Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series – Final Round – Woking

Johnson Health Tech Series winner Helen Wyman (photo credit: Tour Series/VeloUK)

Helen Wyman crowned in Woking

Victory for Lucy Garner isn’t enough to overall Wyman at top of inaugural Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series standings

Sixteen-year-old Lucy Garner sprinted to victory in Woking in the final round of the Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series, but the win wasn’t enough to overhaul Series leader Helen Wyman, who took the title and the final leader’s white jersey by just three points.

Wyman came fourth on the night, behind the podium of Garner, Hannah Rich and Hannah Barnes, with the latter taking a narrow victory in the Series Sprints competition on count back.

With team, individual and sprint standings still at stake, the final round of the Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series was a controlled affair, with no riders managing to escape the main field for any prolonged period.

A consistent pace throughout meant that the favourites remained bunched together in the front group throughout, which gradually thinned out as the race progressed.

Prominent early on in proceedings was Tamina Oliver of VC Squadra Donne, making her Series debut and immediately get into the thick of the action and taking the honours at the opening intermediate sprint of the evening.

Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series – Round 3 – Oldham

Annie Simpson from Horizon Fitness win in Oldham (photo credit: Tour Series/VeloUK)

Annie Simpson leads Horizon Fitness 1-2 in Oldham

Simpson and King head the field for Horizon Fitness, as Helen Wyman continues in Series lead

Annie Simpson took victory in Round Three of the Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series at Oldham, heading home teammate Dani King and Series leader Helen Wyman from a four rider breakaway group.

Fellow escapee Sarah Byrne came home fourth, but took the honours in the evening’s sprints competition for her VC St Raphael team.

In front of a large and supportive crowd in Oldham town centre, the new-for-2011 Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series reached its penultimate round.

As with the men’s race later that evening, the tough town centre course took its toll from the outset, with the 33 rider bunch soon becoming strung out around the 1.1 kilometre course.

Round One winner Hannah Barnes took the honours at the opening sprint of the evening, pipping Hannah Rich to the line, with Wyman in third.  With neither Barnes nor Rich scoring at the second sprint and Wyman only taking fourth, Barnes moved back into the lead of the competition, albeit tied on points with Rich, but donning the jersey thanks to her sprint win on the night.

A group of four riders pulled clear as the race reached half distance, containing the two Horizon Fitness riders, Wyman and Biddulph’s Byrne.  The four inexorably moved clear, building their lead tour after tour, lapping much of the field.

Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series – Round 2 – Stoke-on-Trent

From left to right: Hannah Rich, Dani King and Helen Wyman

King crowned again in Stoke-on-Trent

Twelve months on from victory in the Horizon Fitness GP, Dani King wins again in The Potteries

Dani King repeated her victory of twelve months previously, to take the honours in Round Two of the new-for-2011 Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series, while a second successive second place elevates Helen Wyman into the lead of the standings.

King once again won alone in Stoke-on-Trent, some distance ahead of Wyman, with Hannah Rich narrowly pipping Horizon Fitness RT teammate Joanna Rowsell on the line for third place, as the Stoke-on-Trent took victory on home roads to also move into the lead of the team competition.

Having been comprehensively beaten by Motorpoint in the opening round of the Series at Peterborough, Horizon Fitness were keen to make amends in their home city, with their quintet of riders highly visible throughout the race and making all of the key moves.

Also prominent throughout was Wyman, taking second behind Rich at the first sprint, before being the most persistent chaser of lone leader King for much of the second half of the race.  Crossing the line second, Wyman’s reward was the Johnson Health Tech leader’s jersey, having finished as runner-up in both Peterborough and Stoke-on-Trent, to move her seven points clear of erstwhile leader Hannah Barnes.

Barnes also lost charge of the sprints jersey to Rich, while Motorpoint slip to second in the standings, nine points behind the Horizon Fitness team.

Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series – Round 1

Hannah Barnes takes victory in Peterborough (photo credit: Tour Series/VeloUK)

 Motorpoint dominate opening round of new women’s Series

Hannah Barnes wins opening round of The Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series

Hannah Barnes became the first rider to pull on the Johnson Health Tech jersey as leader of the new-for-2011 Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series, taking victory at Round One of the Series in Peterborough.

Motorpoint’s 18-year-old exchanged her British Circuit Race Champion’s jersey for the white Johnson jersey on the post-race podium, as her team packed the top ten with four riders to take the lead in the teams competition, as well as the individual honours.

Barnes was at the forefront of the action for much of what was a highly entertaining race that featured a lot of attacking throughout its 40 minute length.

Ultimately the attack that stuck, triggering the winning move was instigated by For Viored Brookes’ Rohan Battison, who went clear by herself two thirds of the way into the race.  Barnes tracked her move, chasing the lone leader down and taking Helen Wyman, teammate Lucy Garner and Horizon Fitness’ Penny Rowson.

The quintet stayed together for the remainder of the race meaning it all boiled down to the final sprint, with Barnes sprinting down the middle of the road, with Wyman just beating Garner to the runner-up spot in the lunge for the line under the watchful gaze of Peterborough Cathdral.

Motorpoint’s success continued as Hannah Walker led home the main field in the sprint for seventh place, ahead of Horizon Fitness’ Hannah Rich and a fourth Motorpoint rider in the top ten, Alice Barnes.

Local rider Lindsay Clarke of Fenland Clarion came home in 15^th position in the thirty rider field.

Women's GP Series leader Hannah Barnes (photo credit: Tour Series/VeloUK)

Along the way to her victory, Barnes also cleaned up the honours in the Sprints competition, taking first and second in the two intermediate sprints to also take the early lead in that contest.

Round Two of the Johnson Health Tech Women’s Grand Prix Series takes place in Stoke-on-Trent on Tuesday 7^th June, where Barnes and Motorpoint Pro Cycling will be hoping to continue in their winning ways in front of a home crowd.
Round One, Peterborough, Results:
Individual Results

1. Hannah Barnes                Motorpoint Pro Cycling
2. Helen Wyman                  Kona Factory Racing
3. Lucy Garner                     Motorpoint Pro Cycling
4. Penny Rowson                Horizon Fitness RT
5. Rohan Battison                For Viored Brookes
6. Hannah Walker                Motorpoint Pro Cycling
7. Hannah Rich                     Horizon Fitness RT
8. Alice Barnes                      Motorpoint Pro Cycling
9. Charlotte Colclough       For Viored Brookes
10. Ceri Dipple                         Twenty3c Orbea

Team Winner

1. Motorpoint Pro Cycling

Sprints Winner

1. Hannah Barnes          Motorpoint Pro Cycling

Individual Standings, after Round One

1. Hannah Barnes               Motorpoint Pro Cycling            25pts
2. Helen Wyman                 Kona Factory Racing                  22pts
3. Lucy Garner                    Motorpoint Pro Cycling            20pts
4. Penny Rowson               Horizon Fitness RT                      19pts
5. Rohan Battison              For Viored Brookes                     18pts
6. Hannah Walker              Motorpoint Pro Cycling            17pts
7. Hannah Rich                   Horizon Fitness RT                      16pts
8. Alice Barnes                    Motorpoint Pro Cycling            15pts
9. Charlotte Colclough     For Viored Brookes                    14pts
10. Ceri Dipple                       Twenty3c Orbea                           13pts

Team Standings, after Round One

1. Motorpoint Pro Cycling          62pts
2. For Viored Brookes                  42pts
3. Horizon Fitness RT                   39pts
4. Condor Cycles                            19pts

Sprint Standings, after Round One

1. Hannah Barnes             Motorpoint Pro Cycling          9pts
2. Rohan Battison             For Viored Brookes                  5pts
3. Hannah Rich                  Horizon Fitness RT                   4pts

For more information from the Halfords Tour Series, visit: www.tourseries.co.uk And for more images from the racing, visit Velo UK.