Images: Graham Robins' Images in Gallery 1; Luke Webber's images in Gallery 2
Commanding Boxing Day Win for Bowers
Boxing Day 'Cross
Wessex League Round 10
Report: Graham Robons
Images: Graham Robins & Luke Webber
Promoting Club - Crabwood Cycling Club
Stuart Bowers celebrates another Wessex win (pic: Graham Robins)
A different perspective of Stuart Bowers through Luke Webber's lens
After the festivities of Christmas day, a large entry turned out for the traditional Boxing Day 'Cross at Southampton Sports centre. The day was dry and 'warm' in the sun but chilly out of it. The course was unusually dry and firm even on the long run out which in previous years has been quite boggy.
Youth race action (pic: Graham Robins)
The day got underway with the youth race of just 6 riders. Jonathan Dibben i-team and Harvey Lowe GA Cycles were both quick away and soon open up a gap on the others. Whilst Jonathan was able to ride the bank, Harvey had to dismount and run up it, losing him time. Buy the 3rd lap Jonathan had opened up a sizeable lead but Harvey started to close the gap on the last couple of laps, and finished only 19 sec down on the more experienced rider.
Action from the Under-12 race (pic: Graham Robins)
The u12 race was a mainly a round circuit with a long climb up the side of the cricket pitch followed by a slight downhill towards the finish. Seven young riders came to the line and it was Robin Gronbech from Oxford City RC who took the honours.
The start and the Hargroves men are, as usual, to the fore! (pic: Graham Robins)
The main race of the day saw a large field take their place alongside Beijing Paralympics gold medal winner Darren Kenny. A fast run out soon sorted out the pack and the usual suspects soon came to the front. Eventual winner Stuart Bowers the current South of England champion was tucked in and eyeing up the strengths of the others.
Paralympic superstar Darren Kenny shows he's not afraid of the rough stuff (pic: Graham Robins)
On lap two Stuart made his push and soon opened up a gap. By laps three and four he'd opened up the gap even more and from then on he managed to control his speed and maintain the gap until the finish.
Billy-Joe Whenman crests a rise (pic: Luke Webber)
Post-Race quotes:
Jonathan Dibben 1st Youth: "The start was hard going up the bank, the woods were quite technical. I practised in the warm up and found I could ride the bank."
Harvey Lowe 2nd Youth: "Good race today, I had a good start and managed to stay on Jonathan's wheel, he managed to ride a bank that I couldn't. I tried to catch him on the last lap but he held it to win."
Stuart Bowers 1st Senior: "Usual thing on Boxing Day, get a good workout and enjoy it which I did. A good course today, very technical in the woods. The weather was good which helped as this course can get quite boggy along the start finish line. A few people went of very quickly which was a surprise but I managed to pass them when they were caught out by the bank. Once I got a gap I put on a squirt and opened the gap quite easily so I knew I had that if I tired towards the end, which I didn't need."
Results
Under 12's
1st Robin Gronbech Oxford City RC Race Time 13 minutes 13 seconds
2nd Henry Baugniet Unattached @ 2 minutes 11 seconds
3rd Matthew Ashman Chaple Tri Stars @ 1 lap
4th Edward Gronbech Oxford City RC
5th Lucy Burrows Poole Wheelers @ 2 laps
6th Marcus Jones Swindon RC
7th Rebecca Hurst Poole Wheelers
8th Ryan Hodgekins Unattached @ 3 laps
9th Natham Jowett Chaple Tri Stars
Youths1st Jonathon Dibben U16 i-team 4 laps 26 minutes 3 seconds
2nd Harvey Lowe U14 GA Cycles @ 19 seconds
3rd Luke Cowley U16 Swindon RC @ 7 minute 7 seconds
4th Leon Mander U14 Chaple Tri Stars @ 7 minute 58 seconds
5th Hazel Jowett U14G Chaple Tri Stars @ 1 lap
6th Mhairi-Clair Stewart U16G Chaple Tri Stars
Senior / Junior / Veteran / Women1st Stuart Bowers Hargroves Cycles / Trant / Next / GSI 8 laps 55 minutes 27 seconds
2nd Scott Forbes Pedlon.co.uk @ 2 minute 38 seconds
3rd Billy Whenman Sportbean - Wilier @ 3 minute 13 seconds
4th Jamie Newal VC Meaudon @ 4 minute 32 seconds
5th Matt Macdonald Hargroves Cycles / Trant / Next / GSI @ 5 minute 38 seconds
6th Mike Warner Hargroves Cycles / Trant / Next / GSI @ 5 minute 40 seconds
7th Mike Groves Hargroves Cycles / Trant / Next / GSI @ 5 minute 51 seconds
8th Andy Shaw V40 M.I.Enduro @ 6 minute 2 seconds
9th Robin Wilmott GA Cycles @ 6 minute 31 seconds
10th Pete Dibben Jun Hargroves Cycles / Trant / Next / GSI @ 6 minute 50 seconds
11th Sam Allen North Hants RC @ 7 minute 5 seconds
12th Garry Allan V40 GA Cycles @ 1 lap
13th William Girvan V45 North Hants RC
14th Steve Davies V45 Guerciotti
15th Andrew Gough Portswood Cycles
16th Jason Painton Behindbars Cycles
17th Phil Smith Hargroves Cycles / Trant / Next / GSI
18th Andy Dilkes VC Meaudon
19th Anthony Dyment V45 North Hants RC
20th James Astbury Jun DH Cycles
21st James Cotty GA Cycles
22nd Andrew Macdonald V50 GA Cycles
23rd Karl Norfolk Pedlon.co.uk
24th Jason Blann Team Rose Blann
25th Kevin Blann V45 Team Rose Blann
26th Darren Morrissey Swindon RC
27th Stuart Gough V55 Portswood Cycles
28th Ian Macdonald V50 Hargroves Cycles / Trant / Next / GSI
29th Lee Bradley Tamar CC
30th Peter Bolke V45 DH Cycles
31st Jon Stump Swindon RC
32nd Rob Tutt V40 GS Europa @ 2 lap
33rd Philip Gough Portswood Cycles
34th Nick Baugniet V40 Unattached
35th Martin Dymond V45 GA Cycles
36th Neville Luxton V45 Swindon RC
37th Martin Evans V45 Vectis RCC
38th Andy Smith V45 Swindon RC
39th Chris Long V40 TVS Sherbourne
40th Stuart Grace V50 GA Cycles
41st Claire Smith Wom. Swindon RC
42nd Geoff Booker V60 Oxonian CC
43rd Dexiys Jones V50 GDW
44th Ian Howard V50 Unattached
45th Steve Dines V55 Wight Mountain
46th Ray Claridge Crabwood CC
47th Pete Gronbech V45 Oxford City RC
48th Darren Kenny Dave Mellor Cycles
49th Nigel Hillier V40 GA Cycles @ 3 lap
50th Martin Ward V55 Sotonia CC
51st David Jowett V45 Chaple Tri Stars
52nd Vernon Moore V50 Crabwood CC
53rd Simon Blann Team Rose Blann
54th Steve Kirk Sotonia CC
55th Lauren Barber Wom. BJW @ 4 lap
56th Steve Summers V45 Unattached
59th John Burrows V45 Poole Wheelers @ 5 lap
DNF Trevor Hillier V40 GA Cycles
DNF Pete Hargroves V50 Hargroves Cycles / Trant / Next / GSI
DNF Andre Barber V50 BJW
DNF Andy Hargroves Jun Hargroves Cycles / Trant / Next / GSI
DNF Graham Hurst V45 Poole Wheelers
DNF Nick Adnitt V50 Andover Wheelers
DNF Andy Powell Hargroves Cycles / Trant / Next / GSI
DNF Mark Adams V45 Cardiff WIF
More Images
So that's what he does to relax on the day after! (pic: Graham Robins)
Stu Bowers in control (pic: Graham Robins)
Claire Smith complete with xmas hat (pic: Graham Robins)
