Tour de MK!
Tour Series begins around streets of city centre
The glitz and glamour of televised city centre racing came to Milton Keynes last Thursday as the new SweetSpot Group organised Tour Series began on the roads around CMK.
City centre racing launched the careers of many top riders in the late eighties and one of the best, Sheffield's Malcolm Elliott – once Britain's best professional rider – proved he hasn't lost any of his speed with his fifth place finish.
But local Team Corley Cycles – Alpha RC's squad weren't going to allow any visitors the chance to take the headlines at their 'home' race, and their aggressive tactics regularly meant their squad's red, black and white colours were at the front of the race.
The hour-long spectacle around parts of Midsummer Boulevard and Saxon Gate was run off at a furious pace, with average speeds of around 28mph in front of a large crowd of spectators showing their support to a 50 strong race field.
Team Corley Cycles youngster Nick Jones was an early accident victim, clipping the barriers around the circuit resulting in a fall and shoulder damage.
But one of the linchpins of the squad, Matt Higgins, soon put a smile of the face of the cheering local support when he pedalled clear of the speeding bunch to lead for a whole lap and win the second of the mid-race sprints that featured throughout the action.
And Matt went on to finish in fourth place in the final mid-race sprint to finish second overall on the night in that competition.
It was only after the final mid-race sprint that two riders, Graham Briggs and new British Road Race champion Rob Hayles, forged ahead in the final race-winning move.
Simon Gaywood and Newport Pagnell-based team-mate Roy Chamberlain, put in huge efforts to stop the leading pair from opening an unbeatable lead. But at the front Briggs and Hayles were working well together to stay at the front.
During the final lap race tactics started to come into play and as the race entered Midsummer Boulevard for the final time they sprinted to the finish line neck and neck.
But Hayles started to drift into Briggs' path and although the Olympian took the chequered flag, Briggs was later promoted to the race win by the race officials.
Gaywood used his experience in the closing stages to take that final converted podium spot.
The tour now moves on to Exeter tonight (Thursday).
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Weather for Milton Keynes
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: -6 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 5 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North west
