NATIONAL MASTERS RR

After a change of date and no less than three changes of course, the 2008 National Masters 30-34 & 35-39 Road Race Championships rolled out of Owselbury through the neutralised zone to start nine laps of the tough, nine mile circuit East of Winchester. It was a nervous start with a couple of early efforts to test the legs. First time up the climb to Lane End, the 30-34 category was headed by Matthew Higgins (Team Corley Cycles) who had pulled out 20 seconds over the bunch. 15 seconds behind Higgins was Grant Bayton (Sport Beans–Wilier), leading the 35-39 category. The course was tough enough that two riders were already out the back.



A lap later it was James Smith (Team Certini) who took the initiative, pulling out 12 seconds from the peloton. It was a bold move, but Smith was caught and went out of the back, spending the rest of the race circulating alone. After the early excitement, a group of 13 riders formed which held together for two laps headed by Dan Staite (Python RT), Simon Warren (Norwood Paragon) and Richard Cartland (Team Corley Cycles). Also in the group were Cartland’s team mate Higgins and Justin Hoy and Peter Wager of Felt Racing. After a lap they were 2 minutes ahead of the main bunch; a lap later the gap was up to nearly 3 and a half.



Then the thirteen were three with Staite, Cartland and James Williams pulling out a twenty second lead on the remains of the lead group. The group fragmented again when Higgins, Bayton, Martin Smith (A W Cycles) and Andy Lyons (Heron Cyclesport) attempted to bridge the gap to the leading three. Williams dropped off, but the two groups came together – albeit briefly.



With two laps to go Higgins broke away again, pulling out 2 minutes on the lead group at the close of the lap and another one by the bell. By this point the lead group had broken up into a series of two and three man groups.



Higgins held the gap to take the 30-34 jersey by four minutes from team mate Cartland (2nd overall) with Justin Hoy (Felt Racing) (3rd in category, 10th overall) a further three and a half minutes back. The 35-39 category was much closer with Smith winning the sprint from Staite and Lyons.