HAYLES CAPS GREAT WEEKEND FOR HALFORDS

A POWERFUL display from Halfords Bikehut rider Rob Hayles in Sunday?s Beaumont Trophy capped a great weekend for the team following victory for Tom Southam in the Leazes Criterium on Friday evening.

Hayles, from Derbyshire, sprinted home ahead of Pinarello RT rival Peter Williams, while Premier Calendar Series leader Russell Downing (Pinarello RT) took third, sprinting in around 10 seconds behind at the head of the bunch.

Victory for Hayles came despite mechanical problems early in the race which caused him to miss the initial break, but he battled back well and once on the front looked strong throughout.

While Downing has dominated the first half of the series virtually single-handedly, the whole Pinarello RT squad worked well together and marshalled the race throughout, with all their riders playing their part and getting in the moves that mattered.

On the first of six laps a break got away as they crested the climb of the Ryals, but despite having around ten riders the leading group struggled to stamp their authority on the bunch.

Hayles had missed the initial break, but he quickly attacked from the bunch, and both he and team-mate Southam - along with Rob Sharman - bridged the gap, and began driving the leading group on.

As the race progressed tired legs caused the leading group to shrink, while attacks from the front of the bunch - first from Plowman Craven who had no rider in the leading group, then from Rapha whose lone representative Ben Greenwood had been shelled out the back - struggled to catch the leaders.

As they headed into the final circuit it was Williams who jumped clear with around 250 metres to go, but Hayles powered round him before the line. And while the bunch had closed down the gap they left it too late, with Russell Downing taking third at the front of the bunch.

Beaumont Trophy, Premier Calendar Series round six.-
1 Rob Hayles (Halfords Bikehut) 4-02-19

2 Peter Williams (Pinarello RT) same time

3 Russell Downing (Pinarello RT) at 12sec

4 Tom Murray (Pinarello RT)

5 Marcin Bialoblocki (Sports Beans-Wilier)

6 Simon Gaywood (Plowman Craven RT)

7 Jon Mozley (Pearl Izumi)

8 Dean Downing (Rapha Condor-Recycling) all same time

9 Malcolm Elliott (Pinarello RT) at 13sec

10 Simon Holt (Rapha Condor-Recycling) same time