Official Race Report

As some five hundred people involved in either competing, support or organisation of  this years Lincoln Grand Prix, offered a collective thank you to weather gods and took at early morning look at the sky, one Pendragon rider was heard to comment “you don't get this in Wales” of course he meant the fantastic Lincolnshire sunshine especially ordered for this years race.

As the police and marshals moved the few remaining cars and other obstacles off the  race circuit, the atmosphere up at the start at Yarborough Leisure Centre was hotting up nicely. The race itself got off to a reasonable trouble free start with one hundred and seventy six riders taking the start line. This years race once again had the usual great mix with European, local and international based riders taking the start along with three of the Sky Pro Cycling team, Russell Downing, Geraint Thomas and Ben Swift hoping to prove their metal. Russell was hoping to make it to the winning line in front a fourth time but his brother Dean riding for Rapha Condor Sharp who this year look a very strong team were going to do their best to see the one of their men over the line first.

As the crowds began to build in the Castle Square finish line area the race swept past for the first of it's ten and a half circuits. The race this year had a slightly changed route, as the historic Bail Gate area of Lincoln's Cathedral Quarter is being restored and renovated, and goes out past the Lincoln Hotel and then back onto track as it comes once again down Yarborough road.

The change of route also gave the organisers a chance to try a new location for the feeding station. This year it moved from it's usual Bail Gate area to Long Leys Road.. The atmosphere there was reminiscent of The Tour De France, with support vehicles, helpers and spectators lining both sides of the road. The slight rise up to the feed station was proving to be a popular spot for spectators and gave them a perfect opportunity to cheer on there favourites.

The first man over the line, Russell Downing, with ten laps showing on the board came as no surprise to most people. He and his brother always receive a warm welcome and great support from the knowledgeable Lincoln crowd. Russell picked up the early points in the Brian Cossavella Michael Gate trophy and with seven laps to go the three riders in the Sky Pro team all had three points.

An added spectacle this year was the Michael Gate youth races, giving the chance for local and visiting younger riders to race up the famous climb. The new event was well supported and organised and proved to be a great success and will hopefully feature in next years programme and perhaps, we might of seen a future winner of the race here today.

With six laps to go the race proper was already strung out with a group of some eight riders with a  small gap on the chasing peleton. Many were thinking, at this point, it was all over for the rest of the field. The group started to go away and it looked like they might get organised but some of the big names had missed the break and sent their team mates forward to try and bring the escapees back.

By five laps to go some nine riders had pulled out a lead of forty five seconds but it was short lived with many riders moving forward to the front of the race before dropping back again into the peleton. As the race hit the two hour mark some thirty riders were told to call it a day and were flagged for there last lap, with good weather the pace had been high from the start and they had quickly found that the Lincoln Grand Prix is not very forgiving on the unprepared.

Over the line first with three to go were Alex Wetterhall of team Sprocket, Chris Newton of Rapha and Kit Gilham of Sigma sport.  Who all gained good points in the Michael Gate competition.

As the race started to sort its self out the strong men were coming to the front. It had come down to a group of some seventeen riders. Most of the favourites were there with a few small groups of two or three riders making a temporary pact and working to get themselves back into contention

Russell Downing, Kristian House the winner from 2006 and Malcolm Elliott briefly found themselves working as a team to bridge the gap to the breakaway and not many would of placed a bet against them making the connection.

So with two laps to go it was a group of Twenty Two riders at the front any of whom had a decent chance of winning. Amongst then were Alex Wetterhall riding for Team Sprocket who had already put in a big effort to gain points in the Michael Gate competition, Kit Gilham, Zak Dempster, Simon Richardson and the aptly named Jack Bauer from Endura Racing. With that big of a  group it would be down to a few individuals to try and get away putting in a final show a brute strength and commitment. The first man off the front was Dean Downing who managed to gain a few seconds advantage but maybe this would not be his year and the chasing riders couldn't afford to let him go so expended vital energy chasing him back.

With one to go it was a classic one two from Rapha, who had lost Tom Southam earlier in the race to what was to turn out to be the only real incident this year.  The big man of the race Chris 'Junior' Newton, the third placed man from last year had come to the fore with the Team Ireland rider Philip Lavery showing his skill and strength hanging onto Chris's back wheel. Philip still only eighteen and the recent winner of the tour of Ulster had ridden the race very sensibly and had taken advantage to the opportunities to save precious energy. There was then a small gap back to the hard working chasers.

It would take a final lap to sort it out, with Newton and Lavery showing the way. The Downing brothers had been contained and it looked like this year Dean, riding for Rapha Condor, had perhaps used his strength to help out his team mate Chris Newton.

The crowds now in the Castle Square area had almost doubled in size as spectators had made their way to the finish line to cheer their favourites home. Nearly three and a half hours of racing had come down to a final few minutes and as the crowd strained their necks to look around the corner and try and catch a first look at this years winner they could hear the roar of the spectators further down the hill. The winner of course was Chris Newton the winner from ten years ago, he had managed to shake Lavery on the run in. A commendable finish from the young Team Ireland rider. Simon Richardson of Sigma Sport came in just in front of the rest of best after making a sterling effort to take third.

The depth and strength of the excellent Rapha Condor team proved too much for the sky Pro Cyling team of Russell Downing, who while adding a extra draw for the crowds were using the race more for preparation for their coming summer campaign.

The Brian Cossavella Michael Gate trophy was finally won by Chris Newton who has always been hear the front, Alex Wetterhall was second and Dean Downing by dint of earlier effort was third.

If you didn't manage to get over to Lincoln for this years event you missed out on a fantastic race, bright Lincolnshire sunshine, and certainly one of Britain's  favourite one day races.