The guys at Bounce had a great Easter Weekend at the cycle village during Chorley Grand Prix. It was great to see such a fantastic turnout from the public, the threat of abysmal weather certainly didn’t seem to deter anyone.
We met lots of new people and spent the day discussing bike servicing and shock servicing. We also handed out lots of discount vouchers and held a free raffle to win a Premier Bike Service which was won by Mark Sweeney, a Chorley local. Chorley itself was a hive of activity, the pubs, cafes and shops all seemed to be packed out for the second Chorley Grand Prix – to us interest appeared to have grown even upon last year’s event which was a massive success in itself.
There appeared to be no shortage of action out on the course as the riders endured a demanding 116 miles in the saddle. There were several breakaways but each time the solo attackers were reeled back in, the eventual winner Ed Bradbury launched his attack in the final 20km as he crested Rivington for the final time. This brave move saw him cross the line with over 30 seconds between himself and second place. It was a fantastic sight to behold and despite the fact we were hoping for a sprint finish, seeing Ed so jubilant was every bit as good. As for the bad weather it didn’t really show it’s face until the final 40 minutes or so and the biblical rain only added to the drama.
It was a brilliant conclusion to yet another Chorley Grand Prix and we can’t wait for next year. We will be there!
You can read British Cycling’s race report and check out some of the footage here.
