Local Cycling News

Gregg Shrosbree (MERIDA) was disappointed to finish second in round 10 of the Moreton Evening series in Dorset. The 19 year old had scored his first win on the road last weekend at the Brentor Road Race in Devon and was hungry for more. Shrosbree along with Andy Hargroves (Hargroves Cycles) had attacked the bunch and had a good gap as they approached the bell lap.

Unfortunately they were too quick for the timekeeper, who failed to sound the bell in time for them to hear. Hargroves team mates, Eastwood and Bowers policed the bunch and the gap grew.

Sensing that something was wrong, the duo agreed to roll across the line together. However the chequered flag came into sight and Hargroves called off the truce, easily winning the sprint, Shrosbree though, did appear not to contest the finish. He will not lose sleep over it though, “It’s only training” he said.

Andy Hargroves was racing Moreton for the first time; the Hampshire based team are dominating the series with wins already for Eastwood & Luke Gray. Eastwood picked up the scraps in the sprint for third place and looks good to repeat his overall win of last year.

PROVISIONAL RESULT

1, ANDREW HARGROVES (HARGROVES CYCLES)
2, GREGG SHROSBREE (MERIDA)
3, JASON EASTWOOD (HARGROVES CYCLES)
4, ROLAND TILLEY (RIDEBIKE.CO.UK)
5, JULIAN THACKER (VC ST RAPHAEL/WAITES CONTRACTS)
6, MATT MILDON (UNATT)
7, ROB KOPPENHOL (DORSET ROUGH RIDERS)
8, JORDAN WADE (POOLE WH)
9, JOHN WICKAM (CC WEYMOUTH)
10 STUART BOWERS (HARGROVES CYCLES)

Gregg Shrosbree (Merida) scored his first Road Race win at the Brentor event in Devon. Shrosbree rode aggressively throughout the 40 mile race but could not escape the bunch. However one big effort in the last few miles saw the Sandbanks rider go clear. Broadstone Based Luke Gray (Hargroves Cycles) and Andy Boyd (Revo Racing) managed to get across to Shrosbree but had no answer when the Merida rider kicked again.

Shrosbree wins Brentor, Gray settles for 2nd:Photo Lisa Lindstroem

Gray took second with Boyd third. Nineteen year old Shrosbree was happy with his maiden win on the road and is already looking ahead “My plans for the rest of the season are to get as many points as I can, before I go the Alps and then on to Belgium to tackle the big boys in the Kermesses at the end of August. Plans for next year include a first category license, a bigger team and the National Champs. Shrosbree is a talented rider, perhaps he needs to find the killer instinct to deliver his worthy ambitions.

James Gilfillan (Team Feat) won the Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers 25 mile Time Trial, on the Upton course.

The world age group triathlon champion’s time of 52.28 put nearly 2 minutes into his nearest challenger, Tom Alliban (Revo Racing) 54.25. Ringwood -Based Gilfillan has recently ridden the Race across America (RAAM) and proved too strong for the pure cyclists. Gary Dighton (Poole Wheelers), 54.38 came third, leading the winning team of Terry Icke & Steve Birtwistