Endura's McEvoy Wins Tour DoonHame - Full Stage 3 Report & Video Updated 10th April 2012
Stage 3: Moffat to Annan 107 miles, Monday 9th
April 2012
Day two, stage three of the Tour DoonHame and 107 miles to be tackled. Without question
the toughest route in the recent history of the race, including the fearsome 1st
category
ascent of Talla Linns nestling among the exquisite scenery to the north of the start location
in Moffat.
With all of the classifications firmly in the grip of the Endura Racing team, it would be down
to the other teams to try and deny the Scottish based squad total domination of the 2012
event. As the 123 remaining competitors rolled away from the ceremonial start in Moffat
under threatening skies, two ascents of Greenhillstairs (the second followed swiftly by the longer, shallower ascent of the ‘The
Devil’s Beeftub’) were the early order of business, punctuated by the first hot spot sprint of
the day back on the start line. With Endura’s Swedish climber Alexander Wetterhall -
already 7 points clear of nearest challenger Mike Northey (Node4 Giordana) - claiming a
second and third place on these early climbs, it put the J&B Print King of the Mountains
competition out of reach of the other challengers even before the final challenge at Talla
Linns was taken into consideration.
The damp conditions and reluctance of riders to reveal their numbers meant that only
Endura’s Ian Wilkinson was placed at the Moffat sprint, and with overnight green jersey
Scott Thwaites taking the final hot spot in Langholm later in the day it would secure a
second classification award for Endura boys.
As the riders finally left Moffat and turned towards the hills to the north, their summits
cloaked by the lowering clouds, a series of attacks at the head of the peloton saw a 13 man
group get away, but would it succeed with 80 tough miles still to go?
Endura were well represented with yellow jersey Eric Rowsell, Rob Partridge and winner of
two stages in the 2011 ‘DoonHame' Jonny McEvoy in the move. Raleigh had the Australian
Bernard Sulzberger, 6th
overall with teammate Russell Hampton, whilst Rowsell’s nearest
challenger Northey along with Node 4’s Matt Cronshaw and Pete Williams were further key
members of the breakaway. Rapha Condor Sharp only managed to place one rider in the
break, but it was Richard Handley – third overall – who was there but he would surely
struggle without further team support.
Cresting the summit of Talla Linns it was Sulzberger who took the first place but would still
only finish third behind Wetterhall and Northey in the climbers classification. The long
descent saw Peter Williams lose contact with the lead group and there was further trouble
for Node4 Giordana when Matt Cronshaw – who rode so well in the 2011 race – was
disqualified by the race commissaire for holding on to his team car for a prolonged period.
Despite the protestations of team manager Malcolm Elliott it saw Northey isolated and
Endura turned the screw further as Scott Thwaites had earlier powered across to the lead
group.
A valiant effort by Vanillabikes Ben Greenwood to remain with the leaders came to an end
when he blew as the race approached Langholm with 15 miles to go. Meanwhile Thwaites,
lying 4th
overall and 14 seconds behind Rowsell, swept up the final sprint points and more importantly the 3 second time bonus, whilst Jonny McEvoy crossed the sprint line third to
chip another second off his deficit which now stood at 28 seconds.
The race had borne witness to McEvoy’s powerful finish on two stages in 2011 and inside
the final 4 miles he put in a blistering attack which distanced his remaining 10 breakaway
companions.
With a 10 second time bonus awaiting the stage winner, suddenly Rowsell’s hold on the
yellow came under threat as McEvoy continued to gain ground. As he raced to the finish line
in Annan alone, cheered on by a sizeable crowd, McEvoy’s advantage has stretched to 26
seconds over second placed finisher Thwaites with Rowsell only managing sixth place in the
final gallop.
Calculations complete, and it was the St Helens rider Jonny McEvoy who was confirmed as
the victor in the 2012 Tour DoonHame with Rowsell and Thwaites making it a 1-2-3 for
Endura in the overall classification. Every stage won, every jersey secured it was little
surprise that the Endura squad also scooped the team prize whilst McEvoy was also
confirmed as the best Under 23 rider in the race.
So with the first two rounds of the Premier Calendar going to Endura, the team continued
their dominance of the early season, and are sure to present an ominous challenge in the
next round at The Tour of the Reservoir in May.
Despite the shorter schedule, the third edition of The Tour DoonHame had once again
proved the attraction of the race to riders and spectators alike and the peerless organisation
of the Wallacehill Cycling Club had delivered another top class event.
Rowsell & Thwaites Win First Day's Stages at Tour DoonHame - Reports & Video Posted 8th April 2012
It was a clean sweep for Endura Racing in the first two stages of the Tour DoonHame with their riders taking both stage wins, the team stage and overall and the yellow, polka dot and green jerseys.
