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Plowman Craven Racing Team News Archive
This section offers an archive of all the news on the Plowman Craven Racing Team.
For more information please contact us by clicking here. For the latest race results please see our calendar/results section or click here
| Elliott Fulfills Another Plowman Craven Team Objective | 21/09/2006 |
The Plowman Craven Racing Team achieved yet another of their team objectives on Sunday when Malcolm Elliott was crowned champion in the season long national elite circuit series. When the team was launched at the beginning of 2006 the new squad announced it's goals as; The National Elite Circuit Series, National Criterium Championships, National Endurance Track Series and the National Track Championships. As Elliott crossed the finish line on Sunday he ticked off yet another victory for the team in what has been a quite incredible first season. James Taylor took the much sought after Criterium championship, with Tony Gibb the National Madison. Gibb then took the Omnium title and the Endurance track series. Having stuck to their objectives the riders have crossed the line first over 40 times in their first year together. Elliott also took the World Masters Road Race in Austria and a silver in the World Masters Track Championships a week ago. Quite a record! The twelve rounds of the series have taken the team the length and breadth of the country in search of the victory. Elliott set himself up for the overall with a victory in the opening round at the Hillingdon Circuit in Middlesex in June. He then performed consistently well in the remainder of the races before pulling off the win that every rider was gunning for on the streets of London in the Bob Chicken Grand Prix. |
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With only seven rounds out of the twelve to count towards the series, the final race was a nail biting affair. Team KLR's Rob Hayles was an early contender in the series before taking a tumble that broke the former World Champions collar bone. Hayles had an outside chance of stealing the series from Elliott in the final event around Warwick Town centre, albeit a slim one.
The Plowman Craven team were out in force with national champion James Taylor acting as Malcolms loyal lieutenant, but with Tony Gibb out sick they were without one of their most powerful riders.
Warrick Spence of London Dynamo was another rival in the series and the victor in Guildford was also not going to give up without a fight.
With Kristian House out in front Spence joined him in the breakaway. Behind the Plowman Craven team were controlling Hayles, a tactic that was clearly frustrating the Olympic champion.
Taylor took the sprint for second behind Spence after House had retired due to mechanical trouble. Elliott took the minor sprint for seventh to secure the series.
Travelwise Warwick Town Centre Criteriums
1 Warrick Spence London Dynamo/Cyclefit
2 James Taylor Plowman
Craven Racing Team
3 Ian Wilkinson Science In Sport.com
4 David Collins Team Scott UK
5 Daniel Booth Magura
6 Kristian House
7 Philip Dixon
8 Malcolm Elliott Plowman
Craven Racing Team
9 Adam Blythe Pinarello Racing Team
10 Jonathon Mozley Merlin Development Squad
| Elliott Victorious In London GP | 07/09/2006 |
The streets of London are
normally a place you would take your life in
your hands if you decide to negotiate them by bike.
The national elite circuit series moved to London on Sunday, with Plowman Craven Racing Team rider Malcolm Elliott leading overall. The London event and the Glasgow race on the Tuesday, were the support races for the third running of the six day Tour of Britain race. After coming up against some of the riders who were starting in the next days tour, the former winner of the Kelloggs Tour of Britain and Milk Race came home in third to show he has lost none of the sprint finish that made him so famous in his days as a top professional in Europe and the USA. The Glasgow race was won by Michael Markov ahead of Tour of Belgium winner Maarten Tjallingi of Skil-Shimano. Elliott headed south for the London round confident that he had the full Plowman Craven 'Blue Train' to support him. With Buckingham Palace as a backdrop it was an impressive sight as the brightly coloured pack raced through the streets normally more famous for horse parades than bike races.
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One of Elliotts main contenders in the early rounds Rob Hayles, was back after recovering from a broken collarbone that had kept him out for most of the summer. With Plowman Craven controlling the proceedings, the newly crown World Masters road race champion took off in a group with only six laps remaining. With their protected rider in the breakaway and safe in the knowledge that the second placed overall Warrick Spence had missed the move, the Plowman Craven team closed down the chase.
The sprint for the line on the Mall would be the venue for the finish of the final stage of the Tour of Britain later in the day. With the line in sight Elliott unleashed his sprint to take a popular victory ahead of Hayles, Tony Gibb lead in the bunch sprint for sixth place.
