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Cadence Junior Road Race – Brecon, Powys

Cadence Junior Road Race is a race with a rich history. Past winners include Tom Pidcock, Ethan Hayter, Tao Geoghegan Hart, and Geraint Thomas, who incidentally are all plying their trade with INEOS Grenadiers. The race takes place in Brecon, Powys, on The Three Cocks circuit.

The course is undulating, technical in places, and concludes with a nasty hilltop finish, making it a perfect course for the puncheurs. The race once again saw a strong field packed with many of the country’s top junior riders rolling out over the 15km Three Cocks Circuit. The riders completed the 108km course over seven laps, finishing up at the summit of the dramatic Dderw Pitch.

In the third lap, George Stephen (BCC Race Team) was able to put in a huge attack and managed to gain one minute and 30 seconds over the bunch. Alex Beldon (MAS Design – Fensham Howes) attempted to chase down Stephen, catching him in the fifth lap as the peloton continued to put in attacks in an attempt to close the gap. As Stephen dropped off the pace and was caught, Beldon was able to power on solo with a lead of 50 seconds.

Coming into the final lap, Beldon had a one-minute 40-second advantage over the bunch. Beldon managed to hold on to his lead up the Ddwer Pitch and take first place, while his teammate Jed Smithson attacked the final climb with Elliot Rowe (Anexo Group Race Team). A sprint finish saw Smithson take second, just 12 seconds behind Beldon, while Rowe had to settle for third on the day before the bunch fought it out to take the finish.

It was a great result for our Elliot Rowe, who hasn’t raced for a little while due to exams. Bryn Lawrence had a strong ride and came 10th, and Joe Cosgrove came 16th. Our Sam Fisher came 51st, but he had worked tirelessly for the team all the way through the race and had led out Elliot for the final sprint. Overall, it was a really good day out on a good course. Our thanks go out to Cadence Cycling and the volunteers for putting on a great event.

“Really pleased to see the guys riding as a team and come away with a strong performance. Sam committing to sacrificing his own race to make sure Elliot, Joe and Bryn were potentially fighting for the win, or a least 2nd was a credit to him. We’re still growing as a team and can take some real positives from the weekend into the upcoming events.”

Alex Dowsett

This weekend, Elliot is representing Great Britain at Trophee Morbihan Junior in France, and we wish him the best of luck!

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