After being postponed earlier in the season due to adverse weather, Ystwyth CC’s National B Tour of the Mining Valleys road race, which was held on Sunday 8th April, saw a full field of E/1/2/3 riders taking to the hills above Aberystwyth and the Rheidol valley. The race followed a new 84-mile course this year, challenging the riders to three laps of an undulating course leaving Aberystwyth via the A4120 to Devil’s Bridge, turning on to the B4343 to Dyffryn Castell before joining the A44 for the climb to Nant yr Arian and the subsequent descent to Aberystwyth.
A breakaway of 5 riders formed in the latter stages of the first lap, as the race descended back into Aberystwyth for the first time, building up a 2-minute gap to the peloton. The group of 5 riders stayed away from the peloton well into lap 3, with local professional rider Gruff Lewis of Ribble Pro Cycling winning the primes at the start of lap 2 and lap 3. The breakaway was caught later in the third and final lap, with eventual race winner Callum Ferguson of Team KTM UK featuring in a subsequent breakaway that managed to stay away until the finish line, ahead of James Tillett of the Wales Racing Academy and Jack Stanton-Warren of Wheelbase Castelli UK. The first junior to finish was Jacob Knight of Zero BC Development Team.
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| Callum Ferguson of Team KTM UK taking the win in the 2018 Tour of the Mining Valleys [photo: Aled Richards] |
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| Top three finishers Callum Ferguson (Team KTM UK), James Tillett (Wales Racing Academy) and Jack Stanton-Warren (Wheelbase Castelli UK) |
As well as Talybont-based Gruff Lewis, several other local riders took to the start line, with Jack Woolley of Ystwyth CC winning the Angela Davies memorial trophy – a new trophy for 2018 which was awarded to the top local finisher in memory of the daughter of Ystwyth CC lifetime member Ken Williams. There was significant local support on the roadsides all along the course of the race, with the sunny skies ensuring that the event was well attended by spectators as well as riders.
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| Jack Woolley of Ystwyth CC being presented with the Angela Davies memorial trophy for the top local finisher by race organiser Gareth Lewis |
Ystwyth CC would like to thank race organiser Gareth Lewis; race commissaire Liz Slater and her team, which included another Ystwyth CC lifetime member, Glyn Evans; and NEG Wales, CSAS Wales and Ystwyth CC members for marshalling. The club is also grateful to Anthony Motors, Cambrian Tyres and Aberystwyth Rugby Club for their generous support.
Full results are as follows:
1st, 29, Callum Ferguson, Team KTM UK, 3.17.15
2nd, 89, James Tillett, Wales Racing Academy, S.T.
3rd, 79, Jack Stanton-Warren, Wales Racing Academy, S.T.
4th, 62, Andrew Nicholls, Team B38/Underpin Racing, S.T.
5th, 25, Paul Elcock, ZeroBC, 3.17.46
6th, 40, Oliver Hayward, Rhino Velo Race Team, S.T.
7th, 33, Etienne Georgi, Team Wiggins, S.T.
8th, 50, George Kimber, Team PB Performance, 3.17.50
9th, 53, Ed Laverack, JLT Condor, S.T.
10th, 76, Kieran Savage, Cycling Sheffield Giant Sheffield, S.T.
11th, 11, Frazier Carr, Spirit Tifosi Racing Team, S.T.
12th, 28, George Evans, Team Bottrill – Vanguard, S.T.
13th, 88, Sam Tillett, Wales Racing Academy, S.T.
14th, 81, Joe Swinnerton, Swinnerton Cycles, S.T.
15th, 69, Daniel Pullen, Cycling Sheffield Giant Sheffield
16th, 52, Jacob Knight, ZeroBC Development Team
17th, 82, Bradley Symonds, Team PB Performance
18th, 1, William Roberts, Wales Racing Academy
19th, 10, Joshua Burns, Cardiff JIF
20th, 15, Daniel Coombe, Wales Racing Academy
21st, 51, Harrison Knight, ZeroBC Development Team
22nd, 46, Freddie Jagger, Team B38/Underpin Racing
23rd, 57, Chris Mann, Marsh Tracks Racing – Trek
24th, 403, Jack Solva
25th, 27, Hefin Evans, Bynea CC
26th, 83, Louis Szymanski, Cycling Sheffield Giant Sheffield
27th, 14, Joe Clark, Cycling Sheffield Giant Sheffield
28th, 58, Will Mapus-Smith, Clwb Beicio Egni
29th, 99, Jack Woolley, Ystwyth Cycling Club
30th, 42, Jake Hollins, Canyon UK
31st, 65, Charlie Passfield, Spirit Tifosi Racing Team
32nd, 44, Rhys Howells, Rapha Cycling Club
33rd, 74, Robert Rogers, Team PB Performance
34th, 30, Harry Gillett, ZeroBC Development Team
35th, 59, Kinsey Mcllquham, KTM UK Factory MTB Team
36th, 72, Ed Roberts, Rhos On Sea Cycling Club
37th, 80, Tom Swingler, Halesowen A & CC
38th, 66, Jordan Peacock, Spirit Tifosi Racing Team
40th , 90, Andrew Turner, Team KTM UK
41st, 45, Declan Hudson, Liverpool Century BC
42nd, 78, Chris Sleath, MTS-Rapid Engineering NE
43rd, 68, Chris Pook, Rhino Velo Race Team
44th, 7, Dan Brough, Pro Vision Race Team
45th, 91, Kirk Vickers, Rhino Velo Race Team
46th, 85, Jude Taylor, Team B38/Underpin Racing
47th, 36, Ewan Grivell-Mellor, Mid Shropshire Wheelers
48th, 6, Tyler Brennan, Hafren CC
49th, 67, Richard Pizzey, Ystwyth Cycling Club, 3.41.22