42 miles Knight tried again. This time the group spit in two. Gray and Axford led the chase as Wilkes and Fotheringham dropped out of contention.

Finally Knight roared clear and set about consolidating his solo third place. He had no hope of challenging Curran and Lovatt who went through the bell with two minutes in hand.

Approaching the finish Curran tightened his toe-straps - the 34-year-old remains faithful to clips and straps - and prepared for the sprint.

The leaders went past the kilometre board side by side, then Curran manoeuvred Lovatt to the front. Lovatt made a determined stab at the sprint but there was an air of inevitability about the way Curran came round him to win the Luton Arrow promotion for a second year.

Knight and then Harrison trailed across the line next, while Sandy took the three-up sprint for fifth place from Moore and Lyons.

It was the last race of the season for both Curran and Lovatt. Curran thought it was his '10 or 12th' win of the year. Asked about his plans for 1996 he replied:

'More of the same probably, plus a few time trials.' A BAR attempt? 'That's just a vicious rumour,' he grinned.

RESULTS

1. Paul Curran (Optimum Performance RT-Power Bar) 56m in 2-17-00
2. M. Lovatt (Optimum Performance RT) st
3. I. Knight (Olympia Sport) at 1-45
4. A. Harrison (Letchworth Velo) at 2-30
5. G. Sandy (Team Zoyland)
6. P Moore (Southport CC) both st
7. A. Lyons (Wembley RC)
8. D. Axtord (Team Energy)
9. M. Gray (Chelmer CC)
10. M. Bunker (Edgware RC).