1953 Tour of Britain - Part 4
Credit: Cycling 10-Sep-1953

FOREIGN HAT-TRICK !
Ciancola and Guldemont Monday's Split-Stage Winners

FOUR Englishmen, two Frenchmen, a Belgian and an Italian, in a furious 25-mile breakaway to Peterborough on Monday morning - and another Italian triumph at the line. This time it was Ciancola, who raced into a field and bumped his way over the last few yards of grass to win the sprint from L. Scales and B. Wood.
But the second win in succession hardly counter balanced the Italian debit of the stage. Ciancola and Chili had crashed leaving Yarmouth and Ciolli waited to help them back into the group. Their deficit was under a minute but the pace was fast and it was a sharp chase. Later Ciolli had a bout of sickness and Gestri waited. They came in at the tail of the field, 17 minutes down.
An early attack after losing the way out of Yarmouth saw a breakaway established at Norwich (18 miles) with Maitland, Bedwell, Steel, Ilsley, Fenwick, Scales and Parker 1/2 min. up on the bunch which was led by G. W. Thomas.
More break-outs eventually brought about a leading group of 17 riders; three Italians had gone forward, Monti wearing the race leader's jersey, Guldemont of Belgium was there but no Frenchmen. Finally the French broke out, four of them in a group of 12 riders, who, at 60 miles, were 1 min. 20 sec-down on the leaders. At 67 miles  they caught them, the field now being almost equally split in two.

30 M.P.H. RACING
Immediately the Frenchmen went to the attack: Geneste and Bellay went out but were immediately brought back; then Geneste and Baele got clear at 74 miles with Guldemont and B. Wood. They were hotly pursued by S. Saunders, L. Scales, J. Pottier and Ciancola. who caught them at 76 miles to form a new front group of eight. It was some group. Through Wisbech (77 miles) absolutely crammed with lunch-time spectators they raced to half-a-minute clear. Four miles farther on they were 1 1/2 minutes up and Ciancola, appreciating the speed across the Fens, was looking round for Monti. But no one else got up. Every mile, several of them at 30 m.p.h., the eight gained and at the finish, 96 miles, it was more than three minutes with Ciancola taking over the yellow jersey from Monti.
Gestri's and Ciolf's lost 17 minutes included a halt to buy some beer. Their feeding arrangements broke down and on an extremely hot morning drinks were at a premium. After Ciolli's sickness they decided that a complete halt was the best thing.
The effect of the massed-start stage, which was actually something like 98 miles owing to the detour in losing the course at the beginning, was to put Ciancola in the lead at 9.16.8 with Wood at 1 min., Scales at 1.51 and the other five riders who had been in this eight-man breakaway now holding equal fourth position at 9.18.29, with the first-day leader, Monti, back to 9.20.44, and Fenwick next in 9.20.53.
1. L. Ciancola. 4.4.10 less 1 min. bonus 4.3.10.
2. L. Scales, 4.4.10 less 30 sec. 4.3.40.
3. Bevis Wood, 4.4.10 less 15 sec. 4.3.55.
4. Guldemont, Belgium, 4.4.10; 5. Pouter, 4.4.10: 6. Saunders, 4.4.10; 7. Geneste, 4.4.10; 8. Baele, 4.4. to; 9. Parker, 4.7.25; 10. Fenwick, 4.7.25; 11. Wightman: 4.7' 25: 12. Weddle, 4.7.45; 13, S. Wilson, 4.7.50; 14 De Backer, 4.7.56; 15. Brian Robinson, 4.8:6; 16, Parkin, 4.8.7

BELGIUM, FRANCE, ITALY IS THE ORDER IN TIME TRIAL

IN cold figures a 39-mile time trial in a 1,624 mile race seems a simple task for the competitors. But precede it with a 96-mile race in the morning. choose a September heat-wave and pick some undulating roads as from Peterborough to Leicester and it can be very tough.
It was so in the time trial stage of this Tour of Britain. It is good that few of us any longer harbour any illusions that the Englishman will always win at his own game, the time trial. Certainly we had a few against-the-clock experts in action, But then this is only an occasional happening for the foreigners.
Their celebration under English conditions was a shared 1, 2, 3 with Belgian Guldemont, the winner in 1.37.20; Frenchman Tamburlini second in 1.38 dead; and Italian Ciancola third in 1.38.2. The leading Englishman was L. Wightman in 1.40.09. Guldemont started last on the card and just carved his way through the field. My own unofficial check at Uppingham, 21 miles, put him !'-minute up on Tamburlini, Ciancola with Wightman 3 minutes back; Maitland, Baele and _Greenfield at, that point were chasing the leaders.
Belgian De Backer, apparently affected by the heat, collapsed, but resumed to finish within 7 min of the winner. But Ciolli, having a bad day, crashed and smashed his gear and seemed early destined to become an Italian “domestique" to the still race leader, Ciancola.
Twenty-three year-old Guldemont is a close friend of Belgium's leading time trialist Jean Brankart; they belong to the same club, the Pesant club of Liege.
This third foreign success in three stages was not known to the very many spectators who once again turned but for this event. Communications at the finish were of the vaguest nature which seems peculiar in an event conducted with so much publicity.
Leading times: H. Guldemont, 1.37.20; E. Tamburlini, 1.38.0; L. Ciancola, 1.38.2; Wightman, 1.40.09: Bellamy, 1.40.40; Thomas, 1.40.58: Saunders, 1.41.16 Pottier,. 1.41.28; Maitland, 1.41.36; Geneste, 1,41.57; Baele, 1.42.5.
Geneste penalized four minutes with Yeoman for paced riding. His official time is 1.45.57.
Other times (foreigners). - Monti, 1.43.1: Grondelaers, 1.43.10; Chiti. 1.43.40; Beckaert, 1.45.23; De Backer. 1.45.50; Wisinsky, 1.46.25; Mathieu. 1.47.30; Gestri, 1.52.59; Bellay, 1.58.42; Ciolli, 2.14.4.

It hardly seemed necessary for a time trial to be run to break up this field. Such a contest is always full of interest but, with so little as two massed-start stages completed, the indications were that the field would begin to spread itself out quille rapidly during the race.
At the end of two days things were still completely open. The French and Belgians' had been very much up till then holding a watching brief. Several of the English trade teams were still playing a waiting game.
The Italians had given a considerable demonstration of their abilities, yet had had considerable trouble.
The second day was unquestionably Guldemont's. He did not gain any bonus for big time trial win but when it is realized that he was with the leaders in that fierce breakaway in the morning, and was still able to beat the whole. field with a brilliant ride in the afternoon, the honours of the day must go to him even though he lost a few seconds to Ciancola,
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
L. Ciancola (Italy), 10.54.10
H. Guldemont (Belgium), 10.55.49
S. Saunders (Triumph Cycles), 10.59.45
J. Pottier (Wearwell), 10.59.57