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The Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli team were back in action on Sunday the 16th of July at what we like to call our ‘Local National Road Race’, with Round 2 of the Men’s and Women’s National Road Series taking place just down the road from our Lake District Wheelbase HQ in the cycling-mad city of Lancaster. With a really healthy cycling scene there’s always a considerable number of keen cycling volunteers available to help in the smooth running of these important road races and the local council get behind them too, providing logistical support, rolling road closures and a full day’s entertainment at the start and finish line.
The U.K.’s very best road racers came together to compete on the tough Lancaster Grand Prix circuit.
Leaving Williamson Park high above the city, racers would head out onto a grueling circuit in the local countryside to complete ten laps of a hilly and exposed course before deciding the outcome of this demanding road race back in the shadow of the iconic Ashton Memorial. In complete contrast to the previous year, the 2023 edition of the Lancaster Grand Prix men’s road race took place in cool, damp and windy conditions rather than the blistering heat of 2022.
A fast, sharp descent into a long, draggy climb would help to influence the outcome of the race.
Those squally conditions would contribute to shaping the outcome of the race early on, with a big crash on the very first lap splintering the bunch into multiple smaller groups. With a mix of strong side winds at the highest point of the circuit and tough headwinds on the long valley floor, our team quickly found themselves separated within reduced packs of riders and were left to consider how best to tackle the remainder of the race and get back to the front.
How low can you go?! Wheelbase’s Matt Fox and Callum Laborde tuck in for some aero gains.
The chaotic nature of the weather and the tough course combined to blow the race apart early on.
Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli’s Tom Armstrong, who has returned to the U.K. this season after racing on the Continent for a number of years, had earmarked this race and had high hopes of a good result on a tough, hilly course that really suited his physiology and international racing experience. Eventually Tom would find himself in a group of around eight riders, chasing three leaders from the same team further up the road. Initially Tom’s group were able to hold a small time gap to the race leaders but as the laps counted down the three teammates up the road would continue to stretch out their lead.
Tom Armstrong unfortunately found himself in a frustrating position for the majority of the race.
Following in the Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli team car it was clear for me to see Tom’s frustration at his group’s inability to ride cohesively to bring back the leaders; without them working effectively together the time gap was only ever going to increase and to make things even more complicated this chasing group also included teammates of the leading three, so they were rightly unwilling to work. It was obvious that Tom was itching to go, but with those strong winds and the chaotic nature of the circuit, bridging across to the leaders alone would have been an impossible task.
The hilly, relentlessly tough nature of the Lancaster GP course suited Tom Armstrong really well.
As the race progressed the difficult racing conditions and incredibly tough circuit continued to shape the outcome of the race, with the three leaders continuing to stretch the time gap while a select group of riders came across from behind to join Tom and his compatriots from the original chase group. This new influx of riders included Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli’s Tim Shoreman and as they made the junction Tim immediately attacked to move past them, splintering the group into pieces while being pursued by individual riders including Finn Crockett, the Bronze Commonwealth Games Road Race medalist and former Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli rider.
Tim Shoreman and a small group of chasers formed in the latter half of the race.
Further up the road the three teammates from the original break headed to the finish line together, their only concern being who was going to be awarded the win; meanwhile Tim and Finn would duke it out over the remainder of the final lap until they headed up the steep climb back into Williamson Park together to contest the sprint for 4th place. Tim, who recently took a brilliant Bronze medal in the National Circuit Race Championship would employ his powerful sprint to pip Finn to the line taking an excellent 4th place, rewarding the Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli team with an outstanding result at our ‘local’ National Road Race.
Finn Crockett couldn’t shake Tim Shoreman on the last significant climb, with Tim going on to win the sprint for 4th place.
Written by Johnny Dodgin
All photos by Ellen Isherwood
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