Ian's baptism of fire at the Hillingdon GP.

Saturday 17th May was a wet and cold one at the Hillingdon cycle centre, and Ian Franklin was the PCA-Ciclos Uno-Isaac Racing Team's lone representative at this year’s Hillingdon Grand Prix. All was going well and correct preparations had been made for Ian to have every chance of a good days racing until Ian repeated his bad luck at the Lincoln GP and punctured during his warm up laps. Having only noticed when waiting for the off, Ian was forced to take the first lap of 54 out to change his wheel.

Not the ideal introduction into the National Circuit Series, Ian then had to ride hard to get up to the pace of the bunch when they came around for the second lap. Once settled in the pace was very fast, perhaps not the ideal day for testing his new Isaac, and continued that way for the entirety of the race as the strongest teams took in it turns to send men off the front, forcing the other teams to chase them down. Just as the race seemed as though it couldn't get much faster, things really started to hot up as the Plowman Craven RT and Rapha/Condor Recycling took to the front for the last ten laps and forced the pace even higher to lead their men out for the sprint.

This increase of pace proved just a bit too much for Ian, as a newcomer to the National Elite circuit series, and he lost contact with the bunch, forcing him to drop out. Disappointed with the result, Ian can only improve as a result of the race and will take away important knowledge to build on his own experience, standing him in good stead for his next appointment with the National Circuit Series, at the Smithfield Nocturne.

The race ended in a bunch sprint, with Graham Briggs (Rapha/Condor Recycling) taking the win ahead of Tony Gibb (Plowman Craven RT) and Jon Mozely (Pearl Izumi RT).

Results:
1.) Graham Briggs: Rapha/Condor Recycling.co.uk
2.) Tony Gibb: Plowman Craven RT
3.) Jon Mozley: Pearl Izumi/Planet X/ High 5 RT
4.) Simon Holt: Rapha/Condor Recycling.co.uk
5.) Paul Crook: Beyond MTB

Thanks to Larry Hickmott/British Cycling: www.britishcycling.org.uk for the photos.