Location: Ludgershall, Wiltshire
Event: 25 February 2012
Report: Snowdon Sports
Securing his second consecutive victory in the Ludgershall Winter Series, Tom Smith (Felt Colbornes RT) won round seven of the series at the REME Test Track in Wiltshire on Saturday.
Smith snatched victory away from his team-mate George Harper on the line after he had sat up to celebrate the win, only for Smith to edge past him on the line.
The 35-year-old from Winkfield Row in Berkshire won the E123 race after an ever-changing race which saw many attacks.
But it all came together for a bunch sprint finish, which Smith won from Harper. But Pedal Heaven RT’s Tim Elverson prevented a clean sweep of the podium by Felt Colbornes by taking third spot ahead of Justin Hoy and Lee Smith behind him in fourth and fifth places.
It proved to be a hectic day of racing with more than 130 riders taking part, and with entry being on the line the organisers were kept busy and split the third and fourth category riders.
The split of the 3/4 race was intended to make the racing safer, but there were still crashes with Swindon Road Club’s Lee Rayfield crashing in the fourth cat race and breaking his collar bone in two places and requiring an ambulance.
And the third cat race also saw a crash on the final lap which left Army CU’s Chris Mattocks with his bike in two pieces.
Thankfully the weather was good, mild and occasionally sunny, without which there may have been even more spills.
The third cat race was fast throughout, but at half distance Nick Noble and Richard Horton broke clear and gained at most a minutes advantage with Noble the stronger throughout, pulling whole lap turns on the front.
The pair had a great sprint for the line which was only won by a bike length. They ended up winning in a time of 42:56 with the bunch trailing in some 37 seconds behind, led by Joseph Crolla.
The fourth cat race was won in a bunch sprint by Pierre Thomas (Bath University CC) with a huge surge to the line to win by a clear five lengths. The remainder of the bunch finished together.
Results:
E/1/2/3:
1st Tom Smith Felt Colbornes RT
2nd George Harper Felt Colbornes RT
3rd Tim Elverson Pedal Heaven RT
4th Justin Hoy Felt Colbornes RT
5th Lee Smith Felt Colbornes RT
6th Robert McCarthy Pedal Heaven RT
7th Nick Allen Pedal Heaven RT
8th Paul Derrick Strada Cycles
9th Jordan Wade Poole Wheelers
10th Chris Wood Wyndymilla / UK Youth
11th Mark Ottaway Wyndymilla UK Youth
12th John Russell Strada Cycles
13th James Wilson supernovacycles.co.uk
14th Phillip Reynolds Peter Hansford Racing
15th David Barnaville Felt Colbornes RT
16th David Hutchinson VC St Raphael / Waite Contracts /Hewitt Cycles
17th Rupert Beale Beeline Cycles RT
18th Stuart Thompson Andover Wheelers
19th Doug Baldock In Gear-Quickvit
20th Paul Carson Performance Cycles RT
21st Will Robbins Cardiff JIF
22nd David Young Fareham Wheelers CC
23rd Mark Barfied MJS Racing
24th Harry Strudley AW Cycles
25th Jamie Streather VC St Raphael
26th Alex Harding Andover Wheelers
27th Gavin Ryan London Dynamo
28th James Ebdon Wightlink Cycles RT
29th Nicholas Beale Beeline Cycles RT
30th Michael Scott Peter Hansford Racing
31st Patrick Martin Wyndymilla / UK Youth
32nd Daniel Stephens Sotonia CC
33rd Simon Brooks VC St Raphael / Waite Contracts /Hewitt Cycles
34th Lee Mead Wyndymilla UK Youth
35th Ian Legg Primera Speclaized
36th John Wager Felt Colbornes RT
Third cat:
1st Nick Noble Bristol Road Club
2nd Richard Horton Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers CC
3rd Joseph Crolla AW Cycles
4th Leigh-Roy MacFarlane Cycleworks.co.uk
5th Tim Benham Wyndymilla UK Youth
6th Michael Kiss BC PM
7th Andy McKay Zappi Cycling Club
8th Paul Jones Army Cycling Union
9th Deacon Cutterham Army Cycling Union
10th Iain Bullar Gannett CC
11th Jordan Wade Poole Wheelers
12th Will Nicklin Kingston Wheelers CC
13th Murray Quiney Southdown Velo
14th Luke Williams Gannet CC
15th Nigel Pratt Andover Wheelers
16th David Hooper MJS Racing
17th Christopher Fletcher Team Axiom
18th James Cotty Cannondale Racing Team
19th Rob Carter BC pm - South
20th Frazier Carr AW Cycles
21st Hugh Knusden University of Bristol CC
22nd Warren Jesse BC PM- south East
23rd David Gilham Bournemouth Arrow CC/Hotel Colli
24th Malcolm Dixon Severn RC
25th Michael Greaves Gannett CC
26th Richard Williamson Gannet CC
27th Chris Hutchings BC PM - South
28th Callum Cross Fareham Wheelers Cycling Club
Fourth Cat:
1st Pierre Thomas Bath University CC
2nd Benjamin Hall Bristol RC
3rd Philip Wadge BC PM
4th Terence Smith Andover Wheelers
5th Mark Bleakley Bath University CC
6th Darren Edwards Bath CC
7th Kieran Holdstock Worcester St Johns
8th Nicholas Cooper Andover Wheelers
9th Robert Clowes BCPM
10th Gary Hill BC PM
11th Ben Chuilon BC PM
12th Dave Dawkins Team Axiom
13th Ben Boardman New Forest CC
14th Alain Ritchie Kyklos/Edco Race Team
15th Gerald McDermott Gasnnett CC
16th Tony Solon Cadence RT
17th Felix Young Bath University
18th Kevin Jones BC PM
19th Simon Meadwell BC PM
20th Jared Linden University of Bristol CC
21st James Chant Gillingham and District Wheelers
22nd Lee King Beeline Cycles
23rd David Hobbs Corinium CC
24th Darren Gardner Cadence RT
25th Jonathan Hodgson BC PM
26th Martin Merryweather Swallowfield Velo Club
27th Sam Barker Wightlink Cycles RT
28th Chris Downham BC PM
29th Paul Boardman Barrow Central Wheelers
30th Jack Elton-Walters Wightlink Cycles RT
Women:
1st Adel Tyson Bloor VC St Raphael / Waite Contracts /Hewitt Cycles
2nd Ellie Gilham VC St Raphael / Waite Contracts /Hewitt Cycles
3rd Nikki Wheeler Team Wiggle
Youth:
1st Matthew MILDON Poole Cycle Speedway Club
2nd Tristan ROBBINS Cardiff JIF
3rd Hugo WALTERS New Forest Cycling Club
4th Joe DONOHUE Fareham Wheelers Cycling Club
5th Rob BOLWELL VC St Raphael / Waite Contracts /Hewitt Cycles
6th Jed WEBBER Andover Wheelers
7th Cameron THOMPSON Andover Wheelers
8th Ashley HUTCHISON VC St Raphael / Waite Contracts /Hewitt Cycles
9th Etienne GEORGI Giant CC / Halo Films
10th Shaun CARTER Gloucester City Cycling Club
11th Jamie HUTCHINSON i-team Cyclist's Club
12th Chris BRETTELL Bristol Cycling Development Squad
13th Katie METALLI Bristol Cycling Development Squad
14th Brendan DREWETT Fareham Wheelers Cycling Club
15th Ryan WHITE 1st Chard Wheelers
16th William CROFTS Bristol Cycling Development Squad
17th Emily HALL Andover Wheelers
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.
