Dangerfield
finally does it
By Keith Bingham. Pictures by Rob Lampard
Consistently labelled the nearly man of British time trialling, Stuart
Dangerfield finally broke his national championship voodoo with a late
burst of power that carried him to the ‘25’ title.
AFTER nine years of trying, Stuart Dangerfield (Wheelbase CC) beat the
jinx at last to win the blue riband event of British time trialling, the
RTTC national `25' title, at Stockton-on-Tees on Sunday. In a close finish
on the T252/3 course at Crathorne he rocketed over the last six miles
to turn over a 15second deficit on Chris Newton (North Wirral Velo) and
take the gold medal by five seconds with a time of 51-10.
The `25' title will be regarded as Dangerfield's first major time trial
championship victory, surpassing his four national hill-climb titles in
1992, 1993, 1995 and 1996. As well as the four hill-climb titles, Dangerfield
has twice won the BCF time trial championship and was a member of the
winning RTTC 100km team trial championship quartet last year while he
was riding for Parker International RT.
"The hill titles don't mean that much to me anymore," said
a jubilant Dangerfield, who had never won a medal of any colour in this
event, but came close several times. "But the `25' title is something
special because people like Chris [Boardman], Graeme [Obree] and other
top riders have won it in the past." Following this triumph, the
Midlander's greatest wish is to ride for Britain in the World Time Trial
Championship in Spain in October.
"I've never got a medal in the `25' championship because I've always
been slightly off form. But this year I've been riding the road. I've
hardly ridden any time trials and I think this has been a good thing,"
Dangerfield added.
The victory meant a lot to him, especially after the disappointment in
the 10-mile championship a few weeks earlier when he felt he had been
unfairly defeated to a silver or bronze medal by a machine, not an athlete.
However, his fears the same might happen in the `25' came to nothing as
the Obree-style bike at the centre of the controversy was abandoned by
the Walker brothers, who had upstaged Dangerfield in the `10'.
Harry Walker (Team Metro), one of the two brothers on the said machine,
provided an ample riposte to any possible criticism by taking the bronze
medal on a conventional bike, albeit one with very narrow tri-bars which
looked anything but safe. Both Harry and Brian Walker have discarded their
`Obree' machines after recent protests that its extreme position offered
unfair aerodynamic advantages. After Harry had clocked 52-07 for an eventual
third place, there were words between him and Dangerfield.
Of Graeme Obree himself there was no sign. The defending champion carried
out his threat not to start, pleading poverty due to having no Sports
Council grant yet. Alongside his name on the result board was written
the legend, "DNS - no apology". Event secretary Keith Roberts
of Stockton Wheelers, organisers on behalf of RTTC Teesside District Committee,
wasn't pleased. "I rang him to see if it was true he wasn't going
to start and left a message on his answer-phone, but he never called me
back. I'm disappointed and so are the fans who came here to see him."
But there were plenty of other riders to entertain the spectators on
a brilliantly sunny day which was full of surprises. The big question
was, what happened to the great Sean Yates, the former Tour de France
yellow jersey?
Beaten out of the medals in the '10', he was also out of reach of a gong
in the `25', finishing fifth. It is surely time now we stopped expecting
Tour de France performances from this great rider, who is completing a
sort of reverse metamorphosis. For Yates, the boot is now firmly on the
other foot and it was perhaps expecting too much of him to win the `25'
title 17 years after he last did so.
He moved up from amateur to pro 15 years ago and is now moving gently
back in the other direction. Although clearly capable of taking the RTTC
medal he dearly wants, the fact is he's back in fulltime employment. However,
he has rightly retained that aura of fame which means he is destined to
be pursued by autograph-hunters at every event. The Team Clean star cut
a fine style, although he was obviously straining on too big a gear and
settled for fifth place in 52-24.
