ROWSELL SECOND IN DUTCH STAGE RACE

The junior GB squad were in action at the weekend with Erick Rowsell taking second spot in the three-day Axel Tour in Holland. Ably supported by Andrew Fenn, Luke Rowe, Chris Worrall and Andrew Williams, Rowsell finished seven seconds behind Dutchman Jasper Bovenhuis from the Peddelaars Krolstone team.

You might expect team manager Darren Tudor to be pleased with the weekend?s work but disappointment at not winning shows how expectations of the juniors have been raised. ?A couple of years back we would have been excited by second place, but after winning Paris-Roubaix [Andy Fenn] and this race last year [Adam Blythe], we thought we could have done better,? he said.

?Erick rode well on the Saturday afternoon stage,? said Tudor. ?He missed the split but Chris Worrall rode hard to close a gap to the break and towed Erick across ? the poor lad blew his doors off! ? but all credit to Chris for putting Erick in that position.?

The final stage on proved to be Rowsell?s undoing. ?He didn?t have the legs on Sunday,? said Tudor. ?There were some real sticky climbs,? he said of the steep cobbled inclines that littered the last day?s course.

?We had a few crashes,? said Tudor ? not unheard of in junior racing. ?Andrew Williams came off on Sunday and so did Andrew Fenn, but they are OK.?

Final Standings

1 Bovenhuis, Jasper Peddelaars Krolstone 7:58:44

2 Rowsell, Erick GB 7:58:51 @0:07

27 Rowe, Luke GB 8:01:24 @2:40

38 Williams, Andrew GB 8:01:59 @3:15

58 Fenn, Andrew GB 8:03:43 @4:59