Ellen McDermott and Ollie Peckover claimed memorable individual victories as both the men’s and women’s title races gained extra clarity when the Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series hit Barking on Saturday.

McDermott (Team Boompods) finally claimed her maiden series win, with Torelli – Cayman Islands – Scimitar taking the team prize on the night in another first, but Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes p/b Heidi Kjeldsen all-but sealed the women’s title with second place on the night.

Helped by Peckover’s win over Rory Townsend by six thousands of a second near the Abbey Ruins, defending men’s champions Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling now sit just three points behind Townsend’s Wiv SunGod team heading to Manchester for the 2022 Grand Final on Tuesday (24 May).

An aggressive performance from Team Boompods throughout the showpiece women’s event, including a mid-race lone attack by Monica Greenwood, set the tone but ultimately no rider could hold an advantage long enough on the fast Barking circuit.

That set up a 30-plus group of riders to contest the finish, with McDermott going all the way around the outside on the final bend to lead the sprint to the line.  A length back from McDermott was Stranraer winner Emma Jeffers (Jadan – Vive Le Velo), with Alba Development Road Team rider Kate Richardson in third.

McDermott’s prize for claiming the victory was the Mary Wollstonecraft Cup, honouring the pioneering feminist who once lived in the borough.

She said: “I’m absolutely buzzing. I think the team played a pivotal role in the whole win, we were so aggressive the whole race, we were firing riders off the front, left right and centre. I got a bit of a free ride towards to end, because Monica just put in this massive attack and stayed away. I was just floating around in mid-pack thinking nice, if this comes back together I better sprint here, because the team have worked so hard and got it.

“For the last two laps the pace was quite high and it was really about holding the position. With the men’s race [first] I just knew how to win it, coming around that outside you were able to carry so much speed because it was really fast in the finish. I think holding speed around that bend you basically had it in the bag, I think that’s how the mens race was won as well, so I was like ‘if they can do it, so can I’.”

In the overall standings, Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes p/b Heidi Kjeldsen are now uncatchable given their 14-point advantage over Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus. Team Boompods’ strong round puts them on 39 points in third.

Pro-Noctis may also sweep the women’s series jerseys, as British circuit race champion Jo Tindley scored 15 points to extend her lead in the Freewheel.co.uk sprints competition to nine over Sammie Stuart (Team Brother UK – LDN). Jeffers claimed the fastest lap in a time of 1:38.943.

Video: highlights from round six of the Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series in Barking

 

While the women’s title race is all-but over, Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling kept up the pressure on Wiv SunGod after claiming their third round victory in four races.

Peckover was one of four riders to go clear in the final stages. While the quartet initially worked well together, come the final lap co-operation broke down with the Ribble Weldtite rider first to pick up the pace on the back straight.

Max Walker (TRINITY Racing) came through to lead out the sprint through the sweeping final two corners, with Peckover and Townsend accelerating past him for the long run to the line.

The pair were neck and neck all the way to the line with Peckover’s lunge edging him across the finish line first, by such a small margin (0.006) that neither rider initially knew who had taken the win. Walker took third ahead of Joe Beckingsale, who impressed for the Wales Racing Academy.

Peckover said: “Coming out the bottom turn on the last lap nobody wanted to take it up. So in the end I ended up rolling through. I went and took the inside line, and Rory was gaining on me quite quick, but it was literally on the lunge.

“I had absolutely no idea I’d won until a good five minutes afterwards. Then it came over the radio that I’d just got it. So at that point it was a massive relief to finally actually breathe!

“These are some of the biggest races you get in the UK, with a lot of publicity around them and going all around the country. I started the year not quite knowing where the legs were at, but then in the last few weeks, having ridden a few rounds of the series, they do start to come into a bit of form. It’s really nice to actually get the win tonight, because obviously that shows that there’s hopefully better things to come for the second half of the season.”

Bostock (Wiv SunGod) led in the bunch in fifth but, with Harry Tanfield and Cameron Jeffers placing sixth and seventh, Ribble Weldtite pipped Wiv SunGod and the Wales Racing Academy to the all-important team win.

Walker took the fastest lap on the night while Bostock holds a 18-point lead over Harry Tanfield in the Freewheel.co.uk sprints competition with just 20 points left on the table in Manchester.

For full results please click here.

Highlights of the Barking event will be broadcast on ITV4 at 7pm on Sunday 22 May. The Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series concludes with the 2022 Grand Final in Manchester city centre on Tuesday (24 May).

Elite racing action gets underway with the women’s race (5pm) followed by the men’s race (7.30pm).

Both events streamed will live on the series website, YouTube channel and Facebook page with no geo-restrictions.