Double Olympic champion, Ed Clancy (Rapha Condor JLT), took his third win of the 2013 Pearl Izumi Tour Series with victory in Woking.
The powerhouse, winner of Olympic gold medals on the track with Great Britain’s men’s team pursuit squad at Beijing in 2008 and in London last year, comfortably outsprinted second-placed Yanto Barker (Team UK Youth) to win in Surrey.
Clancy’s triumph in Woking, his first on the circuit, makes him the most successful rider in Tour Series history, with nine victories.
Team manager, John Herety, said he hadn’t expected Clancy to go well after a tiring week on the track and a performance below his own high standards at the IG London Nocturne.
“The team rode well, but in the end Ed looked after himself and managed to get onto the UK Youth leadout with a lap to go. Once he kicked for the finish no one could get near him,” he said.
Team UK Youth celebrated another successful night, despite Barker’s defeat to Clancy in the final sprint.
With four riders in the top 10, the Nigel Mansell-owned squad increased its lead over closest rivals, Team Raleigh, and now heads the Nottingham outfit by 13 points with two rounds remaining.
Dean Downing (Madison Genesis) raced to his third podium finish of the season, after finishing second at Torquay and Stoke-on-Trent. Despite losing his series win record to Clancy, Downing’s efforts in Woking kept his squad in third place in the team standings, just three points behind Raleigh.
Tom Scully, winner last Saturday of the IG London Nocturne, was the highest-placed Raleigh rider in eighth, and won the IG Sprints competition. The New Zealander now looks almost certain to win the gold jersey.
Node4-Giordana set the tempo for much of the night, much as they had done at the previous round in Canary Wharf, and their efforts were rewarded with second place in the team standings on the night.
While Team UK Youth gathered in numbers at the denouement, Clancy found a way to win. The Lancastrian hit the front on the exit of the final hairpin, and was strong enough to hold off the challenge of the chasing bunch, none of whom could come round him.
Televised highlights will be shown on ITV4 at 10pm tonight (Wednesday June 12) and repeated at 12.50pm on Thursday June 13.
The Tour Series action moves to the East Anglian town of Aylsham tomorrow, and concludes in Ipswich on Friday June 14, with a triple header of Criterium, team time trial, and elimination competitions.
Pearl Izumi Tour Series 2013: round nine (Woking) – result
1) Ed Clancy (GBR) – Rapha Condor JLT
2) Yanto Barker (GBR) – Team UK Youth
3) Dean Downing (GBR) – Madison Genesis
4) Niklas Gustavsson (SWE) – Team UK Youth
5) Mike Northey (NZL) – Node4-Giordana
6) Tobyn Horton (GBR) – Team UK Youth
7) Ian Wilkinson (GBR) – Team UK Youth
8) Tom Scully (NZL) – Team Raleigh
9) Roman Van Uden (NZL) – Node4-Giordana
10) David McGowan (GBR) – Metaltek-Knights of Old
Team standings
1) Team UK Youth – 83 points
2) Team Raleigh – 70 points
3) Madison Genesis – 67 points
4) Rapha Condor JLT – 65 points
5) Node4-Giordana – 62 points
6) Metaltek-Knights of Old – 51 points
7) MG Maxifuel – 39 points
8) Hope Factory Racing – 23 points
9) Team IG-Sigma Sport – 23 points
10) Spin Rotor – Primal – C-Originals – 12 points
