Charlotteville Cycling Club presents

Guildford Town Centre Races

 

Wednesday, July 5, 2006; Godalming Cycles and supported by The Sheerwater Glass Centre, Specialized, Knight Frank, Surrey Advertiser, Guildford Borough Council, Evans Cycles, Guildford Signs
 

Series Home Page: >>>> Go There

Club website: www.charlottevillecc.org.uk

 

Photo Gallery: Click the Gallery buttons at the top of your page to display for the photo galleries for this event. Gallery 1 & 2 is the Elite race, Gallery 3 the 3rds and Juniors and Gallery 4 pictures from the Youth event.

 

 

With series leader Rob Hayles a non-starter due to a broken collarbone, second in the series, Warwick Spence, takes full advantage of his excellent form to win maximum points to take the lead in the Elite Circuit series.

 

As town centre's go, Guildford certainly has the charm and character to make a great back drop for a cycle race and when the weather is on your side as well, dry and sunny, a great night is assured. And so it was for the sixth round of the Elite Circuit Series held around a testing 600 metre circuit.

The course consisted of a drag up the cobbled High street, followed by a sharp turn at the top leading to a descent down to the sharp right angle corner leading to Market Street. This up hill and very narrow lane was paved as well although unlike the cobbles, these were much smoother. At the top of Market Street, the riders turned sharp left back into the High street and the climb up to the finish.

With it being less than a minutes work to get around the circuit, that meant there was a lot of climbing to be done up the cobbles which had riders bottles bouncing out of their bidon cages from time to time. The evening kicked off with an exciting 3rds and Juniors race and you can read a report of that from Gary Kristensen MBE further down the page. Then, at 7.30, the Youth race was won in fine style by British Cycling Talent Team rider Toby Meadows.

 

 

A field of 50 lines up in dry conditions on a very picturesque high street for Guildford.

It was then the turn of the Elite riders and the only downer on what had been a great night so far, was the fact the leader of the series, Rob Hayles, a rider who loves a big crowd and the crowds love him, was a non-starter due to nursing a broken collarbone from a criterium at Newcastle last week.

There were however the rest of the stars from the circuit race series such as second placed Warwick Spence, national champion James Taylor, circuit race specialist Tony Gibb, legend Malcolm Elliott, Polish rider Mariusz Weisiak and curiously Andy Jacques Maynes from America, mixing business with pleasure and showing how well he can ride a bike as well design components for it.

The 20th version of this popular race started at 8pm with the local Mayor in attendance and after a few settling in laps with the field being lined out by riders including Evans Jamie Newall, and PCA's Freddy Johannsen, the whistle blew for a mid race sprint (Prime) and it was the signal for the race to blow apart. Up Market Street came Kristian House who had his proud grandparents watching, and behind him there was daylight as he put the power down to go for the money.

 

 

Jamie Newall, Evans Cycles strings them out up the High street after the first lap.

The Recycling.co.uk rider was still away a lap later and another after that before being joined by Warwick Spence. It was the end of the race for the rest as these two powerful riders kept the pressure up whilst on the front of the bunch, the Plowman Craven riders did their best to bring them back. They weren't helped by a broken derailleur for one of their riders and then a puncture to Freddy Johannsen but there was little anyone could do about the gap the leaders were opening up on this tight and testing circuit.

One rider though wasn't going to let them get away without a fight and as the leaders were already starting to lap riders, Malcolm Elliott launched himself up the High street chased by Mariusz Weisiak. Not long after, a chase group of three riders, with Andy Jacques Maynes the third member of this Elite group, formed. Behind the race had exploded and reputations of the riders stood for nothing as many a well known face in the series struggled to stay on the same lap as the leaders.

Rider by rider, group by group, the duo of House and Spence were lapping the field bit-by-bit until they had lapped everyone up to the three chasers going for third. It was then that a lead group formed with the two leaders, the three chasers and riders who had been lapped by the aforementioned groups. Chasing alone and milking the crowd for all the applause they could muster was Tony Gibb. For the latter half of the race, the event settled down until the officials gave all but the top five riders the countdown to the finish of the race.

