Ollie Wood marked the 70th edition of the men’s Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix with a momentous victory for the race’s title sponsor and his new Rapha CC team.
The Yorkshireman launched his race-winning attack on the last of 13 ascents of Michaelgate, where he powered past former EF Education-EasyPost rider Jack Rootkin-Gray to win by seven seconds.
Speaking to Cycling Weekly, the 30-year-old, best known as a former track world champion and Olympic silver medallist, said the victory “has to be at the top” of his road palmarès, which also counts a national criterium title.
“I had a quick look at the trophy, which is quite a large trophy you unfortunately don’t get to take home – probably fortunately, actually, because it’s massive – and it had a lot of names engraved on it. It feels good to be on there,” he said.
“It’s a pretty prestigious race, and a really nice setting to do it in: at the top of Michaelgate, where there are a lot of historical buildings. I guess you could call it an amphitheatre.”
(Image credit: Alex Whitehead/SWpix)
Wood was part of a five-rider move that tore clear around the race’s halfway mark. Coming into the closing climb, he said, he “wasn’t feeling great” but trusted his record of finishing well.
“I just put my head down, went flat-out, and then fortunately around the last corner, I looked back and I was clear,” he said. “I was able to get my hands in the air.”
Wood celebrated afterwards by lifting the cobble trophy on the podium. He then went on to toast his victory with an Indian takeaway at home.
Rootkin-Gray finished second, with Thomas Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) a close third.
The Downings return
Dean and Russ Downing wore matching black and green kit at Sunday’s race.
(Image credit: Alex Whitehead/SWpix)
One of the big stories of the day was the dual comeback of British cycling brothers Russ and Dean Downing, who lined up together in Lincoln for the first time in over a decade.
The pair received a hero’s welcome on their return, the culmination of a year-long project of regaining fitness and collecting enough race points to meet their wildcard invites.
This spring, the Downings took part in 12 grassroots events across a three-week period – even competing three times in one morning – to earn their place at the race that defined both of their careers; former Team Sky rider Russ, 47, won the title four times between 2005 and 2012, making him the joint record holder. Dean, 51, won in 2007, and twice finished second to his younger brother.
Neither rider finished Sunday’s event – Russ was pulled from the field with two laps left of the 13, while Dean was caught behind a mass pile-up and withdrew after four – but, as both made clear, it was never about the result. “I wanted to be in the race for as long as I could and I did that,” Russ said. “Overall I’m super happy and proud of what we did for the sport after all these years.”
“Time to rest my old, knackered body now,” Dean said.