Malcolm will now go into the final round in Warwick to secure the overall victory in a competition that has been a major team goal in a hugely successful first season together.
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Bob Chicken
Grand Prix Result UCI Road Masters
World Championships |
| Plowman Craven Racing Team Tour of the South | 22/07/2006 |
A final finish of fourth overall does not quite do young Swedish rider Freddie Johansson justice in the Tour of the South. The 20 year old Plowman Craven RT rider was one of only two riders in the break of five on the opening day, not from the UCI division 3 pro outfit ReCycling.co.uk. Chris Newton has been at the top of the British and World track scene for over a decade and has World titles, Olympic medals as well as victories in races such as the Circuit des Mines in France to his name. The eighty five mile stage one took the field from Crawley and included Milland Hill, a notoriously tough 25% gradient near the finish at Liphook in Hampshire. Johansson fought hard against the three team mates and finished in a well deserved third in the place in the sprint for the line with Newton taking the win and yellow jersey. Stage two took in a rolling circuit around Long Crendon in Oxfordshire. With a lone winner on the 80 mile stage, Malcolm Elliott snatched second place for Plowman Craven ahead of Newton with Tony Gibb and James Taylor coming home in fourth and fifth. Johansson rolled in comfortably in the main field, but this stage finish was to be a costly mistake come the final day. With Newton leading overall in the yellow jersey, points and king of the mountains competitions it was Johansson and Taylor who raced in these jerseys. Another decisive break took off on the eighty three mile stage three to Malmesbury in Wiltshire. Once again Johansson made sure he was in the move, coming home in ninth. Newton who also was in the break still lead overall. After the stage he said "My legs were tired today, but for me I'm happy because I'm reading the race well and this is something I haven't done for well for a while. It's the confidence of having my team mates behind me that is making the difference" The final stage four enjoyed cooler conditions than the previous stages and took the riders from Tavistock along the edge of Dartmoor. After an early break was reeled in, it was the turn of Plowman Cravens youngest rider Adam Norris who was guesting for the Surrey League composite team, to have a go. Norris who was last years British junior road race champion has showed tremendous determination and dedication this year in what is always a difficult transition from going from junior to senior. Norris like Johansson is a road rider and has suffered slightly on the programme of criteriums and lack of major road races this summer. The break swept in towards the line and in the closest finish of the race Adam just missed out to Matt Talbot of Glendene CC for the victory, it took a photo finish to separate them. As the bunch closed in to the finish Johansson was edged out by ReCyclings Rob Partridge in the sprint, the result of which left the two riders on the same time and Partridge awarded the third place overall by virtue of the points awarded for stage finishes. "I have to say I'm disappointed with losing third overall on the final stage especially on points. I'm now going to spend more time on the track to learn to sprint better" Freddie said with a smile. Tour of the South : 31/7/06 Stage 4 Result Overall GC Overall KOM Overall Points Overall Team
GC Stage 3 Result
27.1 mph Stage 2 Result
26.8 mph Stage 1 Result
25.3 mph The next outing for the team is the
Wednesdays Clitheroe round of the 'National Elite Circuit Series' |
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| Plowman Craven Racing Team travel to Colne, North Yorkshire for the latest round of the National Elite Circuit Series | 22/07/2006 |
| The Plowman Craven Racing Team travelled to Colne in North Yorkshire for the latest round of the national elite circuit series. The team known as the 'blue train' have been very much to the fore in every race in a series that is rapidly growing in popularity with riders and spectators alike as it moves around the country. City Centre Cycling was responsible for the increase in popularity of cycling in the eighties with the Channel 4 series sponsored by Kelloggs. Tony Gibb currently sits at the top of the UK rankings and after an amazing opening season for the Plowman Craven RT Malcolm Elliott and national criterium champion James Taylor are also in the top four. Plowman Craven also lead the team rankings and continue to dish out a lesson in how to race as a team week in, week out. After early attacks were nullified in the Colne race, Gibb joined SiS's Ian Wilkinson and ReCycling.co.uk riders Evan Oliphant and Kristian House in a move that initially looked like it would be quickly pulled back by the main field. With some big efforts that held the gap at twenty seconds the bunch then sat up and the break quickly moved away. Working well together and on a small circuit that didn't even measure one kilometre in length, the four men were soon back in the main group after lapping the entire field. With five laps to go the officials pulled out the bunch as is the rule in this case, Malcolm Elliott just missed out to Chris Newton in the sprint for fifth place. |
