PERSHORE-based Team Echelon-Rotor have just signed up one of the UK’s top female cyclists, Nicola Juniper.
Currently leading the women’s National Series, Juniper has enjoyed some impressive wins this season, having won the Tour of the Reservoir and the overall of the Three Days of Bedford, as well as placing second in the Peterborough round of the Tour Series.
Within days of joining the Pershore team, Juniper notched up arguably her finest victory to date in winning the televised London Nocturne. In front of a 15,000 crowd around Smithfield Market in London, Juniper was in the thick of the action from the start.
The 1.1km circuit was tight and led to fast and furious racing. At around half distance Juniper moved clear with Gabriella Shaw of the Pearl Izumi Sports Tour Team.
Katie Curtis (Starley Primal Pro Racing) tried in vain to get across to the duo, but Juniper and Shaw maintained their advantage over the decimated field to the end and the Echelon rider won the final sprint by a comfortable margin.
The following morning Juniper, undoubtedly still fatigued from her win in the previous night’s racing, lined up to contest the National Masters Road Championship. Held in Wing, Bedfordshire, on a tough sporting course over 80km, victory once again fell to Juniper who won the uphill sprint to the line.
Competing in the very tough Surf & Turf Women’s Two-Day, Juniper finished in a highly commendable seventh place overall.
As a counting event in the women’s series, the only way to try and reduce Juniper’s overall lead was for riders from a number of top teams to combine and try to dislodge the Echelon-Rotor rider from the top spot.
On the final day’s road stage, Olympic and world stage riders Laura Trott, Danni King, Katie Archibald and Elinor Barker attacked and forged an advantage.
In the bunch sprint for fifth, Juniper was only beaten by two other riders. Overall honours in the event fell to Laura Trott OBE.