A HUGE crowd again turned out for the KT Green sponsored Otley Town Centre Cycle Races, many to see local World Champion Lizzie Armitstead ride in the classic race.

The 2009 races had plenty of stars in action with European professional riders Ben Swift, Jeremy Hunt, and Geraint Thomas riding the Elite race. Armitstead, now riding for a professional Belgian racing team, made the trip to her home town to ride the senior classic race as preparation for the National Road Championships on Saturday.

Last year the crowd endured heavy downpours, but this year the sun was shining as the evening’s races got under way.

Armitstead lined up against the senior men for the support race and quickly got involved in the action. Proving she is a match for the men, she was at the front for most of the race, sensibly easing off during the bunch sprint.

Super sprinter Giles Pidcock (Epic Cycles/Viner RT) got the verdict in the gallop, with a nasty crash just out of the final corner hampering riders for the minor placings.

With the light quickly fading the Elite race began. The 2.25 km circuit takes the riders from the start on Bondgate up the short climb of Burras Lane towards Birdcage Walk.

With a fast descent down East Chevin Road and Gay Lane and a sharp left turn into Bondgate and the finish.

At the end of the first lap Jeremy Hunt (Cervelo) came through clear of the peloton and a lap later it was Ben Swift (Katusha) who swept into Bondgate about 15 lengths clear of the chasing bunch.

As he climbed Burras Lane, Swift was back in the group, but the speed was up and commentator Mike Smith announced Swift had just broken the lap record for this circuit on his lap out front! That record would be broken again on the final lap by the winner.

With a few more attacks over the next couple of laps the pace was extremely fast and the riders were strung out as they raced down the finish straight of Bondgate.

Team Halfords had brought a strong squad to Otley and were evident at the front of the race. Tom Barras (Madison) lives in nearby Headingley and was looking for a good result in front of his home crowd.

With over half an hour gone, Hunt (Cervelo) came round leading a small group away with Swift racing across the gap on his own to join them. The break included Dave Clarke (Pendragon/Kalas), Ian Bibby, Rob Partridge (both Halfords Bikehut), Dale Appleby (CandiTV/Marshalls Pasta), James Milliard (Madison) as well as Swift (Katusha) and then after a few laps of freedom, three riders took up the chase in earnest – Ian Wilkinson (Halfords), Geraint Thomas (Barloworld) and Matt Cronshaw (Rapha Condor).

As the three chasers closed in on the break, Wilkinson conscious of Cronshaw’s sprinting ability, jumped his two companions and got to the break on his own with Thomas and Cronshaw getting across a little later. They were the last riders to get to the break and the lead group worked well together, managing to keep the gap between 20 and 30 seconds. Individual riders were trying to bridge from the main field with Tom Barras (Madison) almost getting across, thwarted when the speed increased.

With three laps to go, Thomas was on the front of the break, with the strong Halfords team being led by Rob Partridge. At two to go Partridge was on the front as they came through the finish area, his speed was so high that he’d opened a gap of about four seconds that Swift was trying to close down. At the bell it was the turn of Ian Bibby (Halfords) to hit the front, with team mate Ian Wilkinson having a relatively easy ride sat in the wheels.

Hunt (Cervelo) had moved up the line and was about third wheel, Swift was at the back of the group and could have been struggling or just getting ready for the sprint. The answer would come in about three minutes time.

With the photographers lined up at the finish line complaining about poor light, the riders were sprinting down East Chevin Road at over 40 mph. Hunt was the first rider to negotiate the tricky corner into the finishing straight, testing the grip on his tyres to the limit. Wilkinson and Swift followed but the rule at Otley is first into the final corner is the winner and Hunt proved there are no exceptions to that particular rule. He crossed the line with time for a very short victory celebration. Wilkinson took second with Swift third.

This was another successful promotion by the Otley Cycles Races organising committee led by Graeme Collin.

Hunt said: “I was feeling good when I arrived here tonight. I came to win this race, I’m in preparation for the Nationals on Sunday and I’m in great shape. I had to work hard to get into the final sprint position, the winner was always going to be the guy into the last corner first. I managed to do that and it worked out. Swifty is fast, so I was looking out for him, Ian Wilkinson is the local guy on top form so he was a real threat, but I was lucky and I managed to get the win.”

Hesco Bastion Elite Race, National Elite Circuit Race Series 1, Jeremy Hunt (Cervelo) 2, Ian Wilkinson (Halfords) 3, Ben Swift (Katusha) 4, Dale Appleby (CandiTV-Marshalls Pasta) 5, Geraint Thomas (Barloworld) 6, Matt Cronshaw (Rapha-Condor) 7, Dave Clarke (Pendragon-Kalas) 8, Rob Partridge (Halfords) 9, Ian Bibby (Halfords) 10, Ben Greenwood (Rapha-Condor)