Follow britishcycling.org.uk on 
Imperial Winter Series Race 8
Posted January 18, 2009; Words by Imperial Racing Team
Hillingdon Cycle Circuit, 16th January 2010: After the previous weeks ice and snow, torrential rain greeted the entrants for the 8th race in the Winter series on Saturday but considering the weather, there was a good entry for both the 3rd and 4th cat races.
Following the familiar format of having both races on the circuit at the same time with a 40 second delay between them at the start, and again the 4th cats were caught but allowed the 3rd cat race to pass without incident.
Primes were very kindly donated by Stuart Stow of Purna Performance Sportswear and were very keenly contested, however, it did little to split the groups with both races finishing in hectic group sprints with Steve Jackson (Rollapaluza CC) adding to his BC points total with his second win from Nathan Smith (London Phoenix) and 3rd place going to Alan Strang (Dulwich Paragon).
Steve Jackson now has a commanding lead overall in the 3rd cat series. The 4th cat finish was fast and furious with Jacek Reder beating Richard Rose (Progression Fitness) and Phil Adams (CC Ashwell). Despite the weather all riders were pleased and happy to have a race, riding safely in quite difficult conditions.
The Elite/1/2/3 race had the smallest entry of the three races but nevertheless a class entry assembled along the start line with four talented juniors making their mark in the senior racing. The pattern of the racing is now becoming a battle between the Sigma Team and everyone else!
This was the case again on Saturday and with only 5 km covered, the Sigma pair of Phill Sykes and Steve Golla attacked and rode off the front of the main group with their lead hovering between 20 and 40 seconds for the next 10 km.
Steve Golla looked in all sorts of agony trying to hold Phill Sykes’ wheel with his smooth pedalling action and was more than happy when Sykes took off on his own to ride further away from the chasers.
Golla worked really hard when back in the main group policing the efforts of Paul Alderson (SWRC), Jason Streather (VC St.Raphael) and Vince Halpern (AWcycles) but finally after 30 km a group of 5 detached itself from the main chasing group and at one time seemed to be closing on Sykes.
Lawrence Carpenter (Hillingdon Slipstreamers) was one of the five and rode really aggressively until finally his legs went and he slipped back into the main group but even to get into the group was a fine achievement.
In the end, Sykes crossed the line with both hands raised and was elated with his achievement; it truly was another great ride from him, very reminiscent of previous years when Paul Pickup and Sykes’ team mate Jerone Walters rode to victory in the series. It was desperately close for 2nd place with Rob Moore (London Phoenix CC) at 35 seconds just beating John Heaton-Armstrong (Fit For) and Phil Alderson who had been active throughout and Phil Holloway (Southend Wheelers) returning to his form of previous years.
The main group was lead in by Jason Streather (at 50 seconds) also returning to form narrowly beating Jo Skelton (Brixton Cycles) and Steve Golla who had done a magnificent job helping his team mate stay clear.
RESULTS
E/1/2/3 Race 8 16/1/10
1st Phill Sykes Sigma Sport
2nd Robert Moore London Phoenix CC
3rd John Heaton-Armstrong Fit-For
4th Paul Alderson SWRC
5th Phil Holloway southend wheelers
6th Jason Streather vc st raphael
7th Jo Skelton Brixton Cycles
8th Steve Golla Sigma Sport
9th Robert King AW Cycles
10th Michael Widera www.sportscoaching.com
11th Conor Dunne Glendene CC
12th Jerzy Kuzminski Private Member
13th mark ottaway vc meudon
14th Vincent Halpern A W Cycles.Co.Uk
15th Jason Edwards V C Meudon
16th Martin Garratt London Dynamo
17th Stuart Thompson DH Cyclesport / Colnago
18th Stuart Spies London Dynamo
19th David Streule London Dynamo
20th Richard Collins Imperial Racing Team
21st Matthew Myers Twickenham CC
22nd Lawrence Carpenter Hillingdon Slipstreamers
23rd Geoff Powell High Wycombe CC
24th Thomas Sutherland Twickenham CC
25th Dave Woods CC Luton
26th Richard Da Silva Stevenage CC
27th Mark Edwards Hillingdon Triathletes
28th Cosmo Kedros Dulwich Paragon
29th Marco Coppola Gemini BC
30th Scott Nelson Brixton Cycles
3rd Cats
1st Steven Jackson Rollapaluza CC
2nd Nathan Smith London Phoenix
3rd Alan Strang Dulwich Paragon
4th Ed Rose Progression Fitness
5th Mark Northover CC Giro
6th Andy Angwin London Phoenix
7th Calum MacLean Edinburgh RC
8th Josh Maynard Welwyn Wheelers
9th Peter Dixon Willesden CC
10th Paul Stedman Reading CC
11th Andy Edwards Kingston Wheelers CC
12th wayne thomas READING CC
13th Andrew Stronge London Dynamo
14th James Dunsbier London Dynamo
15th Gregg James Behind The Bike Shed
16th Simon North Hemel Hempstead CC/TORQ
17th Paul Redman Thames Velo
18th Jai Watson Dulwich Paragon CC
19th ? Aragon bike
20th Peter Jones Hillingdon Cycling Club
21st Ralph Keeler Cambridge CC
22nd Matt Treadwell Twickenham CC
23rd Gareth Welch Dulwich Paragon
24th Phillip Burgess Norwood Paragon CC
25th William Platt Kingston Wheelers CC
26th Robin Osborne London Dynamo CC
4th Cats Race
1st Jacek Reder private member
2nd Richard Rose Progression Fitness
3rd Phil Adams CC Ashwell
4th Chris Grange Hemel Hempstead
5th Dominic Southworth private member
6th Andy Kerr Oxonian CC
7th Piers Curle Exciles
8th Stuart Lockyear London Phoenix
9th Kevin Smart Stevenage CC
10th James Ryan Lewes Wanderers
11th Rob Griffiths London Phoenix
12th Iain Palmer
13th Neil Cooper Private member
14th Chris Zavos London Dynamo
15th Matt O'Callaghan Exiles CC
16th Nick Southworth High Wycombe CC
17th Bruce Turner Rugby Velo
18th Lise Soerensen Kingston Wheelers CC
19th Gavin Percy Inverse Racing / Bike food
20th Brian McPherson 1st Gear Cycles
21st Alan Nixon Amersham RCC
22nd Thomas Bell
23rd Dan Gillow Private member
24th Mike Miach Twickenham CC
25th Martin Porter Thames Velo
26th Sam Bullen London Phoenix CC
27th Maxine Filby Team MK
28th Neil Heffernan Amersham CC
29th Chris Goodman VC Londres
30th Alex Murray London Dynamo
