Well done Ian Stannard - from Planet X to Paris-Roubaix
It was great to see Ian Stannard come away with a podium in Paris-Roubaix and we’d like to reflect on the part we played in Ian’s success.
Back in 2005 Planet X was sponsoring a somewhat reduced team than in the previous glory years when the likes of Wayne Randle, John Tanner, Mark Lovatt and others had so dominated the British road racing scene.
With Lovatt approaching the tail end of his racing career he was joined on the team by two young riders in the junior ranks that we thought might have a bit of talent and could benefit from riding with one of the country’s established pros.
Check out this early season result and race report from the "British spring classic" the Eddie Soens Memorial that was the big opener of the domestic season. A young junior riding restricted gears for Planet X and mixing it against the top Recycling team - a sign of great things to come !!!
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The weather may have been Baltic but with a field of 139 riders, things soon got hot at the 44th edition of the classic Eddie Soens Handicap RR. Held over the club circuit at the famous Aintree Race course on Merseyside, the scratch group soon demolished the 3 minute lead given to the first group of riders, thanks in part to bug turns put in by Shaun Snodden and Ben Greenwood.
1 Rob Hayles (recycling.co.uk/MG X Power) 1.46.53
2 Dean Downing (recycling.co.uk/MG X Power) 0.16
3 Russell Downing (recycling.co.uk/MG X Power)
4 Chris Newton (recycling.co.uk/MG X Power)
5 Ian Stannard (Planet X RT) 1.44
1 lap behind
6 Robin Sharman (recycling.co.uk/MG X Power)
7 Evan Oliphant (recycling.co.uk/MG X Power)
8 William Wright (Wills Wheels CC)
9 Phil West (VC St Raphael)
10 Adam Blythe (Planet X RT)
11 Ian Wilkinson (Giant Racing)
12 Mark Lovatt (Planet X RT)
13 Mike Jolley (Onimpex RT)
14 Leigh Cowell (recycling.co.uk/MG X Power)
11 April 2016