Tour Series Round 1: Briggs wins after fight to the line

Graham Briggs (Candi TV – Marshalls Pasta) won the first round of the Tour Series last night in controversial fashion coming second in the final dash for the line behind former Olympian Rob Hayles (Halfords-Bikehut).

However the race judges ruled that in the tussle for the line in the last few metres Hayles had impeded the Doncaster-based Briggs and reversed the rider's positions. Victory was even sweeter for Briggs because he is still recovering from a rib injury. Racing was fast-paced and exciting from first to last. 

It was a double triumph for Briggs' team who also came first in the all important team competition with, Malcolm Elliot coming 5th and Simon Holt 8th to make up  the winning trio.


The position of the first three riders home for each team decides the number of points the team gain in each round, Candi TV were the only team to get three riders in the Top 10 last night and given that one of them was either going to be first or second their points haul was guaranteed to be big. The team with the most points at the end of the 10 round series is the winner.  But everybody likes a to win a race, as Briggs and Hayles proved last night and the beauty of the Tour Series is that it combines both a league format and has individual winners at every round.

Team Results & Standing after Round 1: Milton Keynes

1.      Candi TV – Marshalls Pasta
 - 12pt
2.      Plowman Craven – Madison
 - 10pt
3.      Rapha – Condor
 - 8pt
4.      BMC UK Racing Team
 - 7pt
5.      Sports Beans – Wilier
 - 6pt
6.      Sigma Sport Cycling Team
 - 5pt
7.      www.cyclingbargains.com - 4pt

8.      Team Corley Cycles
 - 3pt
9.      Team Halfords Bikehut
 - 2pt
10.     Endura Racing

 - 1pt

Tour Series Round 1 Individual Results
1. Graham Briggs CANDI TV - MARSHALLS PASTA
2. Rob Hayles TEAM HALFORDS BIKE HUT
3. Simon Gaywood TEAM CORLEY CYCLES
4. Stephen Adams PLOWMAN CRAVEN - MADISON
5. Malcolm Elliott CANDI TV - MARSHALLS PASTA
6. Dean Downing RAPHA - CONDOR
7. Jason White CYCLINGBARGAINS.COM
8. Simon Holt CANDI TV - MARSHALLS PASTA
9. Andy Tennant TEAM HALFORDS BIKE HUT
10.Joe Skipper BMC UK RACING TEAM

Full results and team standings will be available on the Tour Series website - www.tourseries.co.uk

The race now moves to the south west as Exeter welcomes round two of the Tour Series next Thursday May 29 at 7pm.

Remaining Tour Series Dates
Round 2 - 28th May – Exeter

Round 3 - 2nd June – Woking

Round 4 - 4th June – Peterborough

Round 5 - 9th June – Blackpool

Round 6 - 11th June – Southport

Round 7 - 16th June – Stoke-on-Trent

Round 8 - 18th June – Colchester

Round 9 - 23rd June – Chester