Stockbridge Down: Boyman Wins!

James Boyman (Hoops Velo) won the StockBridge Down race, after 80 hot miles in Hampshire, the 30 year old from Farnham getting the better of the the in-form Matt Downie. Boyman & Matt Downie (TAAP Cervelo) had missed the initial move as Rhys Howells (Rapha CC), Oscar Hutchings (VC Equipe/Flix Oral Hygiene/Propulse), Ashley Towey (Team Tor 2000 Kalas), David Ogg ( Bryan Steel academy) & South West champion, Lee Frost ( Tri UK) forged ahead on the second of six 13 mile laps on the reliably tough circuit.

One, hard ridden lap later and the gap was over a minute, Hutchings knew it was early to go away, the first break at Stockbridge seldom contests the finish, but liked the make up of the group, the honest riding Frost & Howells could make this one stick.

At half distance Ogg was dropped, the unrelenting roads and rising temperature starting to tell, as behind, the confident Downie and accomplished Boyman started to really motor.

On the fourth accent of Winton hill the deficit had been reduced to 27 seconds and the tiring legs up front knew what was coming as the bunch behind the chasing two started to fracture. The "catch was made with 18 miles remaining, both Downie & Boyman thought of riding "straight through" but trusted their fresher legs, Hutchings, drifting off the back, realised he had been right all along. Howells could not respond to an acceleration from Boyman but would hold on for a deserved fourth place. Frost too, was settling for third as South region champ, Downie and Boyman pulled away. It was close but Boyman edged it on the line, Downie could "feel" him on his right but could do nothing. The previous two years have seen the race dominated by Pedal Heaven & Bike Channel Canyon, with no major teams entered this time we were treated to an open, attacking race and the Stockbridge Down circuit always produces a worthy winner.

*Organiser Mike Webber along with the enthusiastic members and friends of Andover Wheelers put on a great race to which the full field of 80 responded. This year Project 51 Timing provided finish line technology with results available before most had unclipped.

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Rider Reaction

James Boyman
"I dont know how but Matt and i managed to get away, i think we just caught them knapping, we worked well and we had a good gap, i knew we were strong. They had been out so long and were a bit knackered when we caught them, i though about saying to Matt shall we just ride through! I knew Matt would be strong at the finish but i caught him in the little ring, had he been in the big ring i am pretty sure he would have had me! My first ever national B win, I'll take that"

Matt Downie
" A little bit disappointed but i always knew it was going to be hard to beat James up that climb but no excuses he rode an excellent race, always pulling strong when he came through. knew the early break was strong but i knew the weather and course would take their toll so i was not too worried. We are both pretty good testers so we caught them pretty quick when we started chasing and they were all tired. I made the mistake of letting James sit behind too much.

Lee Frost
" It was good, all day in the break, that's what i like, i have not been going great so some good solid miles in the legs. We knew Matt and James were coming across, i was tired and was happy to get to the finish really"

Rhys Howells
"Bloody hard! i have won here before, the roads are narrow so you just have to sneak away in an early break. When we heard there were two riding across we eased off a bit, i thought they would burn some matches getting across and thought it would be an armchair ride but actually they were as fresh as anything! The last time at the bell that was my last match! I knew it, they put in a couple of digs and that was it i was gone, to be honest i was ready to fall in the hedge. The heat got to me, a little bit dissapointed i guess, i was not doing too much work i was acting as the daddy of the break really, saying to the lads "make sure you feed, make sure you drink, keep rolling through" its good for morale i think. Lee Frost had a great race, he was in the break all day!
Howells won at Stockbridge in 2014, riding for Richardson’s Trek

Oscar Hutchings
"I did not plan on going quite so early but i saw Lee was already up the road and when Rhys attacked i knew it could be a good move. We were working well, we went really hard on that first lap to get the gap. I think its quite telling that the guys that finished first and second were the two that came across later. I did not want to go so early but i had to try it, when Matt attacked i just could not follow"

