Team UK Youth claimed their first Halfords Tour Series victory after Niklas Gustavsson triumphed in Redditch, but Endura Racing topped the team classification once again to make it four wins from four in 2012 for the squad.
Gustavsson outsprinted breakaway companions Dean Windsor (Endura Racing), Bernard Sulzberger (Raleigh-GAC) and Kristian House (Rapha Condor Sharp) up the punishing final climb of Unicorn Hill to claim Team UK Youth’s biggest victory since the squad’s inception last year.
Behind the Swede, Endura placed riders in second, fifth and seventh to continue their 100 per cent record in the team competition.
“It was an amazing atmosphere here. It’s the first event here and it was really good. I am very pleased to see such a big crowd tonight,” said Gustavsson.
“It was a big win for me, I’ve been really looking forward to having a win because last year I came second and all I wanted to do was have a win. It feels great. It’s always great to cross the line first, especially in front of some of these guys.”
Former national road race champion House, who won the Durham Tour Series round, sparked the decisive move and was soon joined by Windsor, while Sulzberger then bridged the gap before Matt Cronshaw (Node4-Giordana) and Gustavsson fought their way across.
The five worked together to build up a minute’s lead around the Redditch circuit and, with five teams represented in front group, there was a ceasefire from the main field.
The lead group was reduced to four on the final lap when Cronshaw crashed on a corner with just a few hundred metres to go and Gustavsson then took the initiative and attacked at the foot of the final climb to hold on through the final sweeping right harder.
Team IG-Sigma Sport’s Tom Murray finished fourteenth and picked up points in the sprint competition.
“Everything seems to have stepped up this year,” he said. “To get in the top 50 this year you have to be flying. There’s the six UCI teams, but the other are really good too. It’s an exciting time to be a cyclist.”
Halfords Tour Series round four – Redditch
1) Niklas Gustavsson – Team UK Youth
2) Dean Windsor – Endura Racing
3) Bernard Sulzberger – Team Raleigh-GAC
4) Kristian House – Rapha Condor Sharp
5) Scott Thwaites – Endura Racing
6) Chris Opie – Team UK Youth
7) Jonny McEvoy – Endura Racing
8) Rico Rogers – Node4-Giordana
9) Ed Clancy – Rapha Condor Sharp
10) Yanto Barker – Team UK Youth
Round four team result
1) Endura Racing
2) Team UK Youth
3) Node4-Giordana
4) Rapha Condor Sharp
5) Team Raleigh-GAC
6) Cycle Premier-Kovert
7) Herbalife LeisureLakesBikes
8) Team IG-Sigma Sport
9) Team Hope Factory Racing
10) Metaltek Scott
Team standings after round four
1) Endura Racing – 40pts
2) Team UK Youth – 31pts
3) Rapha Condor Sharp – 30pts
4) Node4-Giordana – 29pts
5) Team Raleigh-GAC – 28pts
6) Cycle Premier-Kovert – 16pts
7) Team IG-Sigma Sport – 15pts
8) Metaltek Scott – 12pts
9) Herbalife LeisureLakesBikes – 9pts
10) Team Hope Factory Racing – 9pts
Boardman Bikes sprints standings after round four
1) Bernard Sulzberger – Team Raleigh-GAC – 44pts
2) Marcel Six – Metaltek Scott – 32pts
3) Kristian House – Rapha Condor Sharp – 30pts
