On Sunday April 27th I was lucky enough to watch the Cheshire Classic, the first round of the Womens National Road Race Series (formerly the Bruton Series) from the Halfords Bikehut Team Car. For those that are interested the “official” race report is on the BC website but this is how it happened.

The race featured not only an 80km road race, but also a 3km prologue time trial. With the road race starting at 10am it was an early start for the girls who had a 6:30am breakfast before making their way to the Weaverham HQ for signing on, which closed at 8am.

Although a UCI professional team the girls are only provided with a full staff of helpers on foreign trip. Director Sportive Julian Winn who attends all team targeted events was not expected for the time trial so having arrived at the HQ the girls busied themselves with preparing their bikes. The two pursuit specialists in the team, World Team Pursuit Champion Jo Rowsell and Emma Trott chose to ride low-pro machines with the other girls opting for conventional race bikes.

The TT went, as far as I was concerned, very much as expected with the team packing the top of GC, but the race lead went to Para Olympian and World Champion Sarah Storey. Despite the event being over her pursuit distance she was amazed to have won as “there was a downhill bit and it was wet” not something she normally experiences on the velodrome!

There was now a short break to put on dry kit, extra numbers and race radios. Julian speaks to each of his riders in turn a quick radio check before race rolls away. Despite being UCI registered neither Halfords or the Swift Racing Team are allowed a car in the official race convey so we follow the race from behind the first aid car. The teams plan is to make the race happen, but beyond that I’m not aware of any team orders.

The neutralized zones ends as the race hits an out and back by-pass around Weaverham, and as we follow and with the race no more than 2km old we are greeted by a lone rider coming towards us, Halfords Bikehut Emma Trott (Trottie as Julian calls her), who has made a move from the moment the flag was taken into the lead car. Julian immediately reacts to this by offering encouragement to his rider and tells the rest of the team that no one now leaves the group with out a Halfords rider for company.

We follow the group up the first climb with the lap board showing 10 to go.

We follow the race for the remainder of the lap before opting out of the by-pass, instead parking on the cycle path to wait. Trottie again looms into sight and is offered more encouragement, and reminders to eat and drink. The gap is now about a minute and grew to a maximum of about 1m 20s. The team are now asked to drive the pace on the climb to try and split the race. Julian wants to see if he can get a small group away and across to his lone rider “I don’t want Trottie out there on her own for too long” so on the next two climbs the team mass at the front of the group and drive.
 
Cath Hare now tells her DS that “there are 30 riders just sitting on us” and so the plan has to change. Having completed three of the eleven ascents of Acton Lane, Trottie’s attack is over, she is told to sit-up, eat and drink and get safely back in the bunch as it approaches the climb for the fourth time. Julian, who is “running a pro team and aims to win races”, again tells the girls to go to the head of the race but this time Sharon Laws is to attack while the remainder of the team “letting the wheels go” but they will cover any counter attacks. Sharon duly rides away from the front of the bunch!

A lap or so later with a lead that Julian feels “is not coming back” the trick is repeated, this time with Jessica Allen being released. Although unseen to us there is a reaction from Gabby Day, but by the next time we see the riders she has dropped back to the group and Jess has caught her team mate, who had been asked to go easy, so that they could connect. The gap slowly grows, a maximum of nearly 3 minutes, with no one in the group seeming capable or perhaps interested in taking matters on.

Julian is constantly talking to his riders, reminding the leaders to “look after themselves” by eating and drinking and for those in the bunch to watch the moves. We are again sitting on the cycle path with Julian try to work out how to close out the Podium on GC, 1st and 2nd are settled but Trottie is still 8s down on Sarah Storey. He tells the girls with 4 laps to go that “not this time but next time” they will attack again. This was one of two occasions that I thought someone else was listening to the Halfords radio! Because as we sit and wait for the race to arrive Sarah races into sight, and as the slight bend in the road unwinds we see she has a Halfords rider for company.

Once again it’s Trottie, who, after a quick exchange of looks with Cath Hare, has taken off after Sarah to protect her GC position. Julian now has three groups of riders to direct. He constantly updates them, encourages them and reminds them to look after themselves. Emma is under instructions not to work and “just  follow, make her do the work” until the bell when she attacks on the climb but the gap doesn’t stick so is told to sit up and attack again on the final climb.

We now race down the course to wait at the finish with Julian still talking to the girls around the course. He now gives his final instructions. Jess and Sharon are told they have to race each other for position (3 seconds separate them on GC), Emma is told to attack as soon as the road “ramps up” towards the finish (she recovers 5 of the 8 seconds needed) and those in the group (Cath Hare and Jo Rowsell) are told he wants the highest places possible.

In the bunch sprint Cath finishes 6th with Jo claiming 7th.

With the job done the girls are told we will meet them back at the HQ, where apart from collecting the spoils from the day (which are split equally) there is one more job for a couple of them to complete – Doping Control!

When we left the HQ well over an hour after the race Jess Allen was still seating in the corner drinking water. The joys of being a pro cyclist!