LIGHTING UP LINCOLN
The Lincoln GP is one of our favourite National A races of the calendar. The race can be won or lost on the brutal cobbles of the 16% Michaelgate Climb leading up to Castle Square, where the victor usually barely has time or energy to raise their hands from the bars to celebrate.
Back in 2018, a then-unattached Alex Richardson took the honours, just ahead of Andy Tennant. Clearly, the team have form at this race, so expectations were high.
Step up new signing Tom Stewart, who took his first win in blue following a promising 14th place at Rutland. Andy Tennant put in a very strong ride for third, although looked most likely to take the honours until Pidcock opened a slight gap before Stewart came around the both of them.
On the first win of MTB Tom's 2019 season, here's what the man of the moment had to say:
“It’s a tough race, but I’ve learnt how to ride it over the years, I think.
You have to prepare yourself to go extremely deep – you know it’s going to hurt. You have moments where you doubt yourself, and I had that today, but I just identified the biggest threats and started watching each one of those riders, picking them off one by one and gradually thinking ‘I can do this’.
The last time I won here I came into the finish with three extremely strong guys and I managed to beat them, and that gave me some confidence – this finish obviously suits me. I took a different line to previous years, but still managed to do the trick.”
I was about third wheel coming into the bottom of the climb and I could see that Tom (Pidcock) was in front of Andy Tennant and I think Andy was just…the gap was opening a tiny bit and I just said to Andy ‘on your left’, he just let me through and I got some momentum and that was it!”
You have to prepare yourself to go extremely deep – you know it’s going to hurt. You have moments where you doubt yourself, and I had that today, but I just identified the biggest threats and started watching each one of those riders, picking them off one by one and gradually thinking ‘I can do this’.
The last time I won here I came into the finish with three extremely strong guys and I managed to beat them, and that gave me some confidence – this finish obviously suits me. I took a different line to previous years, but still managed to do the trick.”
I was about third wheel coming into the bottom of the climb and I could see that Tom (Pidcock) was in front of Andy Tennant and I think Andy was just…the gap was opening a tiny bit and I just said to Andy ‘on your left’, he just let me through and I got some momentum and that was it!”
All in all, another solid result for the boys, putting the team back into a strong position in both the National Road Series and the Tour of Britain qualification standings.
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