Max Stedman broke his duck and ended his team mates hopes of making it three wins in a row to win the hotly-contested Sigma Sports Elite Criterium at the Guildford Town Centre Races hosted by Charlotteville Cycling Club on Wednesday night.
The Canyon Eisberg cyclist confirmed afterwards that team orders had been simply “go for it” on the notoriously difficult course that features an uphill section on the High Street setts.
Canyon Eisberg riders formed a neat group at the front of the race from the start and among them was the Guildford Elite Men’s winner in 2016 and 2017, Rory Townsend, bidding for the treble. A host of other riders managed to stay with them and, after 25 minutes and with five laps to go a break away group of four formed to contest the podium places.
Max Stedman got away to take the win from elite Issac Mundy (Madison Genesis) who was second and Neil Phillips (Kibosh) who finished third.
Stedman, Munday and Daniel Tulett (Tekkerz CC) took the race apart and were the lead group for much of the race until Stedman manage to drop the other riders in the closing section of the race. This left Tulett in a clear 2nd place (with Munday slowing gaining on him) until he crashed out on the final corner out of Market Street and into the High Street leaving him having to walk to the finish line alone. Munday took the opportunity to bag second on the podium leaving Phillips to take third in a close sprint with Oliver Richardson (Twickenham CC).
Max Stedman, drenched in Champagne after the tradition of celebrating on the podium, said: “Team orders were to go for it. This course is fast and technical, there are no real advantages or disadvantages if you’re at the front or a few places back. It is awesome to finally break my Guildford Crit duck.”
Asked how he and his Canyon Eisberg team mates were planning to celebrate Max said they had ordered takeaway pizzas in Guildford.
University of Surrey student Rebecca Waters from Team Vision Innovative Leisure rode a well-judged race to win the Neptune Women’s Crit from Rachel Jary (Boompods Edco NRG) and Nicole Oh (Les Filles). Waters held a commanding lead for the majority of the race with the chasing pack of riders working together unsuccessfully in an attempt to bring her back.
“I’ve been in Guildford studying for three years now. This is my last year and I’ve won so it’s well-timed. It was competitive, fast race and I’m really pleased to have won” said Waters.
Former Charlotteville cyclist, Tom Portsmouth, who came up through the club’s junior section, The Rascals, and now rides for VC Londres won the Clyde and Co ‘Local Heroes’ Category 3 Crit, a race aimed at good standard amateur cyclists from across the South East. Owen Blandy finished second from Oliver Withers (Velolife) in third spot. Guildford cyclist, Jonathan Saunders from the hosts, Charlotteville CC finished fourth.
“This event means so much to me and to have it on every year is great. I look forward to racing it next year with the big guns in the Elite crit” said Portsmouth who has been spending a lot of time this year racing at weekends in Belgium in order to improve his road racing skills and strength.
This evening of superb cycling action opened with the Hamptons International Youth Criteriums with races for Under 8s, Under 10s, Under 12s, Under 14s and Under 16s. As usual these races were hard-fought by the junior cyclists many competing in their first Town Centre race. These young stars of the future were cheered home by the large crowds enjoying the cycling and the perfect weather.
Elite Criterium
1 Maximilian Stedman Canyon Eisberg
2 Isaac Mundy Madison Genesis
3 Neil Phillips Kibosh
4 Oliver Richardson Twickenham CC
5 Ryan Christensen Canyon Eisberg
6 Matthew Clarke Wheelbase Castelli MGD
7 Joseph Donohue VCEquipe/FlixOralHygiene/Propulse
8 Alex Paton Canyon Eisberg
9 Alec Briggs TEKKERZ CC
10 Rory Townsend Canyon Eisberg
11 Taylor Gunman Madison Genesis
12 Matt Holmes Arctic Tacx RT
13 Jake Hollins Unattached
14 Mike Smith MB Cyclery
15 Daniel Tulett TEKKERZ CC
Womens Criterium
1 Rebecca Waters Team Vision Innovative Leisure
2 Rachel Jary Boompods EDCO NRG
3 Nicole Oh Les Filles Racing Team
4 Lydia Brookes Les Filles Racing Team
5 Anneleen Bosma Rapha Cycling Club
6 Maxine Filby Shutt Ridley RT
7 Bethan Stubbs Bianchi Dama
8 Lucia Bruton Cycleworks.co.uk
9 Emily Ashwood Cycle Team OnForm
10 Louise Hart Sigma Sports x Threo
11 Ashia Fenwick Velo Club Venta
12 Jayne Payne Les Filles Racing Team
13 Sarah Hickman IRIS Race Team
14 Laura Fenwick Velo Club Venta
15 Amy Marks CC London
16 Zoë Bartlett BowlPhish Racing
17 Angela Radden-Rutt The Cycle Room
18 Aoife Doherty The 5th Floor Cycle Club
19 Agata Woznicka Sunday Echappée
Local Heroes (3rd cat)
1 Tom Portsmouth VC Londres
2 Owen Blandy Unattached
3 Oliver Withers Velolife
4 Jonathan Saunders Charlotteville CC
5 Barney Clacy Hargroves-Ridley-Montezumas
6 Christopher Jenkinson Evans Cycles Race Team
7 Crispin Doyle Hargroves-Ridley-Montezumas
8 Robin Mould Handsling
9 Alex Reid Kingston Wheelers CC
10 Max Kingdon Paceline RT
Click here to download the Youth Race Results