Report Stage 1: Castle Douglas - Girvan, 79.9 miles, Sunday 8th
April 2012
Though reduced from the customary three days to two, a record entry of 140 riders for the
third edition of The Tour Doon Hame proved that there was no lack of enthusiasm to contest
this truncacted edition of the traditional Easter event.
With stage one due to finish in the race’s ‘spritual’ home in Girvan - to be swiftly followed by
the short, sharp criterium race around Victory Park - the riders faced 79.9 miles of
challenging terrain punctuated by 3 King of the Mountains primes for the JB Print Polka Dot
Jersey and 2 sprints in the Endura Hot Spot Sprint completion, each carrying a potentially
race changing time bonus.
The first move of the day proved to be the decisive one, although the 13 riders who escaped
with just a couple of miles covered would gradually be whittled down to the three who
contested the finishing sprint. Most of the major teams were well represented in the break
with Team Endura and Team Raleigh each putting three riders up the road and Node 4
Giordarna and Team UK Youth each having 2. Rapha Condor Sharp and IG Sigma Sport also
featured, with one rider each.
The gap steadily grew, reaching a maximum of 2:03 by the first KOM climb at New Galloway
with 15 miles gone. Maximum points went to Endura’s Alex Wetterhall, a feat he repeated at
the second climb at Tairlaw and with it secured the first polka dot jersey of the race.
Although a predominantly Sigma-led peloton managed to claw back precious seconds as the
riders battled the elements, the thirteen leaders didn’t split until the long descent from
Tairlaw.
Down to just seven by the final hot spot sprint in Straition, further attacks saw three riders
establish an increasing advantage on the road to Girvan. Erick Rowsell (Team Endura),
Richard Handley (Rapha Condor Sharp) and Mike Northey (Node 4 Giordana) contested the
final sprint in Victory Park, with Rowsell coming home in first place and rounding off a great
week for his family following sister Joanna’s Gold Medal at the World Track Championships
in Melbourne. Rowsell had also accumulated sufficient sprint points to take the lead in the
green jersey competition. The bulk of the field finished 15 seconds behind the first three to
set up an great start for the second stage, the 16.5 mile criterium covering 15 laps of
Victory Park.
Stage 2: Victory Park Criterium, Girvan, 16.5 miles, Sunday 8th
April 2012
The afternoon drizzle increased in intensity to coincide with the start of stage 2. Despite 4
casualties from the morning’s stage, the 136 remaining riders made a fine sight as the
riders from Team Endura set out to defend the yellow jersey of race leader Erick Rowsell.
With only a 7 second advantage of Northey in second place, and the prospect of two Endura
sprints with time bonuses, the well drilled Endura squad kept their man up amongst the first
few places, meanwhile Scott Thwaites, also from Endura, swept up sufficient points to take
possession of the green jersey. On the final passage of the finish line, Thwaites bettered
Chris Opie (Team UK Youth) for the win, but Rowsell was delivered in fifth place and so
extended his advantage to 11 seconds at the top of the general classification.
The Tour Doon Hame
Promoted by Wallacehill Cycling Club
The final stage, covering 107 miles, will head out from Moffat to an eventual finish in
Annan, with the narrow and challenging roads of Talla Linn – last used on the first stage of
the 2011 Tour of Britain – set to be the decisive section of the stage and encompassing the
only first category climb of the race.
See our Competitor List page for a full run down on this year's Tour DoonHame riders.
Endura's Blain Wins 2012 Premier Series Opener Posted 1st April 2012
Endura Racing opened their 2012 Premier Calendar account this afternoon in Essex with a win in the Maldon Dengie Tour courtesy of Alexandre Blain. A hard fought 104 miles over a mix of tarmac and dirt roads culminated with a final selection of five riders with the Frenchman outsprinting Ben Grenda (Rapha Condor Sharp) and Matt Cronshaw (Node4 - Giordana Racing) in front of a large crowd in sun bathed Maldon.
Blain isn't on the Endura team roster
for round two of the Premier Calendar, the Tour Doonhame, so the Series lead is set to change after two days and three stages of racing in the soth of Scotland.
British Cycling Premier Calendar YouTube Channel Launches Posted 30th March 2012
Elite road racing enthusiasts can now watch when they want - not when the TV schedules dictate. See all the news, views, reports and action from Premier Calendar Series races with the launch of a dedicated YouTube channel.
Premier Calendar fans can visit the new channel before each race to see a video preview of the weekend's action whilst on race day itself, short video updates will be posted to the Premier Calendar Facebook page before a final round up video is posted on the YouTube channel, featuring the best of the day’s action and interviews with the winning riders. On the day after the race fans will be able to see a longer race video, showing more extensive highlights from the day’s action out on the road.
