Fareham Wheelers Spring Road Race

Sunday 29th March 2009

Report: Graham Robins (grahamrobins.net@googlemail.com | www.grahamrobins.net)

Simon Mears celebrates that sweet first win - lots more images below

Course:
This 74km (46 mile) road race based on the Longwood circuit based on the village of Owslebury in Hampshire just to the north of Southampton. The event organiser was Neil Dayus. It was a rolling course with many short climbs including a fast downhill sections. Shortly after the race de-neutralised the riders were faced with a tight right downhill corner followed by a series of rolling hills. The course was rutted in places but the organisers had been out and 'cleaned' as much of the course as possible. The race passed the finish line 6 times with the sixth time being the finish. Overnight rain made sections of the course wet and muddy on the edges. The entry of 49 riders had been full for a few weeks showing that road racing is very popular in the area.

Race Report:
The race was won by Simon Mears. It was his maiden win in only his second season and came after competing in his first time trial last week.

A cold morning greeted the riders as they rolled out from the HQ. A short ride through the village until the race started for proper. As soon as the race started the eventual winner Simon Mears from the Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers club got going off the front. He had a go and seemed to get away with the field allowing him to go.

On lap 1 Simon had pulled out a 30 sec lead over the chasing bunch. The field was pulled back together when another rider tried to jump across to Simon. Simon decided to let the race come back to him so he could have a rest. But on the next lap he got away again and this time made it stick.

On lap three four riders were brought down in a touch of wheels, no one was badly hurt and they were soon up and rolling again. The crash seemed to settle the nerves in the bunch and they seemed to sit up, but this only allowed Simon at the front to increase his gap.

Once the gap went up to 1min 30 sec the race was won. The winner's margin at the line was 1 min 50 sec. The chasing bunch came into view and they were all together and sprinting for minor places. The second spot went to Julian Thacker from CC Weymouth and third went to Eamon Watson from Velocity Bikes CC

Post-Race Quotes:
Simon Mears, winner: "On the first lap I went out on my own to see who was about. No one came with me so I decided to ease back on the climb and allow them to come back as I thought it was a bit early. Then on the second lap myself and a couple of the guys got away but it was a soft attack. Then on the third lap a crash brought down some riders behind me and I got away, and once away I pushed on. This comes of the back of my first time trial last weekend. I wanted to get used to riding out on my own in the wind and it seemed to help me today. I 'died a thousand deaths' on the last lap, knees knocking but I knew I had enough and just hung in there".

Julian Thacker 2nd o/a
"A good race with lots of attacks, then there was the crash which seemed to calm everyone down. Simon got away and we could not pull him back so decided to wait for the sprint. I knew where I was going to attack for the sprint with one to go as I had worked it out and it worked for me".

Eamon Watson 3rd o/a
"A good hard fast race, this is a course of attrition, you just have to hang in there. The race came together on the last two lap, and we hoped no one did anything silly. After the crash on the third lap we sat up and allowed the race back together and then the Jubilee rider got away again, and we sat in a small group until the finish. I knew the finish kicked up and on the last corner i looked for a wheel to follow and the road opened up in front of me. Another 10 meters and i would of had second".