BRENTWOOD GLORY FOR DOWNING

Despite fielding just two riders, Rapha Condor took victory in the Brentwood Town Centre Races with Dean Downing launching a solo attack with 15 minutes remaining and holding the advantage to the line.

With a full complement of riders at the previous day?s Smithfield Nocturne race in London the Rapha Condor outfit had to settle for third place, but with just Downing and Simon Holt riding at Brentwood they managed to do what a full team hadn?t 24 hours earlier.

A seven-strong team flew out to Canada on Sunday to ride the Tour of Beauce, leaving Dean Downing and Simon Holt to ride at Brentwood.

?Plowman Craven had a big team out for Brentwood,? explained Downing. ?So me and Holty just sat on and watched what happened. But we both felt really strong and had a go, and it worked out really well.

?I was really pleased to win but especially because of the way I did it. It was a bit of a Kamikaze attack with around 15 minutes to go, but I managed to stay clear and take the win ahead of a classy field.?

Downing will now ride the fourth round at Brighouse on Tuesday evening, before tackling the next round of the Premier Calendar, the Beaumont Trophy, on Sunday.

Brentwood Town Centre Races (National Elite Circuit Series, round three).-
1 Dean Downing (Rapha Condor-Recycling) 1-09-54

2 Rob Hayles (Halfords Bikehut) at 28sec

3 Jeroen Janssen (Pearl Izumi) at 44sec

4 Simon Holt (Rapha Condor-Recycling)

5 Tom Barras (Plowman Craven RT)

6 Marcin Bialoblocki (Sports Beans-Wilier)