Paul Rowlands, Cycle Sport Marketing Officer at British Cycling explained the rationale behind the new direction the Premier Calendar would take as it begins its 20th season on the road,
"Taking the Premier Calendar online is new territory for us but it's a decision that's motivated by a couple of important insights. The combined reach of British Cycling, our series organisers and the teams through social media and more formal means gives us a strong platform to build a much bigger audience than we've ever achieved before. Firstly, this enables us to get the racing to the fans much more quickly that we've been able to do historically. Secondly, the potential reach of YouTube is much greater than that of subscription TV channels."
The provisional competitor list for the 2012 Tour DoonHame has been published. The list reads like a 'who's who' of UK elite road racing with all the main Premier Calendar Series protagonists represented.
With Endura Racing running a dual British & European programme, 2011 DoonHame winner Zak Dempster will miss this year's race, leaving 2011 Premier series winner Ian Bibby to wear number 1 in the peloton. The team's recent run of success abroad saw them top the UCI Europe Tour rankings. The team has a firm commitment to the UK road scene however and a recent Tour de Normandie stage win will boost Ian Wilkinson's confidence as he seeks to fulfil a long-standing ambition to repeat his 2007 Girvan win.
Another team which has been doing rather well on foreign shores is Raleigh - GAC whose recent transatlantic foray to the Tour of Mexico netted them second place on two stages courtesy of Evan Oliphant and Tobyn Horton. Scot Oliphant has a strong record in his home stage race but overall victory has thus far eluded the former Endura man; a situation he will keen to rectify with a new team around him.
The Node4 - Giordana Racing squad has quality aplenty including 2009 Girvan winner Marcin Bialoblocki and 2011 DoonHame runner up Matt Cronshaw the latter having unfinished business to attend to. The former Raleigh rider had taken a slender two second lead over Rapha's Zak Dempster into the final stage, only to be pipped by a single second for the final yellow jersey by the Aussie who had taken the maximum three seconds bonus on one of the intermediate sprints. The Node4 line up also features Canadians Mike Northey and Rico Rogers, both experienced stage racers and Ireland's Philip Lavery, winner of the recent Roy Thame Cup race in England.
Team IG - Sigma Sport has seen some changes in the off-season and they send a strong eight-man team that is headed by former World Tour pro Dan Lloyd who finished 10th overall in last year's Tour of Britain.
Rapha Condor Sharp always make their presence felt in the Premier Calendar Series and that is set to continue, albeit with a team that has restructured a little, mixing up-and-coming riders with seasoned pros such as Commonwealth Games medallist and crit specialist James McCallum and 2010 Dumfries BikeFest Road Race winner Dean Downing. Their DoonHame team is led by Kristian House whose class, experience and consistency brought further success in 2011 including the overall win in the UCI 2.2 ranked Tour of South Africa. McCallum will no doubt look to impress on the circuit race around Girvan's Victory Park on Stage 2.
Those looking for a 'home' stage or overall win in Scotland's most prestigious stage race will be keeping a keen eye on Evan Oliphant and on young Robbie Hassan (Herbalife - LeisureLakesBikes). Hassan has impressed constantly in the last few years with performances that belie his youth, including 11th on a stage and 18th overall in last year's DoonHame.
And that's just a few of the riders who will aiming to grab the limelight in the 2012 Tour DoonHame. For a full run down on this year's starters see our Competitor List page or download the Competitor List PDF.
Commenting on the start list race organiser Ian Sinclair said, "I am heartened to see that the event's contraction to two days hasn't reduced interest in the race and we're on track for one of the most hotly contested editions with one of the highest quality fields ever assembled for a UK stage race outside of national tours. I hope fans and club riders will turn out in droves to support the riders as they join battle on the roads of south Scotland."
Tour DoonHame Race Route & Spectator Info Sheet Posted 17th March 2012
The full race route details for the 2012 Tour DoonHame have been published and reveal stages that will treat riders and spectators to some of the most scenic cycle racing territory in the UK.
Race Organiser Ian Sinclair commented, "Due to severe financial restraints we've had to trim this year's race to two days but thanks to great co-operation from the local authorities and police forces concerned we're packing a lot of superb racing roads into the reduced itinerary. Whilst it would undoubtedly be easier to repeat previous year's stage routes we take pride in offering our competitors the challenge of fresh routes each year. I'm especially pleased to announce the Tour DoonHame's first foray into Scottish Borders on Stage 3 where the roads could have been made for bike racing. However, we've stuck with tradition for Stage 2 as the Girvan Circuit Race was always a real crowd pleaser in the Girvan 3-Day race. I'm grateful to South Ayrshire Council and South Carrick Community Leisure for offering the opportunity to return to the event's 'spiritual home'."
Sinclair added, "I am also grateful for the support given by our friends in the Royal Burgh of Annan and at Magnox for giving us the chance to bring a stage finish to the town, a show case for the area in which they live and work."
