2015 Totnes Vire Race Report

Despite the weathers best efforts, nothing could stop an amazing weekend of racing in Devon. The UK’s top domestic teams all played a part in 3 epic stages with a nail biting climax to the GC on Sunday

Stage 1 – South Brent – Sat AM

The opening stage of the two day race took place on a rolling 10 mile course that the riders lapped five times. A group of 10 riders including One Pro Cycling’s Jon Mould and Team Raleigh GAC’s Karol Domagalski from Poland made the break on the first lap, that number was whittled down to four on the final lap, with the bunch coming back to them quickly.

Original break – Stage 1

The chasing bunch – Stage 1

The break in Stage 1 final lap –  One Pro Cycling’s Jon Mould Team Raleigh GAC’s Karol Domagalski

Jon Mould accelerated in the final mile and rode away from the others for the stage win. While the Polish rider Domalgalski was beaten to the finish line he went on to take the yellow jersey after he picking up three primes, each worth five seconds, giving him the the overall lead. The rider who raced the Tour of Spain last year and has been racing at ProConti level for a few years looked very strong. Edmund Bradbury from NTFO rounded off the podium with third

Karol with his yellow jersey after stage one.

Stage 2 – Velopark – Sat PM

A quick drive to Paignton for the second stage saw the riders take on a 35 mile criterium at the Torbay Velopark. For much of the race Robert Moore of Pedal Heaven (with James Lewis of NFTO early on), was off the front but was caught in the final lap with One Pro Cycling controlling the race brilliantly to bring it all back together.

Valiant attempt at staying away in the Criterium. Robert Moore Pedal Heavan and James Lewis NTFO

One Pro’s Yanto Barker and Jon Mould bringing back the break

The  bunch sprint saw Chris Opie from One Pro taken the win, with Stage 1 winner Jon Mould 2nd and Raleigh GAC’s World Champion (Madison) Morgan Kneisky taking third. One Pro’s Mould was now in overall lead on the GC with team mate Opie in second and Raleigh’s Domalgalski third,

Opie and Mould taking the 1/2 at the Velopark

Stage 3 – Bovey Tracey – Sun AM

On the final stage – one of attrition with rain that went from torrential to drizzle and back again coupled with gale force winds (30 minutes after the finish it dried up), Cornishman Steve Lampier saw off the best that former Devon based Yanto Barker’s One Pro team could offer.

After 3 x 23 mile laps with the 3 mile ascent of Doccombe each lap to contend with it all came down to the four miles. This quartet left Bovey Tracey at the foot of the climb to the iconic hill time finish wheel to wheel. In the first half mile, Lampier and Mould, in the race leader’s yellow jersey, saw off Barker and the winner of stage 2, Chris Opie. In another half mile Lampier was on his own.

One Pro Cycling establishing the second break – end of 2nd lap

At the finish the crowd strained their eyes to see the riders come into view with a good 3/4 mile to go over the most exposed section of climb Lampier can into view first and all realised that it was down to how much of a lead he had by the time he got to the top.

Lampier at the top of Haytor

Lampier after finishing

As each rider passed the cheering crowd urging them on to the finish, the faces showed the torture that Dartmoor could provide. All 36 finishers would have won any gurning competition as they battled the worst of the elements- 2 riders were blown off their bikes by the force of the wind – gladly both fell on to the soft moorland turf and got back up to finish.

Chris Opie One Pro battling up Haytor

Evan Oliphant Raleigh GAC and Tom Baylis One Pro Cycling giving everything

Lampier passed the spectators and got to the finish line. Would his lead be enough for overall victory? How many seconds bonus had each accrued at the 5 primes and would that make the difference. In the end it proved enough and a win by some 15 seconds.

One Pro’s taking of the next 2 places and first team was scant consolation to them.

Lampier with MDCC Chairman Andy Perkins

GC 1/2/3. 

1 Steve Lampier Raleigh GAC 06:33:35
2 Jonathan Mould One Pro Cycling 06:33:50
3 Chris Opie One Pro Cycling 06:36:44

1st Team – One Pro Cycling with MDCC’s Andy Perkins

Full Results >Totnes-Vire Results<

VeloUK’s Interview with Steve post race

In a break of four with three from One Pro, the Raleigh-GAC rider simply blew them away on the final climb to not only win the stage but also the race overall.

The race was going well for Raleigh after they took the yellow jersey on stage 1 with their new signing, the Polish rider Karol Domagalski who Steve explained not only has a big engine and knows how to select his efforts, but is also a nice guy off the bike as well.

Steve explained how on stage 1, Domagalski had taken three five second bonuses which helped him into the Yellow jersey only to lose the overall lead on stage 2 with some big time bonuses awarded on the crit stage for those first across the line with 30 seconds for the win.

So Domagalski went into the final stage in third place overall in touch for the overall win and was Raleigh’s choice for the overall. Steve though had his eye on the stage win and the way the stage panned out played into his hands even though it didn’t look like it when he was up against three riders from the same team.

Steve takes up the story. “One Pro attacked through the last time bonus sprint and I just sat on thinking they are going to one-two me and they didn’t. The weather conditions were foul, really grim being wet windy and cold. We got to the bottom of Haytor the same climb as the Tour of Britain used a few years ago for a finish, and Opie attacked which put Yanto out the back.”

“I rode past Opie thinking I can drop him on the climb and it will just be me and Mouldy (Jon Mould) left to fight out the stage. So I rode past Opie, looked round and Mouldy wasn’t on my wheel so I pressed on to get the stage, something I have had my eye on for a while and then learned later I had the GC which was a massive bonus so I’m really happy.”

“The wind on top of Haytor was so strong it was hard to keep the bike in a straight line.”

It was a massive turn around for the fortunes of the Raleigh team after the way the cards fell during the stage were against them. “We were in a good place at the start with Karol going for GC and me going for the stage but at one stage the race got away from us but we helped bring the race back together and it was game on again with the typical attack, attack attack, style of British racing before the break of four got away.”

Thanks go to all the teams for battling against the worst that the weather could throw against them to race. Thanks also go to all MDCC members, marshalls, sign on, drivers, finishing judges, NEG,  and the Police. Special thanks to Ken Robertson and Andrew Parker for organising.