Mildenhall CC Letchworth Grass Track Open

 

June 2nd, 2007;
Sponsored by Gem Estate Management and Elmy Cycles 

 

Riders line up in the 800m Womens Race final.

 

On Saturday 2nd June everything came together for a first class grass track meeting at Fearnhill School at Letchworth.  The elements were bright sunny weather, a safe and fairly smooth track (if a little heavy), two generous sponsors, a group of talented riders and an able and experienced team of officials.

 

The event started roughly on time with heats of the National Short Distance league, the riders that qualified from these heats and the three reps were Neil Withington from Anderson Racing, Richard Lambert from Cottingham Couriers, Adam Duggleby, Jason Benham, Adrzej Bojarski from Hemel Hempstead with Martin Smith and Richard Kennedy from Chesterfield Couriers.

 

In the final of this event Andrzej Bojarski from Hemel Hempstead as probably the least fancied rider from the finalist showed that on a large safe track that does not rely on years of cornering skills, determination and fitness succeed.  The runner up to Andzrej was Martin Smith with Jason Benham placed third.

 

Womens 800m

 

The heats of the National Womens 800m were the next items on programme.  With three grass ex National Champions in Sarra Whellan of Mildenhall, Emma Trott of VC Londres and Victoria Pendleton of SIS this was unlikely to be a race for outsiders. 

In the final, the line up was the three above plus grass novice Caroline Gammel from Elmy Cycles. 800m at Letchworth on Saturday was not a short race and Triple 2007 World Hard Track champion Victoria Pendleton held a watching brief on the front on the inside for most of the event and as accelerations came these were matched. 

 

Coming out of the final bend, Pendleton made her strike for home to win by over a length.  This is Victoria’s first National Championship of the year, the next to ride for will be the national motor paced at Cardiff in two week’s time, this though is run over 30Km, a rather different discipline for a rider more used to 500m.

 

During the meeting there was an attempt to establish a new fairer handicap system based on a 400m time trial.  This did not work quite perfectly as the riders in each event were rather too numerous resulting in traffic jams as short markers caught long markers as they went through the end of the last bend.  The result of the senior final was a win for Martin Smith, Sarra Whellan second and Peter Lifford of Beacontree Wheelers third.

 

Victoria Pendleton leads Emma Trott.

 

 

Youth
The U16 Omnium included riders aged from 8 to 15, with a massive difference in abilities, this was another test for the time trial based handicapping system.  The 14 riders were spread over about half of the track at the start, at the finish less than 30m separated the whole field.  As is usual the older riders ran out the winners with Tom Gosbee of Team Welwyn winner, Tom Gallagher Welwyn Wheelers second and Andrew Street third., also Welwyn Wheelers.

 

The National Endurance league event that was run over 8km was a race of attrition with a series of attacks, notably coming from Leigh Haigh of Victoria CC and Adam Duggleby, these two eventually drew clear of a fast depleting bunch.  The eventual winner was Duggleby, Haigh second and Richard Lamber third, Andzrej Bojarski was fourth proving that he was not just a 800m rider. One of the rides of the afternoon was that of Emma Trott who started the 8Km and was just shed from the remnants of the bunch in the last two laps, she also is riding the Women’s motor paced champs in two weeks.

 

 
Results

800m Scratch Final, including National Short Distance League    
1. Andrez Bojarski Hemel Hempstead CC   
2. Martin Smith Chesterfield Couriers   
3. Jason Benham Scunthorpe Poly, Jack Tighe   
4. Adam Duggleby BCF Private Member   
5. Richard Lambert Cottingham Couriers   
6. Neil Withington, Anderson Racing RF Angus   
    
Ladies National 800m Championship    
1. Victoria Pendleton SIS   
2. Emma Trott VC Londres   
3. Sarra Whelan Mildenhall CC   
4. Caroline Gammel XTR Elmy Cycles   
    
Unknown Distance    
1. Adam Duggelby BCF Private Member   
2. Leigh Haigh Victoria CC   
3. Richard Lambert Cottingham Couriers 

 

800m Handicap Final      
1. Martin Smith Chesterfield Couriers     
2. Sarra Whelan Mildenhall CC     
3. Peter Lifford Beacontree Wheelers     
       
Mens Devil      
1. Adam Duggleby BCF Private Member     
2. Richard Lambert Cottingham Couriers     
3. Neil Withington Anderson Racing     
      
Ladies Devil      
1. Emma Trott VC Londres     
2. Laura Trott VC Londres     
3. Victoria Pendleton SIS     
       
8Km Scratch including National  Endurance League       
1. Adam Duggleby BCF Private Member     
2. Leigh Haigh Victoria CC     
3. Richard Lambert Cottingham Couriers     
4. Andrzej Bojarski Hemel Hempstead CC     
5. Martin Smith Chesterfield Couriers     
6. Neil Withington Anderson Racing     
7. Jason Benham Scunthorpe Polytechnic     
8. Andy Ballentyne Easterley RC     
9. Pete Whelan Plomesgate CC     
10. Adrian Trott Welwyn Wheelers     
11. Phil Lisher Team Welwyn     
12. Emma Trott VC Londres     
13. Keith Richardson Mildenhall CC     
      
Ladies Block Handicap      
1. Amy Willoughby Cottingham Couriers     
2. Victoria pendleton SIS     
3. Caroline Gammel XTR Elmy Cycles     
       
Under 16 Omnium      
1. Tom Gosbee Team Welwyn     
2. Tom Gallacher Welwyn Wheelers     
3. Andrew Street Welwyn Wheelers     
4. Joseph Magnus Welwyn Wheelers     
5. Rory Davidson Welwyn Wheelers     
6. Hannah Robinson Welwyn Wheelers