Marcin Bialoblocki took his first ever Halfords Tour Series win in Torquay to lead Node4-Giordana Racing to team victory.

Bialoblocki benefited from a dramatic last corner crash which saw leaders Scott Thwaites and Chris Opie eliminated, gifting the Somerset-based Polish rider the win.

With team-mates Mike Northey sixth and Matt Cronshaw ninth, Node4-Giordana claimed the team win ahead of Team Raleigh-GAC and series leader’s Endura Racing, who now have a 12-point lead at the top of the table.

Having lost out by the narrowest of margins to Endura Racing’s Rob Partridge in Oldham in 2011, Bialoblocki was delighted to finally clinch victory in the Tour Series.

“It’s great for me after last year, it was a nightmare.  Now it is paid back and I feel much better.  I am really happy,” said Bialoblocki. “It is very good to win, I’m in the south west which is my home region, so I have lots of friends around.”

With blue skies appearing and the roads drying out after a wet start, the action around Torquay’s Torre Abbey circuit was quick from the start.  Node4’s Cronshaw and Endura Racing’s Johnny McEvoy made the early move, but no move was allowed to stay clear for long.

Eventually a three-rider break went clear, with strongman Bialoblocki joined by fast finishers Thwaites and Opie, who pulled clear from the bunch to ensure the finish would be fought out by the lead trio.

With the bunch fast approaching on the final lap, Opie dived into the final corner with too much speed, understeering wide and crashing into the barriers with Thwaites, with Bialoblocki able to navigate the carnage to cross the line arms aloft as the peloton closed in behind, with Canary Wharf winner Zak Dempster winning the bunch sprint for second.

Highlights of Round Eight from Torquay will be shown on ITV4 on Wednesday June 6 at 8pm, while round nine sees the series return to Colchester on Thursday June 7. World class cycling returns to Devon this September for the penultimate stage of the Tour of Britain on Saturday September 15.

Discuss on the forum

Halfords Tour Series round eight – Torquay

1) Marcin Bialoblocki – Node4-Giordana Racing
2) Zak Dempster – Endura Racing
3) Graham Briggs – Team Raleigh-GAC
4) Marcel Six – Metaltek Scott
5) Yanto Barker – Team UK Youth
6) Mike Northey – Node4-Giordana Racing
7) Johnny McEvoy – Endura Racing
8) Tobyn Horton – Team Raleigh-GAC
9) Matt Cronshaw – Node4-Giordana Racing
10) Will Bjergfelt – Cycle Premier-Kovert

Round eight team result
1) Node4-Giordana Racing
2) Team Raleigh-GAC
3) Endura Racing
4) Rapha Condor Sharp
5) Team UK Youth
6) Metaltek Scott
7) Team IG Sigma Sport
8) Cycle Premier – Kovert
9)  Herbalife LeisureLakesBikes
10) Team Hope Factory Racing

Overall team standings after round eight
1) Endura Racing – 74pts
2) Rapha Condor Sharp – 62pts
3) Team Raleigh-GAC, 60pts
4) Team UK Youth – 59pts
5) Node4-Giordana Racing – 59pts
6) Cycle Premier-Kovert – 37pts
7) Team IG Sigma Sport – 32pts
8) Metaltek Scott – 23pts
9) Herbalife LeisureLakesBikes – 18pts
10) Team Hope Factory Racing – 15pts

Boardman Bikes sprint standings after round eight
1) Bernard Sulzberger – Team Raleigh-GAC – 75pts
2) Marcel Six – Metaltek Scott – 55pts
3) Kristian House – Rapha Condor Sharp – 32pts