Ed Clancy (Rapha Condor Sharp) won the Peterborough round of the Halfords Tour Series.
An Olympic gold medalist and world champion on the track, Clancy showed his road craft by leading out and winning a sprint ahead of Raleigh-GAC’s Daniel Holloway and Endura Racing’s Scott Thwaites.
The team classification was won on the night by Raleigh-GAC, after three of the team’s riders placed third, sixth, and seventh – a fact not lost on Clancy.
“It’s a team event and I was kind of interested more in what was going on behind me with the boys. Once that breakaway had formed we were in a good position for the individual win as I had no work to do – two Enduras, two Raleigh guys so I was just sat on taking it easy and waiting for the sprint. From a team point-of-view it would have been better to have had two or three of us in there, but that’s how it goes.
“We’ve done well in the individuals, Kristian [House] has won two and I’ve won one, but we’re just not getting consistency and feel like we’re not getting the luck. We’ve had a few punctures and Dean’s been ill, and he’s been ill again here tonight. You make your own luck and Endura have been very, very strong and are hard to beat,” he said.
Clancy broke clear just after the half way stage, and was joined by the Endura Racing duo Thwaites and Zak Dempster, the Raleigh GAC pairing of Holloway and Sulzberger, and Matt Cronshaw (Node4-Giordana). The six riders quickly established a lead of half a minute.
Team Raleigh-GAC’s victory in the team completion was their first and came courtesy of Holloway’s second, sixth from Sulzberger, and seventh from Graham Briggs, the British circuit race champion, who led home the bunch chasing the decisive six-man selection.
The Nottingham-based squad became the third team in six rounds to win the team prize, following Endura and Team UK Youth to the top step of the podium. Sulzberger, the team’s Australian quick man, extended his lead in the sprints competition.
Canary Wharf will host the seventh round of the series on Thursday (31).