Stage 1 - Sunday 8th April - Castle Douglas to Girvan - 80 Miles - Start 10:30
The 144 man Tour DoonHame field will be flagged away from King Street in Castle Douglas with the race start proper coming one mile later on the A713 Ayr Road. The route then winds up the side of Loch Ken to the opening J&B Print King of the Mountains climb, a Cat 3 ascent out of New Galloway. The jaw-dropping beauty of the A712 Queen's Way route to Newton Stewart provides the backdrop as the race heads into the Galloway Forest Park. The first intermediate sprint in Minnigaff gives green jersey hopefuls a chance to open their Endura Hot Spot Sprint accounts before the route turns north towards South Ayrshire and over the switchback road from Glentrool to Rowantree Toll. The Cat 2 Mountains climb to Tairlaw Summit crests at the highest point on this year's route followed by a hectic, near six mile descent through the Carrick Forest to Straiton where bonus seconds await the front runners at the second Hot Spot Sprint in Main Street. Barely time to draw breath before the final Mountains climb - an innocuous little Cat 3 climb up the side of Blairquhan estate, but one which often provided a 'sting in the tail' in the closing miles of many a Girvan 3-Day stage. The final ten miles of the stage track the River Girvan to the event's former home on the South Ayrshire coast. A circuitous run in through the town centre takes the riders past the scene of current world road race champion Mark Cavendish's first big win at Henrietta Street in the opening stage of the 2004 Girvan 3-Day. The finish line is at Victory Park where the winner will claim the race leader's yellow jersey.
Stage 2 - Sunday 8th April - Girvan Circuit Race - 16 Miles - Start 16:30
After only a couple of hours recuperation from the efforts of the opening stage, the competitors will be back at Victory Park in South Park Avenue to line up for the circuit race, or 'criterium'. This is the same stage that proved so popular with spectators over many years in the event's former guise as the Girvan 3-Day Cycle Race. Fans are up close to the action as some riders battle for the win - others simply to stay in contention. Stage 1 deficits of seconds can turn to minutes in the space of a few laps as the high speed stage takes its toll. Green jersey contenders will scrap over the points to be won at the Endura Hot Spot Sprints at the end of laps five and ten. Can the Stage 1 leader hang on to yellow? Why not come and see for yourself by making a day of it at Girvan. One of the local restaurant's legendary fish suppers followed by a 'pokey hat' dairy ice cream cone could just be the perfect way to end a great day out watching top flight bike racing.
Stage 3 Monday
- Monday 9th April - Moffat to Annan - 107 Miles - Start 11:00
The final day of the 2012 Tour DoonHame provides the 'Queen Stage' - 107 miles through the stunning landscapes of East Dumfries-shire and the Scottish Borders. The first hour of racing sees the riders tackle 1.75 laps of a circuit based on Moffat with a Hot Spot Sprint on the second pass through the town and two Cat 2 ascents at Greenhillstairs offering further opportunities to secure points in the J&B Print Mountains competition. Then it's up the A701 past the Devil's Beef Tub to Tweedsmuir and a sharp right towards Meggethead and the Cat 1 climb at Talla Linns. This is a real test for tired legs - a 20% gradient on a pencil thin road that rears up dramatically from the head of Talla reservoir past the waterfalls that give the climb its name. It is also where we will learn who is to be crowned 2012 Tour DoonHame 'King of the Mountains'. Some respite comes with the helter-skelter descent to Megget reservoir and then up the side of St Mary's Loch before the route hits the rolling roads of the Ettrick Valley and Eskdale. The Tibetan Buddhist Centre prayer flags provide a splash of colour amidst the greenery of Eskdalemuir Forest as the race heads to the Hot Spot in Langholm and the final gallop to decide the overall winner of the Endura Sprints competition. The gentle rise on the A7 Langholm to Carlisle road gives way to a steady drop to the flats of the Esk Estuary and the finale in Annan's High Street where the coveted race winner's yellow jersey will be pulled on by the 2012 Tour DoonHame champion.
After a testing time consolidating and attracting sponsors it is with great relief that we can announce that this year’s race will go ahead as a two day, three stage event, headquartered in Dumfries.
The opening stage will finish in Girvan followed by its famous criterium stage around the town's Victory Park. Day two features a lengthy stage finishing in the historic town of Annan. The event will be run on Sunday 8th and Monday 9th April over the Easter weekend and will once again form part of British Cycling's season long Premier Calendar Elite Road Racing series.
Our new sponsors are Magnox, the nuclear and hydroelectric energy people and South Ayrshire Council who, along with J&B Print Ltd - Newton Stewart, Metrik Office Supplies and Endura, form the basis of the financial backing for the event.
Whilst the format of the event has changed slightly due to the reduction in budget, the quality and freshness of the stages will be up to the normal high standards.
With several new and strengthened elite road teams gearing up to contest the 2012 Premier Calendar series spectators are in for an Easter treat as riders battle to land a win in one of the longest established and most revered events on the British road calendar. Further news and rider information will be listed here on the event website as it becomes available.