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The breakaway were then allowed the circuit to themselves for the final five laps to decide the outcome of what had been a hard fought race from the start. With two riders from ReCycling in the break it was always going to be a tall order for Tony to win. With his usual grit he was just edged out in the sprint for the line by the Scotsman Oliphant. Craig Butland took his first victory of the season in the latest round of the Hillingdon circuit series on Tuesday. The big South African was on the receiving end of a fine lead out from team mate Freddie Johansson and took a well deserved victory after sacrificing his chances for the team all year. |
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| Gibb Takes National Omnium Title For Plowman Craven RT | 17/07/2006 |
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Tony Gibb of the Plowman Craven Racing
Team won his 10th British The Omnium is normally an all round test of a track riders ability and skill,with a mixture of endurance and sprint events. This time the races were very much endurance based, known for his ability in the longer events the reigning national madison champion Gibb took to the newly resurfaced Scunthorpe track with one goal in mind, victory! With James Taylor and Wesley Cole also in attendance the Plowman Craven boys in blue whitewashed the event with Gibb taking the gold over Scotsman James McCallum, fresh from his bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games. In the searing heat James Taylor set a new track record in the flying lap in the opening event. Gibb then followed this up with wins in the points race, devil take the hindmost and final scratch race, an event he has won both Commonwealth and World championship medals at. "For me it's fantastic to take another
national title and the second of the year for the team with James
winning the criterium. We as a team have had a great year so far
and hopefully there will be more national titles for us before the
end of the season" The team will now set their sights on the upcoming Tour of the South which starts on July 27th. |
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| Johansson joins the Plowman Craven Racing Team | 28/04/2006 |
| Multiple Swedish cycling champion Frederik Johansson has joined Britain's top cycling team Plowman Craven (PCA) for the rest of the season. The former Team Mälarenergi rider joins former world and commonwealth track medallist Tony Gibb and former Tour of Spain green jersey winner Malcolm Elliott in their pursuit to keep hold of the top spot in the British Cycling ranking for 2006. The 20-year-old made contact with the team through former team mate Magnus Backstedt after the former Paris – Roubaix winner met Tony Gibb at one of the Revolution track meetings in Manchester this year. Johansson has built a reputation against the clock but his national titles gained in his junior years were earned across road, criterium and time trial disciplines. "I was always in the Swedish national squad when I was junior and I have raced in the U23 squad this year too," said Johansson: "Last year wasn't a great season for me because of many reasons but I am looking forward to racing with PCA this year." Johansson will be based with his friend Backstedt in Cardiff where the big man has already taken him down to Newport for a taste of track racing. "I'm going to train on the track for a couple of months before I compete in my first track race," said the youngster from Koppaberg in Sweden. "I will be concentrating on the pursuit." |
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Johansson's debut for Plowman Craven will be in the forthcoming Chas Messenger 3-Day in Southern England starting on Saturday with a criterium at the Hillingdon Circuit in London. There may be some expectations of the Swedish youngster in Sunday's short time trial that precedes the afternoon road stage in Buckinghamshire but Johansson plays down his chances of a debut stage victory. "Hopefully I will do well but my legs are not on top form at the moment but maybe. I have raced already raced in 15 events this year and have managed to get into a break every time. I have also completed the Vuelta Mallorca earlier which was pretty hard but it was a great experience to race in the mountains."
"My key targets for this year are getting a medal in the Swedish time trial championships and a top five place in the U23 European championships and of course to help PCA win events. Living with Magnus will be really good experience. He is one of the top riders in the Pro Tour and it will be great to see how he works. And of course I can't forget to say thanks to Plowman Craven and Magnus for creating this opportunity for me."
Interview Performed and Written by Gerry McManus
For more information please click the links below:
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Cycling.TV - Watch the Interview on cycling.tv with Simon and Fredrik |
| Plowman Craven stars in Good Friday Race | 11/04/2006 |
| Plowman
Craven RT riders will be among the star attractions in the Good
Friday track meeting at Herne Hill in London. For more information please click the links below: |
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| Plowman Craven RT Top The Official Rankings | 04/04/2006 |
| The
first published British Cycling rankings, for this season, show
Plowman Craven RT - Opera / Leica Geosystems as the Number 1 team
and also, Plowman Craven's Tony Gibb as the top rider. To see the league tables please click the links below: |
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