DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK
DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK racing round-up
The DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK team have had a busy period since our last report in April. Since then the team have been busy racing in the UK and on the continent. With the team’s expansion, they are now able to run more than one race programme. This meant one squad was off across the Channel for a block of European racing.
CERATIZIT Festival Elsy Jacobs
First up was two days of racing at the CERATIZIT Festival Elsy Jacobs in Luxembourg. The festival is a celebration of Luxembourger Elsy Jacobs, winner of the first UCI Women’s World Championship back in 1958. The races are held on different circuits in Luxembourg on Saturday and Sunday.
Mia Griffin had the team’s highest placings with 21st and 8th, meanwhile Tiffany Keep crashed on the Sunday; here’s her take on the weekend.
It was a bit of a rollercoaster weekend for me and I’m looking forward to taking the positives from the experience and putting it behind me.
On day one I needed to find my feet back in the bunch and made some tactical errors which I hoped to improve on the following day. Day two started off much better; I felt comfortable back in the bunch again and felt I had the legs to put together a good result for the team. Unfortunately, my race ended after I was taken out a by rider whilst in the front group, kissing the tarmac at 50km/h with a lap to go .
A bit battered and bruised but thankfully no serious injuries! Super lucky to walk away from this one and very thankful to have such a supportive team around me to make these tough days easier . We will be back!
Harrogate Nova Spring Road Race
While part of the team were racing in Luxembourg, others were racing in the the UK. Five riders were on the start for the Harrogate Nova Spring Road Race. This is a brand new National B level race, good to see new events on the calendar. DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK took a strong team to this race with Robyn Clay, winner of the Capernwray Road Race Sian Botteley and Frankie Hall all in good form.
Clay and Hall got into an early seven rider break that included two from UCI Continental rivals Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting. Hall then escaped with Zoe Langham from Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting. They held all the way to the finish, with their respective team-mate controlling the break. On the final climb Langham attacked Frankie, who was the stronger sprinter. Langham distanced Hall over the climb, but Frankie pulled her back on the run-in and won the sprint.
Belgian Racing
Meanwhile back on the continent and the team headed across the border to Belgium. Here they would be tackling three races; the Cyclis Classic, GP Eco-Struct and Trofee Maarten Wynants. The first race didn’t go as planned with a huge crash bringing down the bunch as they sprinted in for 3rd place. Mia Griffin and Robyn Clay were both involved in the pile-up. Clay ended up with four broken vertebrae and collar-bone, we can only wish her a rapid recovery. Mia was sent back to Ireland to recover as a precaution.
The next two races went better, no wins, but the team described it as “a weekend of full gas racing banked.” They also said it was “a great display of teamwork and strength, with consistent and top results all round.”
1-2-3 at Ixworth!
After an eventful week of continental racing, it was back to the UK for some bank holiday racing. The team led a clean-sweep at the Ixworth Crits in Suffolk. Former Olympic rower Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne outsprinted team-mates Frankie Hall and Lucy Lee in the finale.
Next up on the team’s UK calendar is the Lincoln GP, round three in British Cycling’s National Road Series. With last year’s winner Robyn Clay side-lined due to her injury in Belgium, the team will be looking at some of their other riders. They are taking eight riders to Lincoln; Sian Bottleley, Frankie Hall, Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne, Tiffany Keep, Lucy Lee, Darcie Richards, Ruth Shier and U23 Morven Yeoman.
DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK ride on the UCI approved Handsling A1R0evo, check out their bikes.