You can check out the provisional start list for the 2012 Tour DoonHame on our Competitor List page.
McEvoy Makes it two Stage Wins - Dempster Wins Race by One Second Posted 25th April 2011
With just two seconds separating first and second places, and only 20 seconds covering the
top eight riders on general classification, the third and final stage of The Tour DoonHame
looked set to be a cliff-hanger where every second would count, and so it turned out to be.
110 riders left Dumfries for the final time with the ScottishPower Renewables yellow jersey
worn by Matt Cronshaw of Team Raleigh. In second place was man of the season so far, Zak
Dempster of Rapha Condor Sharp. Following a string of victories - the most recent at
Rutland-Melton just a week earlier - there was no question that the tall Australian was in
top form, and Cronshaw’s slender two second advantage was going to be tough to defend.
With Jack Bauer (Endura Racing) at twelve seconds and Ian Bibby (Motorpoint) at 13, both
of whom had tasted success at the 2010 edition of the race, it was clear that the time
bonuses available along the route at the hot spot sprints and also on the finish line would be
the key to victory.
The peloton was active right from the moment the neutralised flag was pulled in and
Dempster was ominously one of the members of an early breakaway that eased out a small
advantage with 3 miles covered. Though it was quickly brought back, continued attacks up
to the first intermediate sprint at Haugh of Urr featured Rapha men and was an early
indication of the team's intent. This tactic bore fruit, although the peloton were all back
together by the sprint line, Dempster crossed it first earning the 3 second time bonus and
leapfrogging Cronshaw to become yellow jersey on the road.
Passing through the outskirts of Castle Douglas, which would be the scene of the race finish
later in the day, it was Bibby’s turn to collect a time bonus at the sprint line, but shortly
afterward an attack by four riders: Wouter Sybrandy (Sigmasport Specialized), Kevin
Dawson (Sportscover), Peter Murdoch (Second Helpings) and Tom Barras (Cycle premier -
Metaltek) was quickly joined by Magnus Backstedt (Team UK Youth) and Peter Williams
(Motorpoint). With Dutchman Sybrandy the best placed on GC at 25th
place, 1:10 behind
the initial lead of Cronshaw, the move seemed opportunistic at best. However the gap grew
to in excess of 1 minute as the race reached Mossdale with 31 miles gone, and shortly
afterward it was the Sigmasport rider who became the virtual yellow jersey as the
advantage exceeded his time deficit on GC. The group continued to work well and stretched
the lead to a maximum of 2 minutes 22 seconds at Moniaive.
Although King of the Mountains leader Bauer was not in the lead group, the others were not
in contention for the climbers prize so as the last climb - a third category ascent of Wether
Hill – was completed, Bauer was confirmed as the outright winner of the J & B Print polka
dot jersey he had held since the first stage. With Backstedt in the break he guaranteed his
win in the Endura sprints competition with a first place at St John's Town of Dalry.
As the race entered its final 30 miles the gap to the leaders was rapidly reducing as Rapha
and Endura in particular were setting the pace at the head of the peloton. The 6 leaders
were briefly reduced to 5 as Williams overshot a corner, but quickly regained the group.
However the relentless pace behind saw their advantage stand at just 24 seconds with 20
miles to go. Further misfortune hit the breakaway as Barras punctured and Murdoch blew.
With the yellow jersey now back with Dempster, Sybrandy and Williams were the last of the
breakaway to remain clear but the inevitable catch came with 6 miles to go and the stage
was set for another bunch gallop.
Rounding the final corner into the main street at Castle Douglas, close to 50 riders filled the
full width of the road as the uphill charge for the line gathered pace. Following his win at
Dumfries on stage 2, Johnny McEvoy again proved to have the best sprint and took the
victory.
But where were Dempster and Cronshaw? Both missed out on the final time bonuses with
Dempster finishing fourth behind McEvoy, Chris Opie (Pendragon) and Marcin Bialoblocki
(Motorpoint) while Cronshaw crossed the line in 13th
place. With the first 47 finishers
awarded the same time, the judges deliberations finally confirmed that Dempster’s win in
the first hot spot sprint and the 3 seconds it carried was enough for him to take the overall
victory by just 1 second from a clearly disappointed Cronshaw. Bauer secured third place
overall closely followed by Bibby in fourth.
With Sigmasport-Specialized taking away a luxury hamper of Scottish delicacies as winners
of the team competition the podium presentations were complete and the second edition of
The Tour DoonHame had proved a worthy opener to the 2011 Premier Calendar
competition.
The action now moves on to Lincoln on May 8th, but with Zak Dempster in his current form
will anyone be able to better him there?
In a welcome contrast to the savage conditions of stage 1, the second day of racing dawned
with blue skies and the promise of sun once the early mist had cleared. The 118 riders who
remained in contention gathered for the start of the shortest and - on paper – least testing
stage of the 2011 Tour DoonHame.
