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Report: Spalding Town Centre Criterium

Promoted by Spalding cycling club, Sunday 1st May 2011
Report & Images: Simon Wright

Fast and furious bike racing returned to the centre of Spalding on Sunday 1st May when Spalding Cycling Club held its second town centre bike race.

The race programme included a full range of youth races as well as two separate adult races, the first for 4th Cat riders, and the second for more experienced 4th, 3rd and 2nd Cat riders. This final race of the day was the highlight of the afternoons sport and attracted some very fast national riders.

The day began with the junior races and MP John Hayes flagged the riders away for the first race of the afternoon.
All the races attracted large grids and the riders and spectators who came along to enjoy the afternoon's action, and support their favourite riders, enjoyed warm and sunny conditions, ideal for racing although a stiff head wind punished riders who were not sheltered in the bunch.

Many of the youth races were dominated by Spalding riders which demonstrates that the Go-Ride coaching that Spalding Cycling Club promotes is invaluable to teach young riders racing skills and improve fitness.
In the Youth E race for under 8's, Bryn Richards was a clear winner but Ben Norton was a determined second place and showed that he had an amazing sprint finish in his legs when crossing the line. Molly Peel also sealed the top honours as the fastest girl.

The Youth D race (under 10's) was hotly contested between a small group of leading riders who made a break from the main peloton. Jake Norton was in the lead pack throughout and crossed the line in second place.
In the Youth C (under 12's) boys race, Scott Hookway from Sherwood Pines CC rode strongly to secure first place from Daniel Bradbury of Solihull CC. In the under 12's girls classification, Hannah Banks was a convincing winner but she was chased hard by Tilly Gurney for Spalding who finished second with another Spalding rider, Sophie Wright clinching third.

In the Youth B (under 14) races, For the boys, first place went to Karl Baillie from Witham Wheelers CC with Jake Poole, Cyclesport in second and Ollie Peckover, Notts Clarion in third. In the girls race, Jennifer McAndrew comfortably secured first place from Louise Beedham, Lincsquad in second and Harriet Moore who was third representing Spalding CC in her first competitive season.

In the Youth A races for riders under 16, the boys classification was dominated by Simon Beedham from Lincsquad who was untouchable for the whole race and in the girls race, Saskia Hook took the laurels from local rider Sian Botteley (Bourne Wheelers) in second and Robyn Bolland, Liverpool Mercury.

In the first adult race of the afternoon, for 4th Cat riders, Phil Malt of VC Lincoln was a convincing winner beating his fellow club member, Jonathon Wells, who finished second with Leighton Davies third. Several Spalding riders took part in this race and quickly formed a small group that worked well together in the mid field.

In the "blue ribbon" event for 4th, 3rd and 2nd Cat riders, Julian Gromett from Cottingham Couriers RT was a convincing winner. Kieron Brady, Velo Schils Interbike RT was first youth rider and Lindsay Clark secured top honours in the ladies category.

RESULTS:

YOUTH E BOYS
1 BRYN RICHARDS SPALDING CC
2 BEN NORTON SPALDING CC
3 EDWARD GURNEY SPALDING CC

YOUTH E GIRLS
1 MOLLY PEEL SPALDING CC

YOUTH D BOYS
1 KERRIGAN ROBB WITHAM WHEELERS
2 JAKE NORTON SPALDING CC
3 JAMES UPTON SOLIHULL CC

YOUTH D GIRLS
1 HOLLY BARNETT WELLAND VALLEY
2 PIPER RADFORD SHERWOOD PINES CC
3 TEGAN HOOKWAY SHERWOOD PINES CC

YOUTH C BOYS
1 SCOTT HOOKWAY SHERWOOD PINES CC
2 DANIEL BRADBURY SOLIHULL CC
3 JACOB FEETHAM WAKEFIELD TRI

YOUTH C GIRLS
1 HANNAH BANKS EAST BRADFORD CC
2 TILLY GURNEY SPALDING CC
3 SOPHIE WRIGHT SPALDING CC

YOUTH B BOYS
1 KARL BAILLIE WITHAM WHEELERS
2 JAKE POOLE CYCLESPORT
3 OLLIE PECKOVER NOTTS CLARION

YOUTH B GIRLS
1 JENNIFER MCANDREW SPALDING CC
2 LOUISE BEEDHAM LINCSQUAD
3 HARRIET MOORE SPALDING CC

YOUTH A BOYS
1 SIMON BEEDHAM LINCSQUAD
2 JAMES PECKOVER NOTTS CLARION
3 ALAN TROLOVE WEST SUFFOLK WHEELERS

YOUTH A GIRLS
1 SASKIA HOOK HEANOR CLARION
2 SIAN BOTTELEY BOURNE WHEELERS
3 ROBYN BOLLAND LIVERPOOL MERCURY

4TH CAT SENIORS
1 PHIL MALT VC LINCOLN
2 JONATHON WELLS VC LINCOLN
3 LEIGHTON DAVIES
4 JOSEPH WHITE
5 PATRICK WARREN VC LINCOLN
6 MARTIN KENNEDY VC LINCOLN
7 BEN PARKER
8 ROLAND CLARK RUTLAND VELO
9 SIMON CROWTHER LINCOLN VELO
10 DARREN JESSOP SLEAFORD WHEELERS

2 CAT/3 CAT/4 CAT (MEN, WOMEND, JUNIORS)
1 JULIAN GROMETT COTTINGHAM COURIERS RT
2 MARK COTTON BYCKA SPORT RACING
3 GARETH WHITALL
4 MATT PASSENGER BOURNE WHEELERS
5 KIERON BRADY (J) VELO SCHILS INTERBIKE RT
6 BEN GREEN (J) VC LINCOLN
7 MARK BOTTELEY BOURNE WHEELERS
8 STUART PRYCE NOTTINGHAM CLARION
9 MICHAEL JONES NOTTINGHAM CLARION
10 STEVE THOMPSON CLAYCROSS RT

JUNIOR
1 KIERON BRADY VELO SCHILS INTERBIKE RT
2 BEN GREEN VC LINCOLN
3 GEORGE THOMPSON SLEAFORD WHEELERS

LADIES
1 LINDSAY CLARK FENLON CLARION
2 DEBBIE BARNETT VELO VELO
3 AMY WILLOUGHBY COTTINGHAM COURIERS RT

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British Cycling would like to thank the organising team, officials and everyone else who helped promote this event. Our sport could not exist without the hundreds of people, many of them unpaid volunteers, who put in many hours of hard work running events, activities and clubs.