Lansley Takes Second Wessex Win

29.11.2008 - Oxonian Christmas Cross
Wessex League Round 9

Report & Images: Graham Robins (www.grahamrobins.net)

The under-12s get ready for the off!

Wessex League Round 9 saw Adrian Lansley take his second win of the season, beating Tim Dunsford into second place, again for the second time this season. Pedalon rider Lansley took the lead early in the Senior race and managed to control it to the chequered flag.

It was a welcome return to the Oxford community school, a month after the last event at the venue. The course was similar to the previous race, but reversed, and mainly dry under-wheel. However, there were a couple of 'claggier' bits in the wooded section. The banked section, which did not cause too much problems last time, proved a little more tricky this time: the close proximity of the tennis courts meant the descent had to be angled towards the bottom to allow a run off area.

The under twelve's race got us underway with another high turnout boosted by another large entry from Swindon RC. A flat out run around the football pitch soon sorted out the riders and eventual winner Jack Phillips crossed the line 38 seconds clear and winning the Wessex league U12 section with 3 rounds to go.

Early in the youth race and 4 riders have broken clear

The youth race was next and had 9 entries, including all four of the leaders in the league. From the whistle these four boys Rob, Harvey, Charlie and Luke pulled away. On the tricky decent Charlie White parted company with his bike bending his brake/gear lever, causing himproblems from then on - at the end of the race he found he had broken his helmet too! Rob and Harvey opened out a gap as Charlie set about closing them down. Both Rob and Harvey had slips in the wooded section but avoided visiting the scenery. Rob opened up a gap with two laps to go and finished 22 seconds ahead of Harvey with Charlie coming in a more distant third.

After the race, Rob Yeatman explained how he'd won:' It was a hard race, I had a mechanical in the woods. Harvey caught me but I managed to keep a gap and hold onto it'. Harvey Lowe seemed to have enjoyed himself, despite not winning -  'Rob pulled away quite a bit on the last two laps. I enjoyed it today it was a good race'

It's a tight bunch at the front as the senior race circles the field

The senior race had another large entry (86) with the Wessex league riders being seeded at the front of the grid. After a pedestrian ride around the football pitch followed by a nasty little climb, the field started to spread out through the narrow section along the tennis courts. Four riders pulled clear on the first lap before Adrian Lansley and Tim Dunford started to race. By the fifth lap Lansley had pulled clear and finished 1min 24 seconds clear of Tim.

Steve James, left, and Jasmine Adams

Gary Allan was the first vet home, in 8th place, with first Junior Steve James and first under-23 Sam Allen  just behind him. Jasmine Adams in 43rd place was the first female competitor home.

Senior winner, Adrian Lansley

After the race, Adrian Lansley said - "Great ride today, bit surprised as Oxford is not my favourite course, the banks are a bit fierce for me to ride up. I worked hard today, with everyone was running the banks meant I could get away. I think I had the other guys under pressure in the muddy wood. I got a small gap and got my head down and rode my own race. Looking good for the South of England Championships next week, hopefully it will be muddy there '.

