Kristian House took victory for the second successive year on Durham’s difficult circuit, soloing to victory ahead of another winning team performance by Team Raleigh in The Pearl Izumi Tour Series.
House bridged a gap to counter Ian Bibby’s move, then going clear alone for a lead that was never surmounted despite the best efforts of the chasing group led by Raleigh and Team UK Youth.
The former British Road Race Champion now has an enviable record of second, sixth, first and first from his four visits to Durham in The Pearl Izumi Tour Series. The Rapha Condor JLT rider also took the IG Sprints prize on the night and with it the lead in the IG Sprints standings.
At the top of The Pearl Izumi Tour Series though the name on the new-look red jerseys is still Raleigh, who hold a four-point lead over Team UK Youth, ahead of Madison Genesis, who recorded their best ever Pearl Izumi Tour Series result with second on the night.
A gradual whittling down of the field over the opening laps steadily reduced the peloton, with the first move of real significance being Madison Genesis’ Bibby going clear. House, who had been at the front of the peloton throughout countered, crossing to Bibby ahead of the third and final IG Sprint, with the pair briefly circulating together.
Mechanical woes shed Bibby from the lead, although such was the relentless nature of House’s riding he seemed destined to end in front alone, in a repeat of 2012.
Behind the lone leader a group of around 20 riders were engaged in an ultimately fruitless pursuit, led by Raleigh and UK Youth. With four of their red-clad riders in the pack, Team Raleigh took a fifth, sixth, seventh for a second team victory of the week ahead of Madison Genesis, helped by top ten’s for Bibby and Andy Tennant.
The Pearl Izumi Tour Series, Round Two Durham, Provisional Results
Round Two Durham, Individual Result
1) Kristian House, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT
2) Tobyn Horton, GBR, Team UK Youth
3) Roman Van Uden, NZL, Node4 Giordana Racing
4) Andy Tennant, GBR, Madison Genesis
5) Tom Scully, NZL, Team Raleigh
6) Evan Oliphant, GBR, Team Raleigh
7) Lachlan Norris, AUS, Team Raleigh
8) Ian Bibby, GBR, Madison Genesis
9) Steve Lampier, GBR, Node4 Giordana Racing
10) Richard Handley, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT
Round Two Durham, Team Result
1) Team Raleigh
2) Madison Genesis
3) Node4 Giordana Racing
4) Team UK Youth
5) Rapha Condor JLT
6) Team Hope Factory Racing
7) MG Maxifuel
8) Team IG Sigma Sport
9) Metaltek - Knights of Old
10) Spin Rotor - Primal - C-Originals
Team Standings, post-Round Two
1) Team Raleigh, 20pts
2) Team UK Youth, 16pts
3) Madison Genesis, 15pts
4) Node4 Giordana Racing, 15pts
5) Rapha Condor JLT, 14pts
6) MG Maxifuel, 8pts
7) Metaltek - Knights of Old, 7pts
8) Team Hope Factory Racing, 7pts
9) Team IG Sigma Sport, 6pts
10) Spin Rotor - Primal - C-Originals, 2pts
IG Sprints winner Round Two Durham: Kristian House, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT
Costa Express Fastest Lap Durham: Niklas Gustavsson, SWE, Team UK Youth, 2:15.1
IG Sprints standings, post-Round Two
1) Kristian House, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT, 14pts
2) Tom Scully, NZL, Team Raleigh, 14pts
3) Alexandre Blain, FRA, Team Raleigh, 11pts
4) Mike Northey, NZL, Node4 Giordana Racing, 7pts
5) Roman Van Uden, NZL, Node4 Giordana Racing, 7pts
Highlights of Round Two in Durham will be shown on ITV4 at 10pm on Friday 17th May, with a repeat at 9am on Saturday 18th May. Round Three of the Series takes place in Stoke-on-Trent on Tuesday 21st May, which also sees the opening round of the women’s Johnson Health Tech Grand Prix Series.
The Pearl Izumi Tour Series 2013
Round Three Tuesday 21st May Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Round Four Friday 24th May Aberystwyth, Ceredigion
Round Five Tuesday 28th May Torquay, Devon
Round Six Thursday 30th May Colchester, Essex
Round Seven Tuesday 4th June Redditch, Worcestershire
Round Eight Thursday 6th June Canary Wharf, London
Round Nine Tuesday 11th June Woking, Surrey
Round Ten Thursday 13th June Aylsham, Norfolk
Round Eleven Friday 14th June Ipswich, Suffolk