April 09, 2012 (Scotland) – Canada’s Jamie Sparling (Raleigh-GAC) just completed the 3-stage Tour Doon Hame in Scotland and finished 39th overall. Jonny McEvoy lead an Endura Racing podium sweep – here are the stage reports and results.
Endura Racing’s Erick Rowsell drew first blood in the Tour Doon Hame with a sprint victory at the end of stage one of the second round of the Premier Calendar Series in Scotland.
He took the win at the end of the 80-mile opening stage from Castle Douglas to Girvan, ahead of Richard Handley (Rapha Condor-Sharp) and Mike Northey (Node 4 Giordana).
Coming into Girvan, the race completed a lap of the town before finishing, and confident Rowsell led out the sprint from 150 metres out and took the win with enough time to straighten his jersey and raise his arms aloft.
The trio were the sole survivors of a near race-long break which started off being 13-strong. But the hills and primes along the route steadily whittled the leaders down.
Seven riders looked set to survive to the finish, but with two Endura riders and two Node 4 riders in there and only one Rapha Condor rider, the Rapha men in black drove the bunch hard to catch them as the finish drew closer.
But the final three refused to be caught, and managed to hold off the bunch. Heading into the finish it was Rowsell who had the legs to take the win, while the bunch come home around 20 seconds behind the leaders.
Rowsell will wear the leaders’ yellow jersey going into this afternoon’s 16.5-mile criterium around the streets of Girvan. He also leads the points category, while his team-mate at Endura Racing, Alex Wetterall leads the King of the Mountains.
After Sunday afternoon’s criterium, the Tour Doon Hame continues on Easter Monday with the third and final stage, a 107-mile race from Moffat to Annan.
Stage Two
Scott Thwaites continued Endura Racing’s domination of the Tour Doon Hame with a commanding performance in stage two, a 16.5-mile criterium around the wet and slippery streets of Girvan on Sunday afternoon.
Thwaites took several of the intermediate sprints and added the stage win to boost his position in the general classification, but also took the green jersey of points leader.
Early attacks failed to stick, and that was the routine throughout with Endura reacting to anything that moved and kept the pace high so that several riders dropped off the back of the bunch.
It the sprint, Thwaites held off Chris Opie (UK Youth), while Daniel Holloway (Team Raleigh) took third.
Stage Three Report
The 22-year-old from St Helens was one of four Endura men in a break of 11 riders which spent much of the day out in front.
McEvoy’s victory meant he overhauled team-mate and yellow jersey holder Erick Rowsell in the general classification, and with Scott Thwaites taking second on the stage and third overall it was a 1-2-3 for Endura Racing in the final general classification (see podium photo, above).
Thwaites also won the points category overall, while another Endura Racing men, Alex Wetterhall, was named King of the Mountains.
The break of 13 riders went early in the afternoon, and on narrow roads which made it hard for the bunch to gather pace they established a lead of more than four minutes as they headed over the rough mountains.
With the leaders dropping to 11 riders there was no let-up in the pace, and with four riders in the lead break – Erick Rowsell, Scott Thwaites, Rob Partridge and Jonny McEvoy – Endura Racing countered every move that their rivals made.
The break worked well together until the closing few miles when the gap to the bunch dropped dramatically.
The Raleigh-GAC duo of Russell Hampton and Bernard Sulzberger worked hard to break free on a number of occasions, but were reeled in each time.
Then, with four miles to the finish, McEvoy attacked and Sulzberger took his wheel, the pair gaining three seconds on the rest of the break.
Wouter Sybrandy chased and pulled them back, only for McEvoy to attack again and he quickly got a gap of around five seconds which looked ominous.
Raleigh chased hard but Rowsell countered to pull them back, and McEvoy was left to break off. With a mile to go he was 14 seconds in front, and he took a comfortable win with his team-mate Scott Thwaites second and Sulzberger (Raleigh-GAC) third.
Their stage three performance capped a great weekend for Endura Racing.
They dominated the opening day, winning both stages and having riders wearing the yellow, green and polka-dot jerseys.
Surrey’s Erick Rowsell won the opening stage and held on to the yellow jersey through the second stage crit.
His team-mate Scott Thwaites, from Yorkshire, finished fifth in the opening stage and took several sprints as well as the overall win in stage two to clinch the green jersey of points winner.
Results
Stage 1: Castle Douglas to Girvan 128.8 km
1. Erick Rowsell (Endura) 3:08:14
2. Richard Handley (Rapha Condor Sharp)
3. Mike Northey (Node 4 Giordana)
4. Rico Rogers (Node 4 Giordana) 0:15
5. Scott Thwaites (Endura)
6. Ian Wilkinson (Endura)
7. Chris Opie (UK Youth)
8. Marcel Six (Metaltek SCOTT)
9. Jonathan McEvoy (Endura)
10. Ian Bibby (Endura)
58. Jamie Sparling (Raleigh-GAC)
Stage 2: Victory Park Criterium, Girvan 26.5 km,
1. Scott Thwaites (Endura) 0:39:40
2. Chris Opie (UK Youth)
3. Daniel Holloway (Raleigh-GAC)
4. Jonathan McEvoy (Endura)
5. Erick Rowsell (Endura)
6. Dean Downing (Rapha Condor Sharp)
7. Bernard Sulzberger (Raleigh-GAC)
8. Matt Cronshaw (Node 4 Giordana)
9. Tom Barras (Metaltek SCOTT)
10. Richard Lang (Rapha Condor Sharp)
57. Jamie Sparling (Raleigh-GAC) 0:17
Stage 3
1. Jonny McEvoy (Endura Racing) 4:23:39
2. Scott Thwaites (Endura Racing) 0:26
3. Bernard Sulzberger (Raleigh-GAC)
4. Mike Northey (Node 4-Giordana)
5. Russell Hampton (Raleigh-GAC)
6. Erick Rowsell (Endura Racing)
7. Steve Lampier (IG Sigma Sport)
8. Robert Partridge (Endura Racing)
9. Richard Handley (Rapha Condor-Sharp)
10. Wouter Sybrandy (IG Sigma Sport)
58. Jamie Sparling (Raleigh-GAC) 3:18
Final GC
1. Jonny McEvoy (Endura Racing) 8:11:37
2. Erick Rowsell (Endura Racing) 0:08
3. Scott Thwaites (Endura Racing) 0:13
4. Richard Handley (Rapha Condor-Sharp) 0:18
5. Mike Northey (Node 4 Giordana) 0:19
6. Bernard Sulzberger (Raleigh-GAC) 0:31
7. Wouter Sybrandy (IG Sigma Sport) 0:41
8. Steve Lampier (IG Sigma Sport)
9. Robert Partridge (Endura Racing)
10. Russell Hampton (Raleigh-GAC)
39. Jamie Sparling (Raleigh-GAC) 3:46