Beaumont Trophy 2024
September 22, 2024 | 24d | General
The race start was delayed by 45 minutes following a crash in the morning’s race. When racing finally got underway, it was under blue skies following a heavy shower, with the race shortened to just four laps and 160km.
The peloton set out at a rapid pace and the early moves had no success for much of the opening lap. Logan Maclean (Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling) sacrificed his chances to play the team role for Kimber, policing the front of the bunch. Steven Parsonage (Richardsons Trek-DAS) was the first rider to force his way clear of the bunch on the Ryals climb, however, the peloton clawed him back on the descent, completing the first lap all together.
The autumn sunshine soon turned to persistent showers, with the gusting wind providing a chill amongst the heavy rain, and the conditions took their toll on the race with a number of riders going down in multiple crashes.
Among the riders to go down was James McKay (Saint Piran), who started the day as Kimber’s closest rival for the series title. Bloodied and bruised, with his skinsuit in shreds, McKay fought his way back into the bunch by the time the peloton had completed another lap. Meanwhile, the duo of Oliver Snodden (SN Vitae Huub pb BimBam Coaching) and Gabriel Dellar (Stolen Goat RT) held a slender advantage over the large bunch as they began the second lap.
With the pace high it was only a matter of time before the elastic broke. A dangerous eight-man move went clear on the third lap including eventual race winner Ollie Rees, Will Truelove (Thriva-SRCT), Tom Armstrong and Tom Martin (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), Alex Ball (Project1), Dylan Westley (Saint Piran), Ryan Christensen (Foran CC), and Jack Hartley (Cycling Sheffield), who would later crash and abandon in the testing conditions.
Behind, Damien Clayton (Le Col Race Team) set off in pursuit, shortly followed by a group of four riders and driven on by James Hartley (Cycling Sheffield). Behind, the peloton upped the pace with Kimber sitting towards its rear, an untimely puncture forcing a wheel change and stressful chase back to the bunch.
The leading group’s gap was stable at 35 seconds as they crossed the line for the penultimate time, and it seemed the winner would come from this breakaway group.
Attacks rained down as the seven leaders ascended the Ryals for the final time and a group of three pulled away over the top of the climb. Tom Martin paid for his early aggression, the efforts taking their toll as he was the sole rider to drift off the back of the chase group. However, the leading trio were reeled in by the time the race had reached the final kilometre and a sprint beckoned.
Fresh from the Tour of Britain, Ollie Rees took a central line and timed his sprint well as the riders flew into Stamfordham. He held on in the rapid finish and crossed the line clear of a charging Truelove, with Thomas Armstrong rounding out the podium. Rees punched the air in celebration, finally taking a National Series victory after so many near-misses.
Behind, the race was back together and the Series title still hung in the balance. Kimber had suffered a crash on the final lap, but he had managed to move up from the back of the bunch and unleashed an adrenaline-fuelled sprint to arrive home in 10th just behind James McKay, securing the title after an action-packed finale.
Rees also claimed the King of the Mountains title after his work in the break, while Wheelbase CabTech Castelli took the team honours on the day, with both Martin and Armstrong forming part of the winning move.
However, they were powerless to stop Saint Piran winning the series, the Cornish team held the top spot all the way to the season finale after taking the lead in the first round.
The peloton set out at a rapid pace and the early moves had no success for much of the opening lap. Logan Maclean (Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling) sacrificed his chances to play the team role for Kimber, policing the front of the bunch. Steven Parsonage (Richardsons Trek-DAS) was the first rider to force his way clear of the bunch on the Ryals climb, however, the peloton clawed him back on the descent, completing the first lap all together.
The autumn sunshine soon turned to persistent showers, with the gusting wind providing a chill amongst the heavy rain, and the conditions took their toll on the race with a number of riders going down in multiple crashes.
Among the riders to go down was James McKay (Saint Piran), who started the day as Kimber’s closest rival for the series title. Bloodied and bruised, with his skinsuit in shreds, McKay fought his way back into the bunch by the time the peloton had completed another lap. Meanwhile, the duo of Oliver Snodden (SN Vitae Huub pb BimBam Coaching) and Gabriel Dellar (Stolen Goat RT) held a slender advantage over the large bunch as they began the second lap.
With the pace high it was only a matter of time before the elastic broke. A dangerous eight-man move went clear on the third lap including eventual race winner Ollie Rees, Will Truelove (Thriva-SRCT), Tom Armstrong and Tom Martin (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), Alex Ball (Project1), Dylan Westley (Saint Piran), Ryan Christensen (Foran CC), and Jack Hartley (Cycling Sheffield), who would later crash and abandon in the testing conditions.
Behind, Damien Clayton (Le Col Race Team) set off in pursuit, shortly followed by a group of four riders and driven on by James Hartley (Cycling Sheffield). Behind, the peloton upped the pace with Kimber sitting towards its rear, an untimely puncture forcing a wheel change and stressful chase back to the bunch.
The leading group’s gap was stable at 35 seconds as they crossed the line for the penultimate time, and it seemed the winner would come from this breakaway group.
Attacks rained down as the seven leaders ascended the Ryals for the final time and a group of three pulled away over the top of the climb. Tom Martin paid for his early aggression, the efforts taking their toll as he was the sole rider to drift off the back of the chase group. However, the leading trio were reeled in by the time the race had reached the final kilometre and a sprint beckoned.
Fresh from the Tour of Britain, Ollie Rees took a central line and timed his sprint well as the riders flew into Stamfordham. He held on in the rapid finish and crossed the line clear of a charging Truelove, with Thomas Armstrong rounding out the podium. Rees punched the air in celebration, finally taking a National Series victory after so many near-misses.
Behind, the race was back together and the Series title still hung in the balance. Kimber had suffered a crash on the final lap, but he had managed to move up from the back of the bunch and unleashed an adrenaline-fuelled sprint to arrive home in 10th just behind James McKay, securing the title after an action-packed finale.
Rees also claimed the King of the Mountains title after his work in the break, while Wheelbase CabTech Castelli took the team honours on the day, with both Martin and Armstrong forming part of the winning move.
However, they were powerless to stop Saint Piran winning the series, the Cornish team held the top spot all the way to the season finale after taking the lead in the first round.
