The Pearl Izumi Tour Series' Welsh double-header round in Aberystwyth saw the Series lead twice change hands on Friday night, as ONE Pro Cycling took victory in the hill climb to move back to the top of the standings, before Madison Genesis re-took the lead following the evening criterium.
Along the way there were significant individual wins for George Harper and Ed Clancy, the former taking his first ever win in the Pearl Izumi Tour Series with the winning time in the hill climb, while the latter extended his Series record for individual wins to seven.
The Olympic Champion is also now a master of Aberystwyth, becoming the first rider to win three times on the same circuit and ensuring that the JLT Condor team continue their record of an individual victory in each of the seven seasons of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series.
Clancy was part of a four rider group to finally edge away in the closing quarter of the race alongside Tobyn Horton, Mike Northey and Jon Mould, although the quartet were caught with two laps to go, setting up a 16-rider dash for the line on Pier Street.
Thanks to his previous success' in Aberystwyth, Clancy knew the correct tactic to adopt, hitting the final corner first and holding off Tom Stewart and Mould to the line. With all five Madison Genesis riders in the front group though the fastest team time of the night went comfortably to them.
Earlier in the day Harper had led ONE Pro Cycling to victory in the hill climb, recording a 3:52.744 on the 1.4km climb up Constitution Hill, beating NFTO's Jonathan McEvoy and Madison Genesis' Tom Stewart, with Aberystwyth local Stephen Williams of Pedal Heaven a highly creditable fourth.
That helped Pedal Heaven finish runner's up behind ONE Pro Cycling with Madison Genesis in third, dropping to one point behind the Series leader's, a deficit they overcame in the evening's criterium.
Pearl Izumi Tour Series, Round Three, Aberystwyth, Friday 22 May
Hillclimb Team Result
1) ONE Pro Cycling, 20:03.607
2) Pedal Heaven, 20:29.946
3) Madison Genesis, 20:57.013
4) Team Raleigh - GAC, 21:01.124
5) SportGrub Kuota, 21:21.839
Hillclimb Individual Result
1) George Harper, ONE Pro Cycling, 3:52.744
2) Jonathan McEvoy, NFTO, 3:54.436
3) Tom Stewart, Madison Genesis, 3:55.162
4) Stephen Williams, Pedal Heaven, 3:55.638
5) Richard Handley, JLT Condor presented by Mavic, 3:58.332
Team Result
1) Madison Genesis
2) NFTO
3) Pedal Heaven
Individual Result
1) Ed Clancy, JLT Condor presented by Mavic
2) Tom Stewart, Madison Genesis
3) Jon Mould, ONE Pro Cycling
Costa Express Fastest Lap
Ed Clancy, JLT Condor presented by Mavic, 1:32.224
Chain Reaction Cycles Points, Rd3
Ed Clancy, JLT Condor presented by Mavic
Chain Reaction Cycles Points Standings, Post Rd3
1) Tom Stewart, Madison Genesis, 35pts
2) Morgan Kneisky, Team Raleigh - GAC, 28pts
3) Jon Mould, ONE Pro Cycling, 17pts
Pearl Izumi Tour Series standings, Post Rd3
1) Madison Genesis, 46pts
2) ONE Pro Cycling, 44pts
3) Pedal Heaven, 38pts
4) NFTO, 32pts
5) Team Raleigh - GAC, 32pts
6) SportGrub Kuota, 27pts
7) JLT Condor presented by Mavic, 21pts
8) Velosure Starley Primal, 19pts
9) Team WIGGINS, 10pts
Source: DSG
