Halfords Tour Series Round Seven: Who towered over the opposition at Canary Wharf?

Zak Dempster last night won Round Seven of the 2012 Halfords Tour Series at Canary Wharf, and with team mates Scott Thwaites and Russ Downing also getting into the top ten, Endura Racing was also the team winners on the night and extended its series lead to 11 points.

Dempster, winner of the round in Durham last year, won the sprint from three fellow riders in the break, Mike Northey of Node 4-Giordana Racing, Team UK Youth’s Chris Opie and Rapha Condor Sharp’s Andy Tennant.

Behind, Tennant’s team mate at Rapha Condor Sharp, as well as in the Great Britain team pursuit squad, Ed Clancy, led the chasing bunch over the line to take fifth place.

Bernard Sulzberger of Team Raleigh-GAC remains top of the Boardman Bikes Sprints competition, although it was Yanto Barker of Team UK Youth who claimed the honours in this round.

Getting the race under way last night was world champion Mark Cavendish, who was also on hand afterwards to present Endura with their series leaders’ jerseys on the podium.

“It’s wicked to be here and to see the racing,” he Cavendish.  “When Mick [Bennett, Halfords Tour Series director] explained the format it is really good. I’ve been watching on TV so I wanted to come down and watch it and it’s been really good.”

Earlier on in the evening, former Team Sky man Russ Downing helped a team from city law firm Clifford Chance win the IG Markets Canary Wharf Corporate Grand Prix ProAm relay.

“It was pretty easy for me”, he said, “The guys had done all the hard work so it was pretty cruisey. It’s very windy out there tonight so all these guys did awesome out there.”

Highlights of last night’s race will be on ITV4 at 8pm this evening. The next round takes place in Torquay next Tuesday.

The Halfords Tour Series, Round Seven, Canary Wharf presented by IG Markets, Provisional Results

IG Markets Canary Wharf Corporate Grand Prix winners

Clifford Chance and Russell Downing (Endura Racing)

Round Seven Individual Result

1        Zak Dempster, Endura Racing
2        Mike Northey, Node4-Giordana Racing
3        Chris Opie, Team UK Youth
4        Andy Tennant, Rapha Condor Sharp
5        Ed Clancy, Rapha Condor Sharp
6        Rico Rogers, Node4-Giordana Racing
7        Scott Thwaites, Endura Racing
8        Stephen Adams, Cycle Premier-Kovert
9        Russ Downing, Endura Racing
10      James Stewart, Team UK Youth

Round Seven Team Result

1        Endura Racing
2        Node4-Giordana Racing
3        Rapha Condor Sharp
4        Team UK Youth
5        Cycle Premier-Kovert
6        Team Raleigh-GAC
7        Team IG-Sigma Sport
8        Team Hope Factory Racing
9        Metaltek Scott
10       Herbalife LeisureLakesBikes

Overall Team Standings, post-Round Seven

1        Endura Racing, 66pts
2        Rapha Condor Sharp, 55pts
3        Team UK Youth, 53pts
4        Team Raleigh-GAC, 50pts
5        Node4-Giordana Racing, 49pts
6        Cycle Premier-Kovert, 34pts
7        Team IG-Sigma Sport, 28pts
8        Metaltek Scott, 18pts
9        Herbalife LeisureLakesBikes, 16pts
10       Team Hope Factory Racing, 14pts                     

Boardman Bikes Sprints winner Canary Wharf

Yanto Barker, Team UK Youth

Boardman Bikes Sprints standings, post-Round Seven

1        Bernard Sulzberger, Team Raleigh-GAC, 65pts
2        Marcel Six, Metaltek Scott, 55pts
3        Kristian House, Rapha Condor Sharp, 32pts