SPRINGTIME PURSUIT – RACE 1
Andy Hoskins from Weston-super-Mare but riding for the Cardiff JIF team won a closely contested sprint at the end of the first Mid-Devon Cycling Club’s Springtime Pursuit. However his superior strength saw him pull 5 lengths clear in the final yards from the rest of the leading pack. The race was run in true spring like conditions of clear blue skies and a light but biting easterly breeze.

The pace was high from the start at the Jack in the Green Inn. The slight uphill road to the Hand and Pen Crossroad had some riders in almost all of the groups struggling to maintain contact with the rest of their bunch. Once out of touch there was no way back as the road dropped steadily back towards Exeter and the pace picked up.

In less than 9 miles the second group had caught up the first group and this allowed Peter Wheddon, Clevedon and District Road Club to sprint his way to the lap end prime – the first of 3 lap end primes that he won.

By the time the second lap had been completed the third group had also got to the front and was driving the pace up even higher.

At the back of the race the scratch men were doing their utmost to bring back the group that had started in front of them. This they managed with about 10 miles to go. The joining of the last two groups was a signal for some of the top men to try and bridge the gap to get to the front.

First to attack was Exeter based Nigel Polkinghorne (Team Training FX) he was joined by Cornishman Steve Lampier – Lampier is off to France in 10 days for a season’s racing. As no one else joined them they sat up but climbing to the Hand and Pen for the last time Polkinghorne attacked again. This time he was joined by James Taylor, City of Edinburgh, Greg Sandy, Endurasport/Principia, Mark Perry, Bournemouth Arrow, Vince Smith, Somer Valley and his team mate Adrian Sluman.

The sextet made steady progress to overhaul the front runners. With 5 miles to go they had less than a minute deficit and looked to have the situation under control when disaster struck. Mark Perry came down, reason unknown. He fell clear of his bike. This was just as well for a tradesman’s van failed to clear the cycle and drove over his best wheels and frame – damage £2,500 – the van drove on.

The crash not only robbed the group of one of the strong men but it seriously disrupted the chaser’s rhythm. With 3 miles to go the gap was down to 40 seconds and on the final straight all three main groups could be seen chasing hard. In the end it proved too much with the sprint being contested by the lesser-fancied men.

Coming in behind Hopkins was 19 year old Adam Holmes, Mid-Devon C.C. who works with his father raising suckler cattle on a Teign Valley farm. The ever-present sprinter Peter Wheddon was third ahead of William Stevens, Bournemouth Arrow, and Adam’s father Martyn Holmes. The top junior in the race was Chris Edwards, Team South West who was sixth.

Of the 75 entrants 64 started and 56 finished. The unluckiest rider was Peter Maker of St. Austell Wheelers who got to the start line when his rear tyre to exploded and was unable to get a suitable spare wheel.

Result: -
1 Andy Hoskins (2 mins) Cardiff JIF 30 miles in 1hr 12m 42 secs
2 Adam Holmes (1 min) Mid-Devon C.C. (the bracketed figure = the time the rider had to
3 Peter Wheddon (2 mins) Clevedon & Dist R.C. make up on those with no bracketed time)
4 William Stevens (1 min) Bournemouth Arrow)
5 Martyn Holmes Mid-Devon C.C.
6 Chris Edwards (1 min) Team South West
7 Adrian Street(2 mins) North Devon Wheelers
8 Roy Brown (2 mins) South Devon Velo
9 Nick Stevens (1 mins) Cardiff JIF
10 Craig MacAlpine (1 min) Mid-Devon C.C.
11 Chris Scott (2 mins) Camel Valley C & T.C.
12 Tim Carpenter (2 mins) Team Training FX all same time

The second race in the series takes place this coming Saturday on the same course but the finish is moved another 600 yards further up the finishing hill. As of Monday morning there is still room for a limited number late entries.