Imperial Winter Circuit Race Series (Round 7)
Saturday 3rd January 2009; (Hillingdon)
Source: Words by Imperial Racing Team
E/1/2/3; Time 1:15:30; 52km
Although slightly warmer than for the 4th category Race, the temperature was only just above freezing with the sun fading fast for the final race of the afternoon. Tony Gibb (Plowman Craven Madison) turned up to race again (to check his winter legs) but was unhappy with some of the riding having to ride on the grass to avoid the only incident of the afternoon.
There were many attacks from the start with Rudie Marias (Norwood Paragon CC) yet again being joined by James Leach (Twickenham CC) from lap 1; an effort that was really only an attempt to drag the field out. Tony Gibb was also fairly active in the early stages of the race but it seemed only for the shear hell of it. Rudie tried again by attacking and splitting the field and it's a great pity that he does not preserve his strength for the effort in the latter stages of the race.
There were several groups that moved clear of the main field but such was the speed of the race, their efforts were short lived. Most of the main contenders were in each of the groups and at one time, three Team Quest riders were driving at the front and established a 10 second lead after 25km. Ed Summerwell, Michael Hill and Bill Butterworth (all Team Quest) with the Moores brothers (Norwood Paragon) crossing to it; however, the group was too big and was swallowed up by the main field.
Again, because many of the main contenders, namely Paul Alderson (South Western RC), Jerone Walters (Sigma Sport) and Tony Gibb were left to close gaps, as so often happens after a coming together and a lull, a group of six slipped off the front with 12km to go. Amazingly both the Moores brothers were there again with Academy Junior Toby Meadows (Team Corridori ) looking surprisingly fit with ace veteran Ashley Holding (Wild Side RT) and ever consistent Jerone Walters.
The main group did make some half hearted attempts to close the gap with Henry Furniss (WyndyMilla), Rudie and Paul Alderson trying really hard but their efforts were not consistent and with the crash at three laps to go, it totally disorganised the race and the breakaway steadily pulled away and with each of their efforts, it meant that everyone had an even chance for the line.
Meadows got the jump on the rest but Chris Moores got very close on the line, a truly a great finish with Jerone Walters 3rd and fast improving Harry Bulstrode (Thames Velo) in 4th, Ashley Holding in 5th and Ben Moores, who worked so hard for Chris in the break, finishing a few seconds later in 6th place. Henry Furniss again showed his frustration with the main group (he should have been in the break) to leave them in the last 1 km to finish alone in 7th place and Rudie showed an exceptional burst of speed to lead the main group in.
All in all a fascinating race worthy of its National B rating and with Toby Meadows not in overall contention, Chris Moores scores the maximum 200 series points and closes the gap on Jerone Walters.
4th cat
Brilliantly sunny but only just above freezing, there was an increased entry after the Christmas racing saw an eager field ready to race. A lack of wind saw the peloton racing along at a very much increased pace in the main group and as the weeks go on, it has been good to see the 4th cat riders becoming more confident with far better bike handling and in particular, to the difficult run in to the finish.
Although only his second proper race, Miles Stovold (Dulwich Paragon) showed his strength to not only to win but to get back into the main group after a gear adjustment early in the race. He beat Clive Jarvis (CC Basingstoke) to the line with Junior Gavin Mitchell (Twickenham CC) showing his track craft to take 3rd place. A good encouraging race; long may it continue in the future to boost more Sportif riders into Road Racing.
COMING NEXT WEEK
Race 8 of 13
Saturday 10th January 2009
4th Cats start 12:30
Youth start 13:30
E/1/2/3 start 14:15
Race 9 of 13
Saturday 17th January 2009
4th Cats start 12:30
Youth start 13:30
E/1/2/3 start 14:15
Go to www.imperialracingteam.com for further information about race start times, registration, maps, series league table and lots more.
