Ronan McLaughlin goes close in £10,000 London Brompton race

The Brompton race featured plenty of former pro riders. And with a £10,048 first prize on offer, it was a serious business.

 

More accustomed to doing damage in the road racing peloton, Ronan McLaughlin went into a different kind of battle in London on Thursday night.

The former An Post-Chainreaction man placed 4th in the Brompton Invitational on the iconic Hearne Hill Velodrome.

It saw riders – including former top pros – race against each other, in a bunch event, on fold-up Brompton bikes.

It may sound novel and like a lot of fun, but there was the small matter of the £10,048 first prize to be settled.

And because it was a winner takes all scenario; the victor got a bit cheque but there was nothing for anyone else.

With that kind of cash on the line, most of the riders took a very serious approach.

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In the field with Ronan McLaughlin was former pro and Tour de France yellow jersey David Millar.

Indeed, it was on a bike Millar designed with Brompton - the limited edition CHPT 3 - that all of the riders raced.

Also in the field was Alec Briggs (Specialised Rocket Espresso)and Germain Burton (JLT Condor).

As well as McLaughlin, the former pros included Justin Hoy, Marc De Maar and Simon Richardson.

 

Running to the bikes to start; McLaughlin on the extreme right.

McLaughlin - white helmet with red stripe - in the middle of the pack.

The limited edition CHPT 3 Brompton

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Briggs took victory and the big money on what McLaughlin said as “a mad night”.

“We had to get seeded for the Le Mans stoke start which meant a timed fold down of the Brompton bike,” he said.

It meant riders had to run to their bikes, like they do in some motorbike races. But before they got underway they had to assemble their bikes from a folded up position.

“I got seeded 6th in the first semi final with a fold down time of 9.53 seconds,” said McLaughlin.

“Then I made it through the first semi final in 3rd place against David Millar and some JLT Condor riders.

“The final, just like the semi, involved a Le Mans style start with a run down the track to your Brompton; unfold the bike and get going.

“The final was hectic. Super fast; we hit 59kph at one point. There was even a neutralisation of racing at one point because of a particularly nasty crash.

“I ended up 4th. Alec Briggs of the Specialized Red Hook Criterium team won. Marc De Maar, the former QuickStep rider was 2nd; a great race to be involved in.”

 

 

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