Palmer Park Track League

 

Event: 28th April, Reading
Words: David Jack, Pictures: GuySwarbrick.com

Everyone left feeling a little chilly !

With chilly winds, dark skies and heavy rain showers passing all around the velodrome, those turning up from further afield were not expecting to ride, given the rain storms they had driven through, but other than a light shower, ride they did.

 

Handicap races got the night underway for the youths and in the one lap event it was Jason Pitt who edged out George Withers in the Under 14’s whilst Joseph Lineham held off David Ellis in the Under 12/10’s. In the 6 lap handicap it was Daniel Maslin who out sprinted Frazier Carr for U14 victory with Harvey Watson taking top spot off David Ellis again, in the U12/10’s.

To open the Seniors racing they started with an A & B combined scratch race, and with light rain and a damp track, it was a slippery affair, but fortunately no crashes. Sam Sturgeon took his first win of the season pipping Lewis Atkins and Luke Merrilees, with Trevor Bradbury taking the top B’s spot and Harriet Owen first women home.

 

The Dernys, or motor paced, racing was the main feature of the evening and the Youths kicked off with some Keirins. Daniel Maslin had the faster sprint to hold off Cameron Swarbrick in the U14’s with Harvey Watson taking his second win beating David Ellis in the U12/10’s.

 

The heats of the Senior events produced some surprising results, through in part to punctures and various misread signals between drivers and riders as some strong riders missed out on finals berths. In the finals it was an exceptionally strong showing from Sam Sturgeon as he, and father Clive on the Derny, set a blistering pace to distance themselves from the field. 
 
But with a couple of  laps to go Chris Legg had his derny driver wind it up to full speed and they closed the gap on the penultimate straight. Legge then chose to jump onto Sturgeons wheel to take the shortest route, get a better lead onto the home straight, and was to battle him all the way to the line. It was tense stuff but Sturgeon held on to win by half a bike length from Legg, with Tom Kirk taking third.

In the B’s race it was a father and son duel, Stephen Bradbury against father Trevor, with things being neck and neck for a while but then youth overcame age and Stephen went on to record a comfortable victory. The Womens race started fast and furiously with Janet Birkmyre taking an early lead, but sadly suffering from a back complaint over the last few weeks, she couldn’t maintain her speed and was soon passed by Harriet Owen and Emma Patterson. They hammered round in close quarters until the last lap where Owen upped the pace just enough to drop Patterson on the home straight to win.

 

The Youths last race of the evening was the 10 lap scratch race and with it getting colder, these chaps fair hammered round as much to keep warm as they did want to win, but eventually they hit the home straight as a reduced pack, with Daniel Maslin recording his 3rd win of the night from Frazier Carr in the U14’s and Harvey Watson holding off a great ride from Katie Metalli in the U12/10’s.

20km AW Cycles endurance scratch race
Always fast and aggressive with tonight being no different. Attacks from Sam Sturgeon, Lewis Atkins, David Jack, Chris Legg, John Warnock… heck I could list most of the field. In the end there were 14 riders together as they came round for the bell lap.

 

Well, with one exception. Luke Merrilees, who had tapped off the front with 3 laps to go and held a gap of about 80 metres on the field as they crossed the finish line, alarm bells ringing loudly in their ears as they set off in pursuit. Merrilees looked to be maintaining the gap on the back straight but a surge from Atkins, Legg, Sturgeon and the pack gobbled up the lead in less than 100 metres, with the line just round the final bend.

 

As they hit the home straight it was Atkins leading by a bike length from Legg but as the line approached Legg closed and closed to within a wheel but not quite enough. A great sprint from Atkins and Legg which looked for all money like a Tour De France sprint finish, but sadly what most people missed was that Atkins was perceived to have strayed off his line by the race commissaires  and he was relegated to 2nd place.

 

All in all a chilly night of weather and racing.  We’re having a week off due to some untimely bank holiday. See you all in a fortnight ( and no sneak training either).

 

RELATED LINKS

Reading Track League 1

 

Palmer Park Track League April 28