Results

Senior race  
1. Adrian Lansey  Pedalon  1.06.24   
2. Tim Dunford  Hargroves Cycles  1.07.48   
3. Mike Groves  Hargroves Cycles  1.08.03   
4. Scott Forbes  Pedalon  1.08.43   
5. Matt MacDonald  Hargroves Cycles  1.09.16   
6. Mike Warner  Hargroves Cycles  1.10.50   
7. Paul Prince  Wyre Forest  1.11.27   
8. Gary Allan  GA Cycles (Vet) 1.12.25   
9. Steve James  Mountain Trax (Jun) 1.13.27   
10. Sam Allen  NHRC (U23) 1.13.35   
11. Andy Powell  Hargroves Cycles  1.14.22   
12. Crispin Doyle  Swindon RC  1.14.40   
13. Joseph Rowe  Wyre Forest (Vet) 1.14.42   
14. Nick Onslow  Pedalon  At 1 lap.  
15. Andrew Gough  Portiswood Cycles  At 1 lap.  
16. James Cotty  GA Cycles  At 1 lap.  
17. Tim Costello  Southdown Velo (Vet) At 1 lap.  
18. Lewis King  Beeline Cycles  At 1 lap.  
19. William Girvan  NHRC (Vet) At 1 lap.  
20. Colin Mille  Coventry RC  At 1 lap.  
21. James Astbury  Dave Harding Cycles (Jun) At 1 lap.  
22. Karl Norfolk  Pedalon  At 1 lap.  
23. Anthony Dyment  NHRC (Vet) At 1 lap.  
24. Jason Blann  Team Rose Blann  At 1 lap.  
25. Kevin Blann  Team Rose Blann (Vet) At 1 lap.  
26. Steve Bale  Reading CC  At 1 lap.  
27. Darren Morrissey  Swindon RC  At 1 lap.  
28. Neil Cooper  AW Cycles  At 1 lap.  
29. Stuart Gough  Portiswood Cycles (Vet) At 1 lap.  
30. Robert Gray  Dorset Rough Riders (Vet) At 1 lap.  
31. Andy Roberts  Evans Cycles (Vet) At 1 lap.  
32. Dexter Gardias  Torq-Colnago (U23) At 1 lap.  
33. Jeremy Mulkern  Aylesbury CC (Vet) At 1 lap.  
34. Bob Pisolkar  Finsbury Park (Vet) At 1 lap.  
35. Flavio Zappi  OUCC (Vet) At 1 lap.  
36. Peter Bolke  Dave Harding Cycles (Vet) At 1 lap.  
37. Stuart Grace  GA Cycles (Vet) At 1 lap.  
38. Brian Bingham  Reading CC (Vet) At 1 lap.  
39. Mark Farrar  Couride (Vet) At 2 Laps.  
40. Richard Fairholme  Retrobike  At 2 Laps.  
41. Andy Smith  Swindon RC (Vet) At 2 Laps.  
42. Jasmine Adams  Wyre Forest  At 2 Laps.  
43. Neil Johnson  Oxonian CC  At 2 Laps.  
44. Ian MacDonald  Hargroves Cycles (Vet) At 2 Laps.  
45. Martin Evans  Newbury (Vet) At 2 Laps.  
46. Pete Hutchinson  Swindon RC (Vet) At 2 Laps.  
47. Tony Turner  Oxford Tri  At 2 Laps.  
48. Phil Hersey  Eagle RC  At 2 Laps.  
49. Gary Smith  Swindon RC  At 2 Laps.  
50. Anton Blackie  OUCC  At 2 Laps.  
51. Nigel Page  Not Known  At 2 Laps.  
52. Nick Walmsley  Corinium  At 2 Laps.  
53. Sam Parker  OUCC (U23) At 2 Laps.  
54. Martyn Dymond  GA Cycles (Vet) At 2 Laps.  
55. Brodie Gardias  Orange Monkey (U23) At 2 Laps.  
56. Lee King  Beeline Cycles (Vet) At 2 Laps.  
57. Geoff Booker  Oxonian CC (Vet) At 2 Laps.  
58. Claire Smith  Swindon RC  At 2 Laps.  
59. Julian Ronald  Rugby Velo  At 2 Laps.  
60. Nick Druce  Didcot Phoenix CC  At 2 Laps.  
61. Nick Mason  Swindon RC (Vet) At 2 Laps.  
62. Neville Luxton  Swindon RC (Vet) At 2 Laps.  
63. Peter Godwin  Not Known  At 2 Laps.  
64. Lydia Gould  Torq-Colnago (Vet) At 2 Laps.  
65. Roger Thetford  Not Known (Vet) At 2 Laps.  
66. Steve Dines  Wight Mountain (Vet) At 2 Laps.  
67. Chris Lang  TVs Sherborne (Vet) At 3 Laps.  
68. Dan Butcher  Not Known  At 3 Laps.  
69. Pete Gronbech  Oxford City RC (Vet) At 3 Laps.  
70. Sarah Barber  NHRC  At 3 Laps.  
71. Martin Saunders  Hargroves Cycles (Vet) At 3 Laps.  
72. Steve Freeman  Not Known  At 3 Laps.  
73. David Brooks  Oxonian CC (Vet) At 3 Laps.  
74. Charles Old  Wight Mountain  At 3 Laps.  
75. Emily Sharp  Not Known  At 3 Laps.  
76. Alun Watkins  Not Known (Vet) At 3 Laps.  
77. Steve Kirk  Sotonia  At 3 Laps.  
78. Dave Babister  BMCC  At 4 Laps.  
79. Steve Avery  Oxford City RC(Vet)  At 4 Laps.  
80. John Vallis  Oxonian CC (Vet) At 4 Laps.  
81. Richard Searle  BCF Private Member  At 4 Laps.  
82. Andre Barber  BJW (Vet) At 4 Laps.  
83. Malcolm Rose  Oxonian CC  At 4 Laps.  
84. Bob Marmon  Evans Cycles (Vet) At 4 Laps.  
85. Paul Burt  Oxonian CC (Vet) At 6 Laps.  
86. Linda Burt  Oxonian CC (Vet) At 6 Laps.  

Youths race   
1. Rob Yeatman  Oxonian CC  31.29   
2. Harvey Lowe  GA Cycles  @ 0.22   
3. Charlie White  DHC  @ 2.23   
4. Luke Cowley  Swindon RC  @ 6.44   
5. Leon Mander  Chapel Tristars  @ 7.27   
6. Isaac Staff  Swindon RC  At 1 lap.  
7. Sam Aust  Woodgreen School  At 1 lap.  
8. George Bates  Palmer Park Velo  At 1 lap.  
9. Kerrie Hutchinson  Swindon RC  At 1 lap.  

Under 12s race   
1. Jack Phillips  Chapel Tri Stars  14.01   
2. Robin Gronbech  Oxford City RC  14.39   
3. Tom Sewell  Swindon RC  14.58   
4. Conrad Pitt  Oxford City RC  15.09   
5. Susannah Moore  Swindon RC  At 2 Laps.  
6. Katie Compton  Swindon RC  At 2 Laps.  
7. Rio Avery  Oxford City RC  At 2 Laps.  
8. Louis Mason  Swindon RC  At 2 Laps.  
9. Liam Sewell  Swindon RC  At 2 Laps.  
10. Zoe Sheehan  Swindon RC  At 2 Laps.  
11. Harry Sloane  Swindon RC  At 2 Laps.  
12. Marcus Jones  Swindon RC  At 2 Laps.  
13. Seren Jones  Swindon RC  At 3 Laps.  
14. Mat Thornton  Oxonian CC  At 3 Laps.  
15. Jack Batey  Oxonian CC  At 3 Laps.  
16. Ellis Jones  Swindon RC  At 3 Laps.  
17. Tyler Smith  Swindon RC  At 3 Laps.  
18. Tommy Freeman  15th Didcot Cub Scouts  At 3 Laps.  
19. Ryan Hodgkyns  Not Known  At 3 Laps.