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Cycling: Elliott sprints to Brighouse victory
VETERAN fastman Malcolm Elliott edged out teammate Tom Murray to take victory in last night's Brighouse circuit race.
Forty six year old Elliott (Pinarello RT), who won the sprints jersey in the Tour of Spain in the 1980s, showed he has lost none of his class as he blasted up the left hand side of Commercial Street to beat Batley-based Murray and Science in Sport strongman Ian Wilkinson at the end of a frantic evening's competition.
The trio had been part of a decisive nine-man escape that broke clear just shy of halfway through the hour long event - 50 minutes racing plus a further 10 laps of the kilometre-long circuit - which counts towards British Cycling's elite circuit race series.
The three were joined by Dean Downing and Simon Holt (Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk), last year's winner Tom Barras and his Plowman Craven teammate Simon Richardson, Leeds rider Liam Holohan (Pearl Izumi - Planet X) and, after a frantic chase, Wouter Sybrandy (Sigma Sport).
With only two of the big favourites - Downing's younger brother Russell and Plowman Craven's former World track silver medalist Tony Gibb - missing the split, the move quickly gained momentum, with Richardson driving hard at the front for Barras to ensure the group stayed clear.
The backmarkers were mopped up with around 15 minutes remaining, before Murray, who had been active from the gun, made a bid for glory with Holt with 12 laps to go.
The duo quickly pulled out a 150 metre gap, but Barras counter-attacked with seven laps remaining to drag them back into the group.
Murray tried again with three to go without success, before Holohan, doubtless aware he had no chance of winning in a sprint, launched a huge attack as the nine took the bell.
He held a 10 metre gap going down the back of the circuit, but was caught as the group swung round into the finishing straight for the final time.
Elliott then timed his effort perfectly, leaving Murray to take a deserved runners up spot from a fast-finishing Wilkinson.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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