Castle Combe Summer Series

 

News Posted: 9 May 2008

 

The warm and sunny conditions ensured a bumper field of 118 riders started the second round of the Series, facing the usual 17 laps, with 37 4th cats followed by 53 3rd cats and finally 28 E/1/2s.

With marginally stiffer handicapping, the E/1/2s took a little longer to catch the 3rd cats and did so after around 9 laps and the whole race came together a lap later.

With the light beginning to fade, the distance was reduced by a lap, and with three to go a group of around 10 tried to escape, but it was soon brought back. Unfortunately the closing stages were marred by two crashes towards the rear of the still large peloton. The first crash occurred with 1 1/2 laps to go on the chicane with about eight riders coming down and one rider landing on his head and being concussed hence the need for an ambulance and a visit to hospital for a precautionary check up. With just less than a lap to go there was another lap with a couple of riders coming down and the normal abrasions being the result.

The race came down to a mass bunch sprint taken by Mark Perry (Bournemouth Arrow), who narrowly outsprinted Jon Pain(GWR Team) who took second place again, and he now takes an early lead in the series standings.

1 Mark Perry Bournemouth Arrow
2 Jon Pain GWR
3 Ben Stockdale MJS Racing
4 James Stewart KFS
5 Simon Snowden Chippenham
6 Luke Rowe Recycling Condor Rapha
7 Ben Luckwell Sports Bean/Wilier
8 Pete Georgi Mid Devon
9 Adam Thomson Day Licence
10 Andrew Magnier Brooks Cycles