The man immediately in front was Julian Ramsbottom, fourth in 52-19,
and the second counter in the victorious North Wirral Velo team which
won the team championship for the second time in succession. Their third
counter was Matthew Bottrill, with 53-37, who placed ninth.
How Dangerfield did it
But this was Dangerfield's greatest hour. In the showers afterwards he
said: "It hasn't sunk in yet. Someone else usually wins the `25'."
It was nice to see him smiling broadly when his brow has tended to be
furrowed after some mishap.
This was the day it all came right for the small Midlands rider who was
off number 110 at 7.50am. Although he has won four hill-climb titles,
he had never previously taken a medal in the `25'.
However, until the very last moments of Dangerfield's run, it looked
as if Newton was destined to take the crown. Off number 95, he impressed
on the mostly uphill six-mile drag to Osmotherly and went on to reach
the turn at 12.16 miles in 24-20.
But that was with a fresh wind behind. Dangerfield was 19 seconds slower
than Newton to the turn, while Harry Walker arrived 30 seconds down on
Newton. In fact, Yates was third fastest at the turn, in 24-46, but he
knew he was cooked, and so it appeared to the bystanders. The stopwatches
told the story. With Yates fading fast, it appeared to be between Newton
and Dangerfield, while Harry Walker was burying himself in an effort to
restore his bruised morale. With just over six miles to go and Newton
still in the gold medal position, an urgent shout to Dangerfield - "you're
15 seconds down on Newton" - worked miracles. At this point the Wheelbase
rider was apparently level with Yates. But as Walker pounded towards a
bronze medal and Yates slipped backwards, Dangerfield cleared that 15second
hurdle, churning a mighty 57x l4 gear to draw level with Newton. He even
whacked into the 12 sprocket occasionally and perhaps this made the difference
as he hit Newton for another five seconds by the line!
How the fast times changed
What happened to the other names, eclipsed this day by Dangerfield? First
of the favourites onto the course was early starter Rob Hayles (Team Ambrosia),
the former 10-mile champion. Off number 30, his 52-38 was the fastest
ride on the board by nearly three minutes at that point. But five minutes
later it was clipped by one second by BCF under-23 champion Paul Manning
(Adidas-Sci Con), and Hayles began his slide to an eventual seventh fastest.
Manning's time stood for 55 minutes, until Harry Walker shaved 30 seconds
off and set Manning on his descent to sixth place. Then in swept Newton
some three minutes later to knock this down another 1-22, before Dangerfield
nipped in to steal the plaudits.
Rated riders not at their best included the BBAR Andy Wilkinson (Adidas-Sci
Con). Off one minute behind Hayles, he conceded more than a minute by
the top of Osmotherly after six and bit miles. He blamed his poor showing
on social duties, attending weddings and dinners. "I just couldn't
get going, it got so bad I started looking around, to try to take my mind
off the fact that I was going so slowly," explained Wilko, who started
number 31 and, oddly, finished 31st fastest! No report would be complete
without mentioning `Mr Consistency’ - none other than young veteran
Geoff Platts (Coalville Wheelers). He was eighth, slipping from fifth
place last year.
Traffic was so light on this Teesside course, compared with courses further
south, you could be forgiven for thinking the event had slipped back in
time. This fanciful notion was reinforced by a procession of immaculately
preserved vintage lorries from the early 1950s which purred down the course
during the event, keeping to the left, out of the way of the fourth-generation
trucks three times their size which hurtled by every few minutes.
