Eluned King (Great Britain Under-23) and Matt Gibson (Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling) powered their teams to victory in the opening round of the Tour Series in Guisborough on Sunday, as the Series made a triumphant return after 806 days away.
King outsprinted Jo Tindley (Pro-Noctis – Redchilli Bikes – Heidi Kjeldsen) and Ellen McDermott (Team Boompods) from a six-rider group in the women’s race before Gibson soloed to victory in the following men’s event with a dominant win by almost a complete lap.
The results put the Great Britain Under-23 track women’s team and Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling into the yellow Freewheel.co.uk leaders’ jerseys heading to Round Two in Sunderland on Tuesday (10 August).
King and teammate Abi Smith were part of a six-rider group that went away early on in the women’s race, building a lead of just under a minute that they held until the end, with King outsprinting Tindley at the Westgate finish line. The win comes two weeks after King won the overall title at the British Cycling National Circuit Series while Tindley’s consolation was taking the Freewheel.co.uk Sprints jersey while Smith won the opening Brother UK Fastest Lap of 2021.
In the opening men’s race, Gibson’s dominant display was helped by an early crash that eliminated his Ribble Weldtite teammate Freddie Scheske and several other riders and split the peloton. That gave Gibson the opportunity that he seized, forging clear and coming home nearly 90 seconds ahead of the main bunch, led in Joe Holt of the Wales Racing Academy and Leon Mazzone (Crimson Orientation Marketing RT).
The win – Gibson’s third Tour Series victory – helped Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling to their first ever Tour Series team win ahead of Crimson Orientation Marketing RT and the Scottish national team.
Full results from the men’s and women’s races in Guisborough can be found here.
Highlights of the Guisborough races are on ITV4 at 7pm on Monday 9 August with a repeat at 12.30pm on Tuesday 10 August and available for 30 days via the ITV Hub.
Round Two of the Tour Series takes place on Tuesday 10 August with the first-ever event in Sunderland held on a 1.3-kilometre circuit starting and finishing on Burdon Road.
