Worcester
St Johns CC
Evening News Road Race 7th August 2005
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Top - BackOlympic cyclist and double World Champion Rob Hayles joined the select group of names on the Evening News Trophy after a 90-mile battle around the lanes south of Worcester. Hayles, who won medals on the track at the Sydney and Athens Olympic Games, took a flyer in the dying miles to win by 13 seconds from former professional rider, and winner of the event in 2003, Matt Stephens (Sigma Sport), with Hayles' fellow Olympian and recycling.co.uk team mate Paul Manning on Stevens' wheel. It was Frenchman Benoit Lagorce who started the action on lap two, easing clear and building up a lead of 40 seconds before several small groups of riders came across making a breakaway group of over twenty by the third of the seven laps. The group contained all of the favourites, including Hayles' recycling.co.uk team-mates, Stilton RT's Alex Higham and past winner, Roy Chamberlain (Milton Keynes). With two laps to go, five riders broke away from the leading group including, Hayles, Manning, Stephens, Higham and Ben Greenwood (recycling.co.uk). The riders soon opened a commanding gap, but Hayles was determined to use his track pursuiting speed and attacked hard with just four miles to go. Hayles soloed to the climb of Severn Stoke Bank and crossed the line at the summit for the win. Stevens and Manning dropped Greenwood and Higham on the final climb leaving them to come in nearly a minute adrift of Hayles.
1 st
Rob Hayles
2 nd
Matt Stephens
3 rd
Paul Manning
4 th
Ben Greenwood
5 th
Alex Higham
6 th
Evan Oliphant
7 th
Ray Chamberlain
8 th
Martin Smith
9 th
Neil Coleman
10 th
Beriot Legorce
1st 1st cat
Richard Cartland
1st 2nd cat
Matt Jennings
1st 3rd cat
Tim Cadd
1st vet
Andy Eaper