Looking to capitalise on his fine form at the moment, Dan Patten competed in the Twickenham CC Road Race on Sunday 20th April and was so close to taking the win, undone by a less than accurate finishing line marker.
Originally scheduled for 50 miles, Dan arrived on the start line to find out that the race was now 13 laps of the circuit (90 miles) and the increased distance meant that this was Dan's longest race of the season so far.
The racing got going straight away with Dan, Billy Joe Whenman (Wilier/Sports Beans), Toby Meadows (Team Corridori), Ben White (Bike and Run), Mark Daly (Wildside RT) and James Jackson (Plowman Craven) all very active from the off. Despite a couple of early breaks gaining almost a minute, there was never any real danger of the race splitting up, with the strength of the bunch on the fast course keeping everyone together in the early stages. Billy Joe Whenman and Ben White fell victims to punctures, and victims to the organiser's lack of a neutral service car, and two riders that would have made an impact on the race had to make their own way back to the HQ.
When the early breaks were pulled back the big moves started going off, one in particular containing Colin Roshier (Team Quest) and Kevin Chambers (API-Metrow) and another half a dozen or so other riders but, sensing the danger, Dan worked hard to get across to them only for the bunch to reel them back in once more. Not long after this, the decisive break of the day happened containing about 14 riders including Dan, Kevin Chambers, Mark Daly, Toby Meadows and a number of riders from London Dynamo and other teams. With a large number of riders and many not willing to work, it was very unorganised and despite gaining a lead of about two minutes, this kept fluctuating and approaching the last two laps, the gap had dropped to 40 seconds and the break looked in danger of being pulled back in the finale.
Onto the last lap and the break was still messy with riders not wanting to co-operate. Dan made his move with a almost a lap to go and managed to distance himself from the break for about a kilometre until hard work from Toby Meadows pulled him back. The final lap was a story of attack and counter attack, with Mark Daly very active in trying to escape but as the riders came into the last kilometre the sprint beckoned but, after what had been a longer race than expected, there were plenty of tired legs in the break.
As the riders turned right and hit the finishing climb Dan found himself a little boxed in but made his way up the inside (and having read the 400 metres to go sign some way back), he thought he was in perfect position, second wheel behind Toby Meadows, only to get to the top and see the line still 200m away! Andy Betts (Twickenham CC) passed Dan to take the win followed by Lewis Atkins (Agiskoviner) and Mark Daly. In the last 50 metres Dan dug in again and got back onto the wheels of Daly and Atkins but just ran out of time to edge them and it took a photo finish for second place to separate them, with MArk Daly taking second from Lewis Atkins, with Dan in fourth place.
A slightly more accurate finish marker might have helped Dan's cause, but he once again showed his strength in a long race and proved that his sprint is much improving, all positive signs for the what is a very important few weeks for the team.
Results.
1.) Andy Betts: Twickenham CC
2.) Mark Daly: Wildside RT
3.) Lewis Atkins: Agiskoviner
4.) Dan Patten: PCA-Ciclos Uno-Isaac RT
5.) Toby Meadows: Team Corridori
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