Report: Mildenhall Cycling Rally
August Bank Holiday Weekend, 2007
The sun shone on this year's Mildenhall Cycling Rally and thousands of cyclists came out to enjoy the cycling extravaganza.
According to one of the organisers Mildenhall Cycling Club, Mark Burchett "After all the rain that had fallen in the last few weeks, let alone months, we were just praying it didn't rain over the weekend. It was beyond our wildest dreams that we would be blessed with the best bank-holiday weather of the year."
The highlight of the Rally was the 800m National Grass-Track Championship this year and was a hard fought contest. Continental based Dean Downing riding for the Alpha Condor professional team, proved just too strong for the Manchester based Ben Elliott (VC St Raphael) and Jon Norfolk (Yasumitsu-Schlapp) respectively.
The track, soaked by all the recent rain, was heavy going and made for some very close and exciting racing for the spectators that this year completely lined the track on all three days of the Rally.
Organiser of the grass-track events, Max Pendleton, said "There was some cracking racing over the whole weekend and the National 800m was the best of the lot"
Laura Trott beat her elder sister Emma in the Elmy Cycles Ladies Omnium competition, but she (Laura) was denied a clean sweep of all the women's events by Emma who took the honours in the WRCA 3000m Scratch Championship, winning the Rachel Glaister Memorial Trophy.
Having won the Under 14's grass-track Omnium at last year's Rally, host club rider Matthew Cook found it much tougher this year in the Gem Estate Management Under 16's Omnium. The winner was Nathan Coleman (West Suffolk Wheelers). But Cook will have learnt from the experience, which will stand him in great stead for the future. Riding with club-mate Will Adams, the fifteen year-old finished 10th in the Madison Cyclo-Cross and they were the last pair not to be lapped by the winning duo of Theo Brumhead (City RC Hull) and Tom Payton (Stourbridge CC).
"One rider who deserves special praise, is twelve year old Calvert Churchill from Essex-based club API - Metrow. He was the odd one out literally, so rode the whole event on his own rather than alternate laps like everyone else and was not last! This feat was also recognised by JT Cycles and Dawes Cycles in the Trade Show with both awarding him special prizes." explained Mark Burchett.
In Mildenhall Cycling Club's Club Grass-Track Championship Andrew Whelan repeated his victory at last year's Rally, ahead of Will Adams Sara Whelan. Adams second place sees him claim the Under 16 Championship trophy.
In the Newmarket Duathlon, last years popular winner ex-continental semi-pro cyclist, Jez Cox (Team Planet-X) was beaten into second place by Nathan Miller riding for the Colchester based team of 53-12 Multisports who stopped the clock at 1 hour 8 minutes 17 seconds. They finished over three minutes ahead of Sean Beard who completed the two 5km runs either side of the 23km cycle section in 1 hr 11 mins 39 secs. Paul Mitchell was the fastest competitor for the Newmarket Cycling & Triathlon Club, who kindly promoted the event on behalf of the Mildenhall Cycling Rally.
In the Children's Duathlon, sponsored by SJ Parr & Sons Ltd, the emphasis is all about having fun and it was great to see children as young as three and four taking part on a shortened course cheered on by their watching parents and friends. In the 7's and under category Matthew Ellis (Boston Wheelers) repeated his win of last year, while in the 8 - 10 year olds category Calvert Churchill's brother, Christian was victorious. Evan Cattermole (VC Londres) won the 11-13 year olds event and Tom Payton (Stourbridge C.C.) the 14-16 year olds race.
"Many cyclists took advantage of the glorious weather to either ride out to the RSPB's new reserve at Lakenheath Fen, or, the Velorotic exhibition in Weeting staged by the Frank Patterson Appreciation Society, with some combining both in the same ride. Away from the Rally site at the Riverside Middle School in Mildenhall and the surrounding areas saw hundreds of cyclists every day enjoying the local countryside with cafes, restaurants, campsites and guest houses doing a roaring trade." added Mark Burchett.
All of the regular events at the Rally like the Quiz, the entertainment evening that this year was an illustrative talk from the RSPB and Children's Sports were well attended and as popular as ever. Traders in the two-day Trade Show enjoyed two successful days of trading as well as enjoying the social side of the Rally.
In the Dawes Cycles sponsored children's competition there was a local winner in the 9 - 15 year old age group. Eleven-year-old Callum Hartley from Mildenhall had his correct competition entry drawn first out of the hat to win the Dawes Tourismo cycle. He was at the Rally with friends and family and could hardly contain his delight at winning - he has just outgrown his previous cycle! Abigail Lynch (Leicester) was the winner of Dawes Tourismo cycle in the 8 years and under age group. High security cycle locks, donated by the Mildenhall Crime Prevention Panel, were won by two runners-up in each age group.
"We would like to thank all the volunteers and helpers for all their efforts, as well as local people for their understanding and co-operation, for without this, the Rally just could not take place." said Mark Burchett.
All the results, together with pictures, from the weekend's competitions at the Rally can be found at www.mildenhallrally.org.uk
