Dan Patten wins the Team Economic Energy Spring Rumble!

Dan Patten took a fantastic victory in the Team Economic Energy Spring Rumble after the PCA-Ciclos Uno-Isaac Racing Team completely dominated proceedings at Ford's Dunton Test Track on Saturday 12th April.

With the threat of bad weather looming on the horizon, a strong field lined up for the race, including four of the PCA-Ciclos Uno-Isaac Racing Team, Dunton sprint specialists James Jackson (Plowman Craven RT) and Ben Price (Pinarello RT), Dan Staite (Python RT) and Phil Hetzel (Ipswich BC).

Hostilities were signalled from the very start when James Jackson (Plowman Craven RT) surged clear, but James Whatling was quickly onto his wheel and, although the former team mates set about gaining an advantage, the field were far too vigilant at such an early stage and quickly reeled them in. This set the story of the race with constant attack and counter attack, but the PCA-Ciclos Uno-Isaac Racing Team showed their strength and were in every move, often with two riders.

One of the more promising attacks of the day came when Ben Price (Pinarello RT) pulled clear at the end of the drag and took Ian Franklin with him. They worked hard together and maintained their advantage for a few laps but the strong headwind took it's toll on the pair and the field came back together again.

Not even a violent rain and hail storm mid way through the race could distract the peloton from its vigilance and when strong attacks from the ever aggressive Dan Kogan to try and split the field came to nothing it seemed like the race would end in a bunch sprint until about 10 laps from the finish, when Ben Price (Pinarello RT), Phil Hetzel (Ipswich BC) and Dan Patten quietly slipped away. The bunch still weren't keen on letting them go, but some hard work from the escapees, coupled with committed team work in defending Dan Patten's position from the PCA-Ciclos Uno-Isaac Racing Team, meant that the break maintained their advantage until the finale. Dan Patten showed his growing experience by forcing sprinter Ben Price into leading out the sprint and came around him at the end to take his first win of the season from the Pinarello RT rider, with Phil Hetzel taking third.

Despite working hard to defend for long periods, the team still led Ian Franklin out in the bunch sprint and although James Jackson (Plowman Craven RT) and Trevor Burke (Finchley RT) just got around him, Ian capped a fantastic team performance taking 6th place.

This was a true team performance from start to finish and not only underlined the PCA-Ciclos Uno-Isaac Racing Team's strong team ethos but also signalled Dan Patten's growing emergence as a rider to watch and Ian Franklin's ever improving sprinting skills.

1.) Daniel Patten: PCA-Ciclos Uno-Isaac RT
2.) Ben Price: Pinarello RT
3.) Philip Hetzel: Ipswich BC
4.) James Jackson: Plowman Craven RT
5.) Trevor Burke: Finchley RT
6.) Ian Franklin: PCA-Ciclos Uno-Isaac RT