Matt Cronshaw (Team Raleigh), resplendent in the yellow Scottish Power Renewables jersey
of race leader carried a 9 second advantage over second place Zak Dempster (Rapha
Condor Sharp) with the powerful kiwi Jack Bauer of Endura Racing 11 seconds off the lead
in third.
Wearing the green jersey but lying second to Cronshaw in the sprints competition was big
Magnus Backstedt (Team UK Youth) and a second place in the opening hot spot at Keir Mill
(birthplace of the modern bicycle) was enough to give the Swede the jersey by right at the
end of the stage.
Frequent early attacks were swiftly neutralised by a vigilant Team Raleigh, with Rapha also
forcing the pace in the interests of second placed Dempster. Tom Southam in particular was
the Rapha man in all the early moves. With only two classified climbs, both rating no higher
than third category, Bauer’s efforts to retain the polka dot jersey were aided by a second
place over the summit of Dalveen Pass, the spectacular scenery of the area shown to it’s
best advantage by the now unbroken sunshine. A further placing on the second climb at
Glengonnar would retain the Endura man’s grip on the climbers prize.
It was on the descent from Dalveen Pass with 32 miles covered that the peloton split into
several groups and provided the ideal springboard for the attack launched by Dean Downing
(Rapha Condor Sharp) and James Williamson (Sigmasport-Specialized). Covering the roads
around Wanlockhead in the reverse direction to stage one, the two breakaway riders
gradually increased their lead to a maximum of 1 minute 12 seconds by the 52 mile point.
With both riders starting the day 1 minute 10 seconds behind Cronshaw, it made Downing
the yellow jersey on the road.
Maintaining a similar gap for the next ten miles, despite Raleigh driving hard, it was the
Dutchman Maarten de Jonge (Endura Racing) who broke clear and bridged the gap to the
two leaders. Followed shortly afterward by five further attackers, the lead group now
numbered eight with Evan Oliphant (Endura), Peter Williams (Motorpoint), Ross Creber
(Cyclepremier - Metaltek), David McGowan (Team UK Youth) and David McCann (Giant
Kenda/Felt Colbornes) joining the other three.
Approaching 15 miles to go it looked like the peloton would soon have them back as their
advantage was reduced to just 15 seconds, but the gap grew again and stood at 40 seconds
by the 70 mile point.
With the race once again on narrow twisting roads, and Team Raleigh again driving hard for
Cronshaw, the gap began to close again. Despite an attempt by Oliphant and McCann to
remain clear, the race was all back together within 5 miles of the finish, and a sizeable bunch sprint for the finish line in Dumfries was the prospect in store for the enthusiastic
crowds lining the barriers by the riverside.
With a downhill approach to the line, it was Johnny McEvoy (Motorpoint) who produced the
best sprint to take the stage victory with Zak Dempster again having to settle for second.
With one day to go, Cronshaw holds on to the yellow jersey by just 2 seconds from
Dempster.
The final stage covers 91 miles and will see the race finally decided in Castle Douglas – the
location at which Chris Newton secured his race win at the inaugural Tour DoonHame in
2010.
Matt Cronshaw Wins Opening Stage DoonHame - Stage 1 Report Posted 23rd April 2011
Stage 1: Moffat - Moffat, 92 miles, Saturday 23rd April
Marking an abrupt end to the recent spell of fine weather, the first stage of the 2011 Tour
DoonHame began under leaden skies in the town of Moffat, 24 miles from the race’s base
in Dumfries.
As the 142 starters took the ceremonial start outside the town hall, the rain began to fall
and it wasn't’t to let up until well after the winner crossed the finish line some hours later. A
short loop around the town brought the race back to the town centre to contest the first
Endura Hot Spot sprint of the day after just 6 miles of racing, followed almost immediately
by the category 1 climb of Type Knowes to mark the first action in the battle for the King of
the Mountains jersey. The completion of another larger loop saw the race contest the same
intermediate points before leaving Moffat behind and heading for the remote countryside of
the Lowther Hills.
The early miles were marked by a several crashes as the riders battled the slippery
conditions, and the team cars were kept busy with a constant stream of punctures as the
rain loosened the grit on the roads. Although several attacks took place at the head of the
peloton, it was not proving easy to get away as the pace remained high. A group of 12
attacked at 26 miles, with many of the major teams represented but the advantage was
short-lived and never amounted to more than a handful of seconds. No sooner were the
escapees caught, than Tom Murray (Sigmasport-Specialized) and James Sparling (Team
Raleigh) made a move which gained a maximum gap of 24 seconds before being reeled
back in at the 31 mile mark.
