Yanto Barker wins Ipswich Grand Prix
Team UK Youth rider Yanto Barker snatched a last-gasp win in the Ipswich Grand Prix in the team's last major race before embarking on the Tour of Britain.
The 33-year-old London-based rider out-sprinted ten breakaway rivals at the end of the 200-kilometre race, which was watched by thousands of spectators which created a fitting atmosphere for the final major race before the Tour of Britain starts on Sunday.
After earlier breaks had been reeled in, a leading group of ten formed and established a maximum lead of 1:45. That came down rapidly towards the end as the riders watched and waited for someone to attack.
Mike Northey (Node 4-Giordana) and Rob Partridge (UK Youth) both made attempts to go for glory, but were reeled in, leaving Barker to take the win with Northey second and Partridge third.
Elsewhere, Team Raleigh's Graham Briggs stormed to his third road race victory in a month at the BBM Revolution Road Race in Wakefield.
The Yorkshireman was part of an early four-man break before making the winning move halfway through the race.
Kit Gilham (Metaltek) was the only rider who could keep up with Briggs but even his challenge wasn't enough to stop the in-form 30-year-old from racking up another win.
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In Lancashire, Bashall Eaves saw the 19th round of the CDNW Road Race League take place and it was Mike Ashurst who held out a long sprint to cross the line first with James Gullen just a second behind. Giles Drake, a prolific cyclo-cross rider, came third.
Abergavenny RC were overall winners of the Women's Team Road Race Series but it was MG-Maxifuel rider Hannah Barnes that finished on a high as she took first place in the Coalville Wheelers road race.
Barnes had Emily Kay and Elizabeth Malins for company as the trio worked well together to open up a gap over the rest of the field.
But when it came down to the sprint, it was the 20-year-old who managed to wrap up the win by a bike length.
With the cyclo-cross season getting started across the country, there was a surprise in store for the entrants of the SRAM Notts and Derby League as they looked across to see national cross country mountain bike champion and national series winner Grant Ferguson lining up for the start.
It was to be the last time most of them saw him as the 19-year-old romped to victory by 22 seconds. Dave Collins had the edge on Nick Barnes to steal second place away in the series opener.
After finishing second in the National Trophy Series last season, Paul Oldham showed that he's still in great form as he eased to first place in round two of the Yorkshire Points, dedicated to the memory of John Stevenson.
It was a dominant display from the 36-year-old Hope Factory rider who booked his place on the podium 2:10 ahead of Orange Monkey prospect Billy Harding.
Twenty 3C's Dean Shannon got off to the perfect start in his Eastern League campaign as he raced to top spot in Basildon.
Neon-Velo.com had three riders breathing down his neck but he was home first, beating Andrew Nichols by three seconds.
Ben Sumner was another rider opening his account on the first day of a series as he cruised to the front and installed himself as the early leader of the Wessex League. Luke Gray finished 24 seconds behind him and Crispin Doyle finished third.
In Henley-in-Arden, it was the first round of the West Midlands League and 31-year-old Gareth Whittall blazed away to get the better of Peter Banham and Joe Fox.
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Snowdon Sports is a long-established independent sports news agency, which supplies editorial to a range of media outlets - such as Cycling Weekly - as well as sports governing bodies. Snowdon Sports often covers results at Cycling Time Trials events in the UK and has long been a source of information and imagery to Cycling Weekly.
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