RESULTS
1st Toby Meadows Team Corridori 1
2nd Chris Moores Norwood Paragon CC E
3rd Jerone Walters Sigma Sport 1
4th Harry Bulstrode Thames Velo 2
5th Ashley Holding Wild Side RT 2
6th Ben Moores Norwood Paragon CC 3
7th Henry Furniss WyndyMilla 1
8th Rudie Marais Norwood Paragon CC 2
9th Sam Allen AW Cycles.Co.uk 2
10th Jo Skelton private member 2
11th Rob Fletcher Anders Electronics/TMG Horizon RT 2
12th Steve Golla Sigma Sport 1
13th Steve Legg RT316-Crown Lifts/AlarmComms/TakeMyPainAway 1
14th Martin Dawkins Team Quest - The Bike Shop 2J
15th Dave Hutchison VC St Raphael 1
16th Nick Abraham private member 3
17th Michael Hill Team Quest 2
18th Evangelos Christides Hernes - Greece (UCI licence) 3
19th Paul Alderson South Western RC 3
20th Mark Walter private member 3
21st James Jones Didcot Phoenix 3
22nd Jason Streather VC St Raphael E
23rd James Carter London Dynamo/Cyclefit 3
24th Joshua Worrall Twickenham CC 3
25th Sam Fry Glenedene CC 3
26th Harry Littlechild London Dynamo/Cyclefit 3
27th Spencer Wilson Team Economic Energy 2
28th Mark Holt Cambridge Uni CC 3
29th Phil Atkins Ciclos Uno 3
30th Gary Bullock Thames Velo 3
31st Will Fox Banbury Star 2
32nd Anthony Chandlen Norwood Paragon CC 3
33rd Andrew Harvey Kingston Wheelers CC 3
34th David Walls private member 3
35th Rob Henderson Imperial Racing Team 3
36th Ralph Keeler Cambridge CC 3
37th Peter Jones Hillingdon CC 3
38th Ian Lowe Thames Velo 3
39th Wayne Thomas Reading CC 3
40th Rich Cooper Willesden CC 3
41st Mario Manelfi AD Cycles 3
42nd Dave Woods CC Luton 3
43rd Ian Hastings North Hampshire RC 3
44th James Leach Twickenham CC 3
45th Richard Black Dulwich Paragon CC 3
46th Calv Hobday Tri UK 3
47th Edward Summerwell Team Quest 3
48th Shaun Green Army Cycling Union 3
49th Mark Jervis Python RT 2
50th Paul Bennett West Drayton 3
51st Mark Edwards Hillingdon Triathletes 3
52nd Stuart Jackson Team Quest 3
53rd Geoff Powell High Wycombe CC 3
54th James Foster Team Quest 3
4th cat race
1st Miles Stovold Dulwich Paragon 4
2nd Clive Jarvis CC Basingstoke 4
3rd Gavin Mitchell Twickenham CC 4J
4th Robert Moore London Phoenix CC 4
5th Thomas Sutherland Twickenham Cycling Club 4
6th Berj Kantarjian Hillingdon Triathletes 4
7th Jai Watson Dulwich Paragon CC 4
8th Andrew Colsell High Wycombe Cycle Club 4
9th David Fong private member 4
10th Charlie Pearch London Dynamo/Cyclefit 4
11th Joe Harris Reading CC 4
12th Christopher Roche Bedfordshire Road Cycling Club 4
13th Jonathan Wale Amersham RCC 4J
14th Dave Harmsworth Reading CC 4
15th Nigel Barton-White London Phoenix 4
16th Phil Wege Amersham RCC 4
17th Nick Cribb 4
18th William Slack London Dynamo/Cyclefit 4
19th Mike Hill Hemel Hempstead CC/Summit Racing 4
20th Jon Lomax Amersham RCC 4
21st James Gregg Behind the Bike Shed 4
22nd Alex Osborne High Wycombe Cycle Club 4
23rd Stephen Sibley Amersham RCC 4
24th Dean Ricketts Hemel Hempstead CC/Summit Racing 4
25th Mark Heyward-Chaplin London Dynamo/Cyclefit 4
26th Les Liddiard MI Racing 4
27th Elliot Katz London Dynamo/Cyclefit 4
28th Simon North Hemel Hempstead CC/Summit Racing 4
29th Richard Keeping Team Quest 4J
30th Natalie Hill Hillingdon Slipstreamers Y
31st Terry Chard Swindon Road 4
32nd Alan Nixon Amersham RCC 4
33rd Jeff Robinson North Road 4
34th Mark Chan Dulwich Paragon CC 4
35th Donald Lance Woodman Willesden Cycling Club 4
36th Martin Bowd Hillingdon Triathletes 4
37th Dave Ryan Imperial Racing Team 4
38th Ben Smith Welwyn Wheelers 4
39th Duncan Tulip Dulwich Paragon CC 4
40th Jonathan Heal FCCC 4
41st Andrew Jackson Amersham RCC 4
42nd Michael Widera Hounslow & District Wheelers 4
43rd Robert Hill Hemel Hempstead CC/Summit Racing 4
RELATED LINKS