RESULTS
1. Stuart Dangerfield (Wheelbase CC) .................................24
39 51 10
2. Chris Newton (North Wirral Velo) ................................24
20 51 15
3. Harry Walker (GS Metro) ........................ . ...................
24 50 52 07
4. J. Ramsbottom (North Wirral Velo)...................................25
01 52 19
5. S. Yates (Team Clean).................................................
24 46 52 24
6. P. Manning (Adidas-Sci Con) .........................................24
48 52 37
7. R. Hayles (Team Ambrosia) ...........................................25
16 52 38
8. G. Platts (Coalville Wh)................................................
25 11 53 25
9. M. Bottrill (North Wirral Velo) .........................................26
13 53 37
10. M. Illingworth (Harlow CC) ...........................................25
10 53 41
11. Bryan Steel (Manchester Phoenix) ................................25
41 53 48
12. Leslie Palmer (Leo RC) .............. 54 22
13. J. Rickards (GS Metro) . ... . . . ..... . . 54 28
14. D. Akam (Wembley RC). . ............ 54 28
15. T. Stevens (Team Clean) .............. 54 34
16. I. Cookson (J.E. James FIT) ........... 54 35
17. B. Walker (GS Metro)................ 54 53
18. K. Murray (Army TTT) ............... 54 54
19. G. Wharton (VS Aztek) ............... 55 02
20. D. Redding (Team Clean) ............. 55 13
21. W. Wright (Atom Elite RT) ............ 55 16
22. N. Jackson (Cleveland Wh) ........... 55 16
23. D. Willetts (Birchfield CC)............. 55 17
24. A. Thompson (VS Aztek) ............. 55 25
25. M. Hope (J. E. James FIT) ............ 55 26
26. N. Rothwell (Leo RC) ................ 55 34
27. N. Payton (Derwent Valley CC) ......... 55 44
28. A. Horner (VC Camelot) .............. 55 45
29. J. Hewison (North Wirral Velo) ......... 55 55
30. D. Sweeney (Rockingham For Wh) ...... 55 56
31. A. Wilkinson (Adidas-Sci Con) ......... 56 02
32. A, Stapleton (Team Clean) ............ 56 04
33. C. Hawxby (Bradford Olympic) ......... 56 37
34. B. Harwood (North Wirral Velo) ........ 56 38
35. S. Harradine (Cwmcarn Paragon) ....... 56 39
36. P. Brear (VC Cumbria) ............... 56 46
37. R. Walker (VS Aztek) ................ 56 57
38. J. Waugh (GS Metro) ................ 56 58
39. J. Wainman (Hull Thursday RC) ........ 57 03
40. A. Pritchard (Condor Cycles) .......... 57 11
41. R. Townsend (Chesterfield Cour) ....... 57 14
42. E. Taylor (East Bradford CC) ........... 57 17
43. D. Warren (Shaftsbury CC)............ 57 20
44. M. Lacy (Twickenham CC) ............ 57 25
45. A. Barber (Sigma Sport RT) ........... 57 30
46. G. Waddington (Pendly Forest CC) ...... 57 33
47. P. Gibbons (Chesterfield Cour) ......... 57 37
48. C. Blacklock (Tyne Velo).............. 57 38
49. A. Gates (Team Rapide) .............. 57 47
50. P. Nicholson (Cleveland Wh) .......... 58 02
51. G. Woodhouse (Kent Valley RC) ........ 58 03
52. N. Pearson (Lancaster CC) ............ 58 10
53. C. Peate (Morley CC) ................ 58 37
54. P. Gamlin (Global Racing) ............ 58 39
55. I. Murray (Stockton Wh) ............. 58 46
56. A. Booth (Global Racing) ............. 58 47
57. M. Garrett (Halifax Imperial Wh) . . . .... 58 55
58. D. Clark (Stockport Clarion CC) ........ 59 00
59. J. Cullen (Otley CC) ................. 59 00
60. D. Oliver (Middridge CRT) ............ 59 01
61. P. Chapman (Otley CC)............... 59 08
62. S. Whitaker (Nottingham Clarion) ....... 59 27
63. A. Cook (Chesterfield Cour) ........... 59 31
64. M. Kateley (Hyde Olympic) ............ 59 33
65. P. Priestley (Border City Wh) .......... 59 35