Sweeping through the narrow streets of Abington and Crawfordjohn the elastic was
stretched but never really broken. Meanwhile at the back of the race the relentless pace saw
an increasing number of riders losing ground. A group of seven, including 2004 Paris
Roubaix winner Magnus Backstedt (Team UK Youth) were ahead by 20 seconds approaching
the final Endura hot spot sprint in Sanquhar but yet again the gap was closed by the start of the
last climb of the stage, the long category 1 ascent of Wanlockhead.
With several teams forcing the pace, Peter Williams (Motorpoint) - only just back on the
road to recovery after an early season crash – found himself felled again along with team
mate Tobyn Horton and Twenty3c-Orbea’s Mike Cuming.
The pressure of the climb finally split the peloton asunder and a substantial group of 60
headed the race as Jack Bauer, former New Zealand road race champion and winner of the
final stage of the inaugural Tour DoonHame, secured the climbers points and with it the
J&B Print King of the Mountains lead.
Further splits saw the lead group reduced to little more than 20 as the 10 mile to go board
was reached. With the climbing done for the day, the pace was again frantic as a dangerous
looking group of eight forced themselves clear. Bauer was again in the thick of the action,
along with the star of the early season, Rutland Melton winner Zak Dempster (Rapha
Condor Sharp). Ian Bibby (Motorpoint), Simon Richardson (second overall in the 2010
Premier Calendar) and Steve Lampier (both Sigmasport-Specialized) along with Raleigh’s
Matt Cronshaw, Yanto Barker (Pendragon-Le Col) and Matt Higgins (Team Corley Cycles)
made up the rest of the break.
Back on roads familiar from earlier in the day, their lead grew to 49 seconds with less than
3 miles to run, and the stage victor now seemed certain to come from this select group.
Inside the final kilometre, and with the road rising toward the line, it was Cronshaw who
unleashed a powerful sprint which would see him take the victory ahead of Dempster and
Bauer. Good placings in the sprints also saw Cronshaw earn the first green jersey of the
race to add to the white of stage winner and the yellow for overall.
With a better weather forecast promised for Sunday’s second stage, the shorter race
distance and less severe climbs could combine to allow those further behind on GC to
challenge the Team Raleigh rider's lead.
Race Preview: Top Teams Get in Gear for Tour DoonHame Posted 20th April 2011
Top Road Cyclists Head DoonHame
One of the UK's most prestigious cycle road races, the Tour DoonHame, takes place this weekend in south west Scotland. Elite cyclists from over 15 different countries riding for 21 pro and semi-pro teams will compete in the three day cycle road race which will take competitors on a challenging 265 mile route, including a Hot Spot Sprint near Keir Mill, the birthplace of the pedal bicycle.
The race, which evolved from the Girvan Cycle Race, is one of the most established events on the UK professional cycling calendar and it's helping to cement Dumfries & Galloway's reputation as one of the best places in the country for competitive and leisure cycling. Relocating from Girvan to Dumfries & Galloway last year to help it grow, the Tour DoonHame boasts a start list of 145 riders this year and has had to turn teams away. Billed as the race that's bringing road cycling 'hame' (home) the route travels past both Kirkpatrick Macmillan's smithy where he invented the pedal bicycle and past the resting place of John Loudon McAdam, inventor of modern 'macadamised' road making techniques, in Moffat.
Who's in Contention?
Last year Rapha - Condor - Sharp was a team riding to support an outright win for Chris Newton. With Newton now retired, other riders in the team get their chance to shine with some pundits tipping Zak Dempster to be 'well up there'. The Australian's recent purple patch continued with a win in Sunday's CiCLE Classic international race in Rutland.
Winners of the team classification last year were Endura Racing who are based in Livingston. Their riders Ian Wilkinson and Evan Oliphant were both top 10 finishers, while Jack Bauer had a fantastic solo breakaway on stage 3 winning the stage and taking 2nd overall. The team has enjoyed considerable success on the continent already this year and will be keen to do well on 'home turf'. Pendragon - Le Col - Colnago finished as 2nd team last year and could be dark horses for the outright team prize this year lead by seasoned pro Yanto Barker.
Motorpoint Pro Cycling concentrated on winning the King of the Mountains title last year with Ian Bibby and the Hot Spot Sprint title with Pete Williams. Both are riding again this year so expect them to be in contention provided Williams has fully recovered from injuries received in a recent racing crash in the Cinturón Ciclista Internacional in Majorca where an impressive Bibby took a stage, third overall and the points competition. Motorpoint also field former Girvan victor Marcin Bialoblocki. The Pole rode strongly to finish third in the gruelling CiCLE Classic international event on Sunday with team mate Jonny McEvoy in fourth spot.
Amongst several teams new to the race this year is Team UK Youth lead by 2004 Paris - Roubaix winner Magnus Backstedt. The team concentrates on developing younger riders and includes former F1 star Nigel Mansell's son, Greg who has made a phenomenal start to his cycling career with several wins to his credit already.
