Location: Tameside Circuit, Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester
Event: 11 March 2012
Report: Snowdon Sports
The first of three early-season events on the Tameside circuit in Manchester came down to a bunch sprint won narrowly by Huddersfield’s Simon Fortune (Condor RC).
The fourth-category race was the first competitive experiencefor a number in the 40-strong field, but the bunch adapted quickly to the technical challenges of the circuit.
The best efforts of the Pedalsport CC riders to split the group coming to nothing before 37-year-old Fortune, from Huddersfield, edged out Duncan Warner (Airedale Olympic CC) in the charge for the line.
Many of the riders in the women’s race had been attending the popular road race training sessions at the Tameside circuit on Monday evenings. The early pace was forced by Nikola Butler (Vivelo-Bikes/Inverse Cyclaim RT) and the Dirt Wheels Cycles duo of Rachael Bamford and Brit Tate, establishing a group of ten leaders.
Bamford looked strong throughout and made several attempts to go clear, but she was brought back each time before the Dirt Wheels riders took control on the final lap and led out the sprint – Bamford taking the win ahead of Tate with third place going to Hannah Layland (VC St Raphael).
Women’s Circuit Racing Weekends continue in the North West at Salt Ayre (1, 24, 31 March) and Tameside (18, 25 March).
Results:
3/4:
1 Simon Fortune (Condor RC Calderdale)
2 Duncan Warner (Airdale Olympic CC)
3 Kevin McCann (Liverpool Century RC)
4 Michael Page (RAF CC)
5 Adam Blakeley (Pendle Forest CC)
6 Jonathan Dicks (Liverpool Century RC)
7 Dominic Watts (Sheffield sports CC)
8 Peter Free (Heanor Clarion CC)
9 Nick Guest (Slipstream Race Team)
10 Paul Campbell (Hull Thursday RC)
Women:
1 Rachael Bamford (Dirt Wheels Cycles)
2 Brit Tate (Dirt Wheels Cycles)
3 Hannah Layland (VC St Raphael)
4 Louise Borthwick (Edinburgh RC)
5 Lisa Daly (Sportcity Velo)
6 Iona Sewell (GB Cycles)
7 Frances White (Champion Systems/Maxgear RT)
8 Nikola Butler (Vivelo-Bikes/Inverse Cyclaim RT)
9 Nicky Shaw (Dinnington RC)
10 Joanne Blakeley (Seamons CC)
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.