66. D. Howes (Stockton Wh) ............. 59 36
67. D. Aitkenhead (GS Metro) ............ 59 47
68. M. Conningham (Team Lusso) ......... 59 49
69. C. Knapp (Middridge CRT) ............ 59 54
70. M. Holtly (Cleveland Wh) ........... 1 00 19
71. M. Rogers (Maidenhead & Dist) ...... 1 00 21
72. T. Hombuckle (Cambridge Uni CC) .... 1 00 22
73. R. Potter (Cleveland Wh) ........... 1 00 23
74. T. Smith (Westmead Team '88) ....... 1 00 26
75. S. Terry (Selby CC)................ 1 00 26
76. D. Gillings (VC Nouveau) ........... 1 00 29
77. G. Foston (Hull Thurs RC) .......... 1 00 45
78. S. Coates (Cleveland Wh) ........... 1 00 47
79. T. Bashford (Cleveland Cour) ........ 1 00 59
80. K. Townsend (Cwmcarn Paragon) ..... 1 01 11
81. G. Bateman (Polytechnic CC) ........ 1 01 25
82. P Brown (Cleveland Wh) ........... 1 01 26
83. M. Tinkley (Cleveland Coureurs) ...... 1 01 35
84. N. Vickers (Long Eaton Paragon) ..... 1 01 41
85. I. Allaway (Stockton Wh) ........... 1 01 45
86. S. Brown (trike) (E Bradford CC)...... 1 01 46
87. R. Lee (Teesside Clarion) ........... 1 01 56
88. N. Arnold (E. Bradford CC) .......... 1 01 57
89. D. Betts (RAF CC)........ . . . . . . ... 1 02 05
90. S. Gallagher (Stockton Wh) ......... 1 02 16
91. C. Paling (N. Notts Oly) ............ 1 02 35
92. S. Turner (Cleveland Wh) ........... 1 02 49
93. A. Winter (VC Nouveau) ............ 1 03 09
94. J. Conlin (Stockton Wh) ............ 1 03 12
95. P. Hull (Kent Valley RC) ............ 1 03 31
96. C. Scaife (Teesdale CRC) ........... 1 05 11
97. M. Hope (Stockton Wh) ............ 1 05 50
98. D. Herbert (Hartlepool CC) .......... 1 06 43
Team.- North Wirral Velo (Chris Newton, Julian Ramsbottom, Matthew
Bottrill) 2-37-11.
What they said
Stuart Dangerfield, gold medallist, had a sleepless
night before the '25' thanks to rowdiness outside his hotel and it stunned
him that he appeared to go faster, not slower, as a result. "The
police were around, there was a lot of noise, and people running about,"
he recalled.
"I didn't get any sleep all night and felt dreadful. But when I
was racing, I just got better. The last five miles I just blitzed it.
I knew it was close, but I didn't know I'd won it until I saw the result
board. The most I'd hoped for was a medal.
"I knew Chris Newton would be a threat because he is a class rider.
He's been going well on the road abroad. And I thought Yates might be
there, and the Walker brothers."
Chris Newton, silver medallist, was riding his first
`25' of the year, and although he looked fast and impressive as he set
the fastest times before Dangerfield cancelled him out, he claimed to
be feeling tired after an arduous stage race in France which finished
the week before.
"Things are going really well out there, but I'm looking forward
to having my washing done for me again, and my meals cooked," he
laughed as he explained he was back home for six weeks.
Did he know he was leading most of the way round? "I was getting
plenty of time checks," he confirmed. "I was told I was 20 seconds
up after five miles and all the way around people said `You're up'."
But up on who? "Exactly. Who?" said Newton. "I didn't
know whether they meant the other guy on the opposite side of the road,
or whoever. I just kept going. Stuart went a lot faster on the way back.
I think most people thought it would be between Harry Walker and Sean
Yates."
Harry Walker, bronze medallist, thought Newton would
win it and didn't give himself much of a chance. "Obviously Dangerfield
pulled out a really good ride on the day," he said.
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