Niklas Gustavvson (Team UK Youth) has won the Leazes Criterium, the opening race of the four-day Virgin Money Cyclone.
The Swede outsprinted his rivals from a three-man breakaway at the end of a closely contested race held over 50 minutes and five laps of a 1km course in Newcastle.
Evan Oliphant (Team Raleigh) was second, while Rapha Condor JLT’s Mike Cuming, winner of the Tour de Korea, finished third.
Gustavvson’s victory continued an impressive run of results for the Nigel Mansell-owned team, who were recently crowned Tour Series champions with a record points haul.
“We try as hard as we can and we have got a good thing going,” Gustavvson said.
The victory will come as a relief to Gustavvson who saw team-mates, Yanto Barker, Jon Mould, and Chris Opie collect victories in the Tour Series.
The talented sprinter, second at last year’s IG London Nocturne, could only finish sixth there this year, and will relish his victory in Newcastle, just two days ahead of the prestigious Beaumont Trophy.
Sunday will see the 60th edition of the historic race, won in 2011 by Sir Bradley Wiggins en route to claiming the British road race championship.
Malcolm Elliott, who, with Mark Cavendish is the only British rider to win the points classification at the Vuelta a Espana, is another former winner.
Double Olympic champion, Ed Clancy (Rapha Condor Sharp) will line up on Sunday, and was active in the Leazes Criterum, bringing home the bunch behind the three winners after team-mate, Cuming, had joined the breakaway.
The four-day cycling festival continues on Saturday with a challenge ride of up to 104 miles, in which the pros will ride alongside 3,700 amateur riders.
Sunday’s race programme will open at 9.30am with the Curlew Cup, won last year by Dame Sarah Storey. An impressive line-up includes Johnson Health Teach Series and IG Nocturne winner, Hannah Barnes (MG Maxifuel) and European cyclo-cross champion, Helen Wyman (Kona).
All six of Britain’s UCI Continental teams will roll out at 1pm for the Beaumont Trophy, including Clancy’s Rapha Condor JLT squad, the Roger Hammond-managed Madison Genesis team, and London-based Team IG-Sigma Sport.
Elliott’s Node4-Giordana outfit, who lit up the Canary Wharf round of the Tour Series, Team Raleigh, who will field IG London Nocturne winner, Tom Scully, and Gustavvson’s Team UK Youth squad will also ride.
Leazes Criterium 2013 – result
1) Niklas Gustavvson (SWE) – Team UK Youth
2) Evan Oliphant (GBR) – Team Raleigh
3) Mike Cuming (GBR) – Rapha Condor JLT
4) Ed Clancy (GBR) – Rapha Condor JLT
5) Ian Wilkinson (GBR) – Team UK Youth
6) Alex Peters (GBR) – Madison Genesis
7) Chris Opie (GBR) – Team UK Youth
8) Graham Briggs (GBR) – Team Raleigh
9) Josh Hunt (GBR) – Team UK Youth
10) Thomas Stewart (GBR) – Team Raleigh