Keep an eye out for Alex Coutts from Leadhills who will be riding for a composite Giant Kenda/Felt Colbornes team. Coutts, who has spent all of his pro career racing in Asia, is a specialist climber and will be (literally) at home in the Lowther Hills which feature heavily on the 2011 Tour DoonHame route. Other Scots to watch are Ross Creber (CyclePremier.com – Metaltek) and Evan Oliphant (Endura Racing) both capable of stage wins.
Tour DoonHame Stages Posted 18th February 2011
Wallacehill Events, organiser of the Tour DoonHame, has announced the race route for the 2011 edition of the British Premier Calendar event. With a completely new stage based in Moffat, climbs set amidst the dramatic scenery of the Lowther hills and town centre finishes for all three stages, the second edition of the Tour is set to be a 'must ride' race for elite road racers from the UK and beyond.
Stage 1 - Saturday 23rd April
The opening stage starts and finishes in the picture postcard town of Moffat. The 92 mile stage opens with a brief foray into neighbouring Beattock and continues with two laps of a circuit that climbs from Moffat to Type Knowes before dropping down the technical descent of Greenhillstairs for a pan flat run back to the town. This earlier part of the route also features two of the intermediate, Endura 'Hot Spot Sprints' which will be contested in Moffat High Street. A run out to the Lowther Hills will take the riders down the Crawick Valley with a Hot Spot Sprint in Sanquhar closely followed by the seemingly endless climb through the Mennock Pass to the J&B Print 'King of the Mountains' point at Wanlockhead. The stage winner, who will earn the first race leader's yellow jersey of this year's race, is expected at the stage finish outside Moffat Town Hall around 2.45 pm.
Stage Two - Sunday 24th April
The second stage starts from Dumfries Academy and heads out the Kilmarnock road before tracing a 'back roads' route to the 'Kirkpatrick Macmillan Hot Spot Sprint' at Courthill Smithy where the local man invented the pedal driven bicycle in 1840. With one of humankind's finest inventions duly honoured, the riders will continue through Penpont, Thornhill and Carronbridge and upwards through the Dalveen Pass to Elvanfoot. The second and last King of the Mountains point of the day is a short, sharp climb from Leadhills to Glengonnar with respite coming in the shape of the Mennock Pass - downhill this time. The route tracks the River Nith briefly then heads back to Penpont past Drumlanrig Castle and Country Estate which houses the impressive Scottish Cycle Museum. The last Hot Spot of the day will be contested in the pretty village of Dunscore before the route winds its way back via Shawhead and Terregles to Dumfries for the stage finish in Whitesands around 1.30 pm. Supporting events will be taking place in Whitesands to entertain spectators as they await the arrival of the race. Further details of these are to follow.
Stage 3 - Monday 25th April
The final stage will look more familiar to veterans of last year's Tour DoonHame and Dumfries BikeFest events as the route takes in roads due west of the stage start in Dumfries. A high speed charge along the Lochfoot, Milton, Hardgate road can be expected as contenders in the sprints competition position themselves for the first Hot Spot of the day at Haugh of Urr. The route then passes through the outskirts of Dalbeattie and on to the climb of Craigton Hill before the second of the day's Hot Spots at Castle Douglas. The flat roads from Laurieston and Mossdale along the west side of Loch Ken will be in complete contrast to Church Brae - a new climb for the Tour - in New Galloway. Hot Spot Sprints also carry time bonuses for the first three across the line and the last one of the 2011 Tour - at St John's Town of Dalry - should be a cracker as overall race contenders vie with sprinters to grab potentially vital seconds. With the climb past Wether Hill wind farm confirming the J&B Print 'King of the Mountains' winner, the final 40 miles of the race will see all eyes on contenders for the race winner's yellow jersey. A run through Moniaive, Corsock, Old Bridge of Urr, Clarebrand and Townhead of Greenlaw will deliver the riders to the superb stage finish location at Market Hill in Castle Douglas where the leaders are expected around 2.15 pm.
Race Organiser Ian Sinclair and his team have devised a challenging and competitive route that builds on the experience of last year's inaugural Tour DoonHame. Sinclair commented,
"We have worked hard over the last few months to produce a route worthy of the event's inclusion on British Cycling's Premier Calendar. In response to competitor feedback we have introduced longer stage mileages, stiffer climbs and town centre finishes. The stage is set and I'm confident that the riders will provide spectators and Sky Sports viewers with one of the most fiercely contested events of the 2011 road racing season. It should be great weekend of road racing.
I would like to pay tribute to the staff and officers of Dumfries & Galloway Council, Dumfries & Galloway Constabulary and to local organisations who have worked with us to facilitate the stage finishes in the town centres of Moffat, Dumfries and Castle Douglas. For our part, a lot of work is going into marketing the race and I feel sure that they will be rewarded with an event that will showcase their region through increased media coverage and visitor numbers."
