Location: Ludgershall, Wiltshire
Event: 28 January 2012
Report: Snowdon Sports
Supernova Cycles rider James Wilson sprinted to victory at the end of the E12 race at the third round of the Ludgershall Winter Series in Wiltshire on Saturday.
Wilson, 29 and from Newbury where Supernova Cycles are based, pipped breakaway rival David Creeggan (Pedal Heaven RT) by a couple of bike lengths in the sprint for the line, while the bunch came home 24 seconds later after failing to reel in the escapees.
Wilson had tried to escape with team-mate Matt Connor earlier in the race but was pulled back. However, on the fifth lap he successfully managed to break free with Creeggan, 39 and from Ash in Hampshire.
The pair worked well together and held their lead at 20-30 seconds for the remainder of the race, which was run off in cold but calm conditions but on a track which was slightly damp and slippery in places.
“I’m not bad at sprinting and I was reasonably confident going into the finish,” said 1st cat rider Wilson afterwards. “David started the sprint before me, but I was on him quickly and I came round him with about 50 metres to go.
“I’m really pleased to get the win for my sponsor, Christian Thompson of Supernova Cycles, and hopefully we can build on this throughout the season. We’re a new team with four riders at the moment – me and Matt Connor, David Billings and James Wilding.
“I’m mainly going to be targeting National B races, so I’ll be doing the Perfs and the Severn Bridge Road Race next month and take it from there.”
Fourth in round one, Wilson missed the break in round two of the Ludgershall Series but managed to take second in the bunch sprint and was seventh overall.
3/4 Category Race
The supporting race for 3/4 category riders was won by Chippenham and District Wheelers’ Simon Barnes, who won a tight sprint finish after an eventful final circuit.
A crash just outside the top ten on the last lap saw eight riders hit the deck, and held up most of the bunch with only 15 managing to avoid the melee and go on to contest the finish.
Poole Wheelers’ 17-year-old Jordan Wade led out the sprint and looked to have victory in the bag, but 41-year-old Corsham-based rider Barnes just thrust his wheel ahead on the line to win by just a couple of inches.
Truro’s Chris Mattocks (Army Cycling Union) took third spot, the 20-year-old just holding off Craig Wallduck (Univ of Bristol CC) for the final podium place.
Apart from a few cuts and bruises, there were no serious injuries in the crash.
Results:
E/1/2/3:
1 James Wilson supernovacycles.co.uk 54:21
2 David Creeggan Pedal Heaven RT @ same time
3 Patrick Martin Wyndamilla / UK Youth @ 24sec
4 Brian Macpherson BC PM
5 Simon Snowdon Cadence Cannondale RT
6 John Russell Strada Cycles
7 Paul Derrick Strada Cycles
8 Mark Ottaway Wyndamilla / UK Youth
9 Jamie Streather VC St Raphael / Waite Contracts / Hewitts Cycles
10 Jason Streather VC St Raphael / Waite Contracts / Hewitts Cycles
11 Phill Reynolds Peter Hansford Racing
12 Lee Mead Wyndamilla / UK Youth
13 David Young Fareham Wheelers Cycling Club
14 Matthew Conner supernovacycles.co.uk
15 Stuart Thompson Andover Wheelers
16 Daniel Stephens Sotonia CC
17 Michael Scott Peter Hansford Racing
18 Philip Adkins Strada Cycles
19 Simon Brooks VC St Raphael / Waite Contracts / Hewitts Cycles
3/4:
1 Simon Barnes Chippenham Wheelers 55:48
2 Jordan Wade Poole Wheelers
3 Chris Mattocks Army Cycling Union
4 Craig Wallduck University of Bristol CC
5 Aaron Tayler Swindon RC
6 Carsten Duke Army Cycling Union
7 Peter Medhurst University of Exeter Cycling Club
8 Simon Martin Bath CC
9 Michael Ward VC Montpellier
10 Jason Painton Rides On Air
11 Shaun Green Army Cycling Union
12 Chris Hutchings BC PM - South
13 Adam Morris Army Cycling Union
14 Kieran Holdstock Worcester St Johns
15 Alan Starsmeare East Grinstead CC
16 Terence Smith Andover Wheelers
17 Paul Coles Chippenham Wheelers
18 Andy Keynes VC Meudon
19 Christopher Fletcher Team Axiom
20 James Chant Gillingham and District Wheelers
21 Gary Hill BC PM
22 David Hooper MJS Racing
23 Steve Cottington Cadence RT
24 Colin Summerfield VC Meudon
25 Tim Jay Somer Valley CC
26 Simon Parton Kingston Wheelers
27 Philip Adkins Strada Cycles
28 Nigel Pratt Andover Wheelers
29 Gregg James Andover wheelers
30 Michael Young Cadence RT
31 David Stoyle Bath CC
32 Gerald McDermott Gannett CC
33 Nigel Brown Gillingham and District Wheelers
34 Neil MacKinnon Gillingham and District Wheelers
35 Nicholas Cooper Andover Wheelers
Women: Hannah Drewett (unattached).
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.
