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Report: South West League Round 5

Event: ‘1st Chard Wheelers ‘Cross', 24th October 2010 | Report: Alan Braley | Images: Peter O'Shea

1st Chard Wheelers ran the second edition of their cyclo-cross race on the well regarded course at Holyrood School in Chard on Sunday 24th October. The event was the fifth race in the 2010/11 South West Cyclo Cross League.

Compared to 2009's inaugural event, the conditions could not have been more different with the weeks beforehand being very dry, compared to last year's very wet spell. As such the course was very fast and almost all rideable, with riders big ringing it past the uphill finish compared to last year where most were forced to shoulder their bikes due to the muddy conditions.

Despite the firm going, showers and rain the day before left parts of the circuit very greasy and several were caught out by the slippery conditions.

The day's racing started with an innovation when a Go-Ride-Racing event was held for young novice riders who have been attending Go-Ride clubs in the local schools, through 1st Chard's Go-Ride scheme. 

In all, 17 riders lined up for the Go-Ride Racing - which is British Cycling's initiative to help young riders make the transition from school or club coaching sessions to inter-club and open regional competition - with Wadham's Oliver Parsons winning the under 16 race and Hugo Hammond, Maiden Beech, the under 12s, with several riders opting to go on and ride the main youth races that followed.

In the under 12 race Jack Hawtin of Mid Devon took the honours from Southfork's under 10 member Sam Pearson, while in the youth race club mate Will Kelly won from Revo's Laura Clode.

The main race saw a good sized field of over 40 riders take the extremely fast tarmac start to the race. The current National Junior Champion Luke Gray (Hargroves / Scott, pictured above) being a welcome member of the field. Gridded behind the league's ranked riders, the Poole based rider took two or three laps to work his way to the front of the field in a fast and furious race. Behind, Steve Davies (MI Racing), possibly caught out by the ultra fast start, worked his way from eighth or ninth into second place behind the rapid Luke Gray, but fellow vets Pete Dawe and Tim Carpenter with Mark Davies made sure Steve didn't have an easy task.

Above: The Go-Ride Racing event gets underway

At the finish Luke Gray took the honours for the day in front of top veteran Steve Davies with Pete Dawe, Mark Davies, Tim Carpenter and Matt Richardson rounding out the top six. Certini's Maddie Horton rode an outstanding race to finish sixteenth overall and take the women's prize. The junior award was taken by Mid Devon's Adam Fursdon.

RESULTS

SENIOR/JUNIOR/VETS/WOMEN

1 Luke Gray Hargroves / Scott
2 Steve Davies MI Racing V
3 Pete Dawe Southfork V
4 Mark Davies Revo Racing
5 Tim Carpenter Empella V
6 Matt Richardson Shred Racing
7 John Peters CS South Hams
8 Matt Loake Southfork
9 Alan drury Mid Devon CC @ 1 lap
10 Adrian Clode Revo Racing V
11 Alan Sanders CS South Hams
12 Richard Taylor Exeter Whls V
13 J M Horton Certini
14 Richard Fowlds Mid Devon CC V
15 Andy Retter Okehampton CC
16 Maddie Horton Certini W
17 Simon Phillips CS South Hams
18 Jay Worrey CS South Hams
19 Ben Clarke CS South Hams
20 Lee Bradley Cyclelogic V
21 Mark Plummer Yeovil CC
22 Adam Jones Bicycle Chain
23 Steve Whithouse V
24 Alan Wakeley CC Weymouth
25 Mark Deakin Somerset RC
26 Will Hornby CS South Hams
27 Brian Bullen Yogi
28 Adam Fursdon Mid Devon CC J
29 Andy Wellings Somerset RC
30 Robin Worman Royal Navy
31 Steve Worbey Team Swift
32 Julian Guy Sid Valley CC
33 Fiona Verney Exeter Whls W
34 Nigel Ware 1st Chard Whls
35 Sean Connock unattached
36 Roger Longman Team Tor
37 Steve Gelder Team Swift
38 Toby Gilmore 1st Chard Whls
39 Jessica Steer Somerset RC W
40 Richard Clarke Mid Devon CC

Marcus Boneham CS South Hams dnf
Seb Baylis 1st Chard Whls dnf
Robin Delve Mid Devon CC dnf

YOUTH

1 Will Kelly Mid Devon CC U14
2 Laura Clode Revo Racing U16........
3 Nathan Olsen U14
4 Tom Baylis 1st Chard Whls U16
5 Alex Sheehan BCDS U16
6 Frank Alden Mid Devon CC U14
7 Lucy Hawtin Mid Devon CC U14
8 Oliver Parsons Yeovil CC U14
9 Harry Clarke Mid Devon CC U14
10 Ben Clarke Mid Devon CC U14
11 Joel Kelly Mid Devon CC U16

UNDER 12/10/8

1 Jack Hawtin Mid Devon CC U12
2 Sam Pearson Southfork U10
3 Ruby Boyd U12
4 Adam Parsons Yeovil CC U12
5 Jade Hawkins U12
6 George Boyd U8
7 Alex Eades U8
8 Bob Alden U12
9 Kara Olsen U10

GO-RIDE-RACING

Under 14 / 16

1 Oliver Parsons Wadham School, Crewkerne U14
2 Kieran Harrison Maiden Beech, Crewkerne U14
3 Sophie Draper Wadham School, Crewkerne
4 Ethan Smith Holyrood Academy, Chard U14
5 Joe Down Holyrood Academy, Chard U14

Under 12

1 Hugo Hammond Maiden Beech, Crewkerne U12
2 Adam Parsons Maiden Beech, Crewkerne U12
3 Niamh Kinsella Holyrood Academy, Chard U12
4 Maisie Plummer U12
5 Harry Plummer U10
6 Harry Sheehan U10
7 Alex Eades U8
8 Phoebe Edington Maiden Beech, Crewkerne U12
9 Daniel Burke Holyrood Academy, Chard U12