FULL RESULTS INC Fastest lap
1 James Boyman. Hoops Velo 31:07.004 3:18:36.275
2 Matthew Downie TAAP Cervelo 31:08.889 3:18:36.572
3 Lee Frost Tri UK 30:46.302 3:18:54.050
4 Rhys Howells Rapha Cycling Club 30:46.839 3:20:01.420
5 Michael Ford Latchem Sunwise Race Team 6 31:10.667 3:20:20.908
6 Ashley Cox Flamme Rouge CT 31:30.362 3:20:21.164
7 Joe Swinnerton Swinnerton Cycles 31:30.799 3:20:21.651
8 Chris McNamara Nuun-Sigma Sports-London 31:33.053 3:20:23.470
9 Mitchell Webber Halo Sports Cycling Team 31:34.367 3:20:23.941
10 Liam Walsh VC St Raphael 31:09.909 3:20:32.886
11 Frederik Scheske Team Tor 2000 KALAS 6 31:22.495 3:20:38.851
12 Oscar Hutchings VCEquipe/FlixOralHygiene/Propulse 30:46.332 3:20:42.077
13 Andrew Kirby VC St Raphael 31:19.633 3:20:46.400
14 Andrew Williams Steele Davis Via Roma RT 31:32.645 3:20:49.582
15 Aled Jones VCEquipe/FlixOralHygiene/Propulse 31:10.496 3:20:55.543
16 George Smith VCEquipe/FlixOralHygiene/Propulse 31:10.830 3:20:57.986
17 Hefin Evans Bynea CC 31:35.356 3:21:14.013
18 Luke Barfoot Tri UK 31:37.158 3:21:21.544
19 Peter Haworth Team Tor 2000 KALAS 31:36.132 3:21:32.670
20 Robert Moore Nuun-Sigma Sports-London 31:38.898 3:21:40.516
21 Joe Hill Team KTM UK 31:25.795 3:21:48.764
22 James Hayden Rapha Cycling Club 31:37.394 3:22:12.900
23 Rhys Clegg PMR 31:30.587 3:22:20.574
24 Lewis Winfield VC Londres 31:20.967 3:22:25.618
25 Ashley Towey Team Tor 2000 KALAS 30:41.040 3:22:49.967
26 Tom Chandler Metaltek Kuota Racing Team 31:20.284 3:22:51.820
27 Benjamin Irving TAAP Cervelo 31:38.834 3:22:54.532
28 Red Walters Sotonia CC 31:39.595 3:22:54.993
29 Sam Tillett Wales Racing Academy 31:35.456 3:22:56.767
30 Joshua Croxton Team Tor 2000 KALAS 31:35.404 3:22:58.362
31 Andrew Critchlow WyndyMilla 31:40.321 3:23:07.513
32 Owen Line Wales Racing Academy 31:34.329 3:23:10.881
33 Sol Warwick Penzance Wheelers 31:33.427 3:23:10.923
34 Paul Newsome Project 51 31:40.431 3:23:11.598
35 Ian Vagg Project 51 31:41.938 3:23:14.613
36 Ethan Lee VCEquipe/FlixOralHygiene/Propulse 31:15.769 3:23:16.650
37 Thomas Ellis BIKESTRONG-KTM 31:32.840 3:23:20.583
38 Graham Collins Team Tor 2000 KALAS 31:37.791 3:23:52.000
39 Joe Hickerton Spokes BPC Racing 31:40.431 3:24:15.714
40 Lewis Ball Velo Schils - Interbike RT 31:28.253 3:25:40.007
41 Tom Duncan WORX Factory Racing 31:36.892 3:29:14.842
42 Kinsey McIlquham KTM UK Factory MTB Team 31:35.964 2:48:37.575
43 George Skinner Norwood Paragon CC 31:38.036 2:53:57.063
44 Joshua Haasz VC Londres 31:43.303 2:53:57.487
45 Isaac Wright Project 51 31:38.038 2:57:13.877
46 Oliver Winwood Bratchell Velo Club Venta 31:38.970 2:57:15.139
47 James Peckham Sotonia CC 31:34.302 2:57:58.297
48 Stanley Kennett Spirit Tifosi Racing Team 31:29.295 2:57:59.039
49 Ryan Visser TAAP Cervelo 31:32.741 2:57:59.303
50 David Kovacs Team KTM UK 32:03.404 3:04:02.513
51 Alexander Cross VCEquipe/FlixOralHygiene/Propulse 32:13.229 3:04:02.943
52 Joseph Clark I-Team Cyclists Club 31:40.723 3:04:24.340
53 Dean Corney Meudon Sovereign Pedal Heaven 32:35.030 3:11:02.485
54 Paul Ransom Sotonia CC 32:05.817 3:16:24.109
55 Ashley Hutchison VC St Raphael 31:34.654 3:27:04.905
DNF Tristan Grigalis WyndyMilla 4 31:41.469
DNF Richmond Rogers Project 51 5 31:41.581
DNF David Ogg Bryan Steel academy 4 30:47.103
DNF Joshua Burns Alé DMT Cipollini UK 4 31:13.564
DNF Jamie Caldwell Portsmouth North End CC 4 31:30.790
DNF Jered Allcock Shutt Ridley RT 4 31:38.735
DNF Ian Taylor Leicester Forest CC 3 31:36.784
DNF Ellis Pullinger THRE Datawolves RT 3 31:41.022
DNF Cameron Foster Velo Schils - Interbike RT 3 32:05.695
DNF Lewis Atkins TAAP Cervelo 3 32:43.118
DNF Thomas Bowering Steele Davis Via Roma RT 3 32:24.245
DNF Emyr Davies Rapha Cycling Club 3 32:25.910
DNF Tom Stocker Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers 3 32:39.554
DNF Thomas Booth Bryan Steel academy 3 32:18.882
DNF Callum Dunford Sarum Velo 2 32:26.460
DNF Steven Jones Team Tor 2000 KALAS 2 32:35.696
DNF Tom Lane Latchem Sunwise Race Team 2 32:59.620
DNF Will Cooper Hargroves-Ridley-Montezumas 2 32:12.229
DNF Alexandre Touche ActiveEdge Race Team 1 32:01.804
DNF Matthew Burt Project 51 1 32:12.367
DNF Mark Emsley Project 51 1 32:12.173
DNF Luke Hind Bryan Steel academy 1 32:14.036
DNF Andrew Carter Cycleworks.co.uk 1 32:35.484
DNF Joshua Monk URDT 1 32:38.521