Felix English may be known best for track and TTs, but today’s result was a good start to his road season (Photo: Larry Hickmott/velouk.net)
Felix English has gotten his tenure at Rapha Condor-Sharp off to a good start today (Saturday), finishing sixth in the bunch sprint that decided the Eddie Soens Memorial at the Aintree Racecourse in Merseyside.
The U23 rider and Irish international rode today in the lashings of rain along with fellow Irishmen Philip Lavery and Ryan Mullen in what turned out to be a master class by the Endura Racing Team.
Their riders took control in the closing stages, setting it up for a mass gallop from a field of 200 riders, with Russell Downing emerging quickest to take victory from team mates Scott Thwaites and Johnny McEvoy.
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English wasn’t too far from the leading trio, with just two riders between him and all-Endura podium. The race – a handicapped event for all categories from juniors to pro men – was a wet affair with attacking throughout.
However, while some groups did manage to pull clear and open some pretty good gaps there was simply too much speed in the peloton for the race to end in anything but a bunch sprint.
Ireland’s national junior champion, UK-based Ryan Mullen was by all accounts one of the main men of the race; driving the junior group that started with a seven minute lead.
As the bunch, which included the elite riders from the UK Continental teams, closed them down Mullen (Planet X) clipped off the front in a group with four other juniors, again doing most of the work in that escape before they were finally caught.
When they were absorbed, the teenager still had enough in reserve to get clear in another group before finally finishing a very decent 18th in the bunch sprint at the finish.
New ‘Node 4 Giordana Racing’ rider Philip Lavery told stickybottle that while he did not feel up to contesting the finishing sprint in what was his first race of the season, he felt he had played a role in the earlier attacking.
“It went fine,” he told stickybottle.
“The weather was pretty bad to begin with and I sat down the back and out of trouble until the last ten laps and then moved up. I tried a breakaway with five laps to go but it didn't succeed. I was in a good position with a lap to go to the sprint but didn't have the legs for the sprint and sat up out of trouble.”
Race winner Downing said the 1-2-3 for his new team was a welcome continuation of the UK outfit’s excellent run of results.
“It’s fantastic to come back from my two years with Sky and help Endura Racing get off to such a brilliant start,” he said.
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“We won the Tour of the Mediterranean and the Tour de Haut Var on the Continent, and we've started our UK campaign with a great win."
Results: Eddie Soens Memorial (50 miles)
1 Russell Downing (Endura Racing) 1:40:57
2 Scott Thwaites (Endura Racing)
3 Jonathan McEvoy (Endura Racing)
4 Marcel Six (Metaltek – Scott)
5 Anthony Gibb (Metaltek – Scott)
6 Felix English (Rapha Condor Sharp)
7 Tobyn Horton (Team Raleigh – GAC)
8 Dale Appleby (Metaltek – Scott)
9 Tom Barras (Metaltek – Scott)
10 Joseph Kelly (100% ME) all same time
18 Ryan Mullen (Planet X) same time
83 Philip Lavery (Node 4 Giordana Racing) at 22 seconds
Ryan Mullen (leading) drove the juniors and then got clear in some escapes (Photo: Larry Hickmott/velouk.net)
Philip Lavery leads the massive group in his new Node 4 Giordana Racing kit (Photo: Larry Hickmott/velouk.net)
Felix English (left) was active off the front but still did a great gallop
Ryan Mullen (second) sits behind eventual third placed rider Johnny McEvoy
The Endura riders enjoy their 1-2-3 (Photo: Larry Hickmott/velouk.net)
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