Kristian House solos to victory in Durham

_{photos by Jordan Crosby}  

Defending series champions Rapha Condor Sharp may have had a rocky start to the 2012 Halford Tour Series at Kircaldy on Tuesday, but Kristian House bounced back from disappointment to take a fantastic solo win on the tough Durham circuit last night.

House’s win, which came after a 35-minute solo move, also helped the team to a solid second place on the night, moving them up to second overall in the Tour Series rankings.

House was naturally elated to take the win in front of enormous crowds on the streets of Durham:

“I am really happy to win here, it is a circuit I know, and I know suits me. It is a much harder circuit than any other in the series, the corners are fast and tight, and the cobbled climb takes it out of you lap after lap. Tuesday was disappointing but I knew what I had to do tonight.

“It is a shame we didn’t get the team win too, but we are on our way back now, after having such a rough time on Tuesday, and that counts for a lot.”

On Tuesday, in the Tour Series’ first round in Scotland, the men in black had suffered with various problems and were left floundering in fifth spot on the night.

Team manager, John Herety, had felt the bitter disappointment of his team’s defence of the title after getting off to a near catastrophic start.

“I was devastated for the boys on Tuesday. We had lost Ben Grenda with sickness just before the start, and then on the night Dean was flying, but his race was ruined when he punctured with 400m to go.

“There was also a lot of guys getting lapped and getting in the way, the night got very confusing and it was not the ideal start at all. We have started to come off the back foot now with Kristian leading the way tonight, and I’m confident that we have the experience and the riders to win this series again.”

The series continues next Tuesday in Oxford, where the team will be looking to start clawing back points toward the top of the leader board.

• Televised coverage: Watch ITV4 at 8pm, Friday 18th May 2012
• Report: tourseries.co.uk report »