With them finished and off the course, the five leaders, then raced around unhindered until with three to go Kristian House and Warwick Spence were let go by Elliott and co to fight out the win whilst the other three did likewise for 3rd place. As the bell rang out to signal the last lap, Spence lead through the finish area and emerged out of the bottom bend first as well. With Spence up against the barriers on his left and House coming at him down the middle of the wide High street, it was a tight finish as the two hit the line but Spence was not going to be denied another victory in this race and the event was his along with the series lead.

In the sprint for third, the Polish rider Mariusz Weisiak was too strong for Elliott and the American visitor Andy Jacques Maynes.

 

 

House leads Spence up the High street with its historic buildings and cobbled streets.

Whilst Colin Docker interviewed Warwick Spence for the crowd, British Cycling spoke to Kristian House (winner of the Irish RAS) who started by saying "I was slightly over geared out of that last corner. I couldn't get on top of it and just missed it. Another 50 metres and who knows, I was winding it up." Kristian told us he was at the race because he was in the area seeing his family and added it was also probably the closest 'Home Town' crit for him.

 

"I did this race last year, enjoyed it and went one better this time round. It's a good circuit but your fingers go numb by the end of it." Then giving us an insight into how he saw the race unfold, he explained "two guys got away on the first lap and I rode across to them. Then there was a prime which I took and when I looked back, there was a gap. Warwick got across to me and that was it. I didn't expect it to go as PCA are here with a lot of riders."

The winner Warwick Spence was understandably pleased to win again at Guildford and admitted in an understated way to be going quite well, "I was a bit surprised by tonight because after a lot of travelling to Otley and the Newcastle race in recent weeks, the legs were getting a bit tired. And then I did a long ride on Sunday so I did nothing on Monday, Tuesday and today and have been sleeping all day!"

"We were so evenly matched and I think it was easier working in a small group than a bigger group because we could do one lap each and then shift over. I was surprised how quickly we were lapping people. Last year it was almost halfway before I got away but this time it was the first few minutes."

Asked was there some sort of gentlemen's agreement after all the lapped riders had been pulled out up to the chase group for 3rd, Warwick replied "sort of. Initially we were going to let Malcolm and the other two to go in front and then we thought it would be better for the crowd if we go and Kristian upped the pace and we went."

Finally, I spoke to Mariusz Weisiak with the help of team manager Harry Lodge who explained his team, Team Nippo was at the race thanks to one of their key sponsors, KFS Special Vehicles who were at the race to see their riders in action.

Mariusz explained that it was a very hard circuit where it was important to stay at the front from the very beginning because it had cobbles and false flats." On his continuing battle with Malcolm Elliott where the two of them invariably end up sprinting against each other -- a battle that started at the Archer Grand Prix -- the talented Polish rider explained "we both wanted to win and were working well together to try and get back to the leaders who were too strong. Malcolm Elliot is one of the few riders I have met who races very fairly".

 

The next round of the Elite Circuit Series is on July 19 at Colne in the North West.

 

SERIES STANDINGS HOME PAGE: >>>>>

 

 

Podium, Mariusz Weisiak (Team Nippo), Warrick Spence (London Dynamo) and Kristian House (Recycling.co.uk)

 

 

With House and Spence already half a lap up, Malcolm Elliott attacks the chase group.

 

 

American, Andy Jacques-Maynes, who works for Specialized, mixes business with pleasure and surprises many by being the only other rider able to go with Elliott when he attacked.

 

 

Crowds on both sides of the barriers to watch an exciting nights racing.

 

 

National Champion James Taylor improved on last years result with 7th place on the night.

RESULTS (Strictly Provisional)

 

Elite Circuit Series Race
1. Warrick Spence, London Dynamo/Cyclefit
2. Kristian House, Recycling.co.uk,
3. Mariusz Weisiak, Team Nippo,
4. Malcolm Elliott, Plowman Craven
5. Andy Jacques Maynes, Specialized
6. Anthony Gibb, Plowman Craven
7. James Taylor, Plowman Craven
8. Fred Johannsen, Plowman Craven
9. Chris Doel , Pacific RT
10. Christopher McNamara, Wildside RT
11. Jamie Newall, Evans Cycles
12. Simon Gaywood, CC Luton
13. James Williams, Kona uk
14. Karl Freeman, Team Milton Keynes
15. Ian Holt, Evans Cycles
16. Daniel Davies, www.agiskoviner.com
17. Daniel Duguid, Sigma Sport
18. Ian Legg, Red Kite / Torque Bar
19. Roger Morgan, VC Meudon,
20. David Clarke, Team Nippo
21. Ian Paine, London Dynamo/Cyclefit 

 

3rds & Juniors

a report of the support race from Gary Kristensen MBE

 

 

 Lee Smith, AgiskoViner, wins the first event of the night. More photos of the race following the results.

 

Lee Smith (www.agiskoviner.com) realised a childhood ambition yesterday (5th July) at the Guildford Town Centre Criteriums. He has wanted to win the supporting event since he was about 8 years old and he really took it to the rest of the riders when four of them split the field. His dad, Glenn, has been a member of the promoting club, Charlotteville CC, and an avid supporter and organiser of the Town Centre races for many years, so Lee has grown up around the event and the prestige that goes with the win.

Relative newcomer Walter Sybrandy (Hounslow & District), had attacked initially and spent a few laps out on his own, looking very strong as well, until joined by Lee along with former National TT Champ Richard Prebble (Pinarello RT) and Ben Lowe (Twickenham CC). As the others caught Walter, the race settled down and the four shared the duty of pulling on the front equally.

There were four primes on offer and Lee went on to win three of them throughout the 30 lap event, so he went home with a nice pot of cash for his troubles as well, thanks to local donations from the crowd and from the sponsors of the event. With 8 laps remaining, young Ben Lowe felt the pace and had to drop off, but he did have enough left to hold onto 4th place, so that was a really good ride from him. Walter was next, and he was obviously feeling the effects of his initial breakaway efforts, leaving Lee and Richard Prebble to fight it out on the last lap.

Lee sensed that Richard was not so strong going through the penultimate corner, a tight left hander that went up a slight kerb bump and then up an incline between the shops, before turning out onto the uphill cobbled section, so he attacked hard and got a small gap, which Richard had to close down coming onto the cobbles. At this point Lee attacked again to lead out the sprint, winning by an easy couple of bike lengths.

This win means a great deal to him and he has worked hard all year to get fit and lose some weight after a quiet second half to 2005. Everyone at www.agiskoviner.com would like to thank the promoting club, Charlotteville CC, for another fantastic promotion, and for booking some ideal, dry weather! Here's to 2007!

 

1. Lee Smith, AgiskoViner

2. Richard Prebble, Pinarello

3. Walter Sybrandy, Hounslow

4. Ben Low, Twickenham

5. Sam Sturgeon, Track Cycling

6. Jon Lewis, Charlotteville

7. Kevin Dailey, Norwood Paragon

8. Dan Guest, Army CU

9. Duncan Hard, VC Meudon

10. Chris Wood, AgiskoViner

11. John Glaysher, AgiskoViner

12. Daran Clark, Army CU

13. T Natolie, AgiskoViner

14. Carrie Bedingfield, Lucianio Cycles

 

Youth (Under 16)s

1. Toby Meadows, Beyond MTB

2. Dominic Schils, Interbike RT

3. Sam Redding, I-Team

4. Chris Legg, Palmer Park

5. Michael Wilmott, Hillingdon SLipstreamers

6. Jim Lewis, Lee Valley Cycling Club

 

First Girl

Sophie Terry, VC Londres.

 

 

SUPPORT RACE PHOTOS (more to come in galleries later)

 

 

Host club riders were up there in the thick of the action during the 3rds and Juniors race.

 

 

Another of the host club riders, the youngest in the youth event, completed the distance much to the applause of the crowd.  

 

 

The youth riders are off and racing in the second event of the night.

 

 

 

A big crowd had already formed to watch the Youth race.

 

 

For a lot of the race, there were two leaders, Dominic Schils and Toby Meadows until Toby pressed on to win alone.

 

 

Toby Meadows a convincing winner of the Youth event.

 

 

 

Richard Prebble attacking on the final lap as the bell rings out.

 

 

The chasing group during the 3rds and Junior race.

 

 

Walter Sybrandy, whose early lone attack helped form the winning break, leads the trio of riders who dominated the race. It started with a  lead group of four until the pace became too much for Ben Low of the Twickenham CC, who dropped back.

 

 

Hounslow's Walter Sybrandy lead the race alone in the early stages.

 

 

Ready to go, the field for the 3rds and Juniors await the whistle to start.

 

 

A view of the cobbles that awaited the riders for their race around the 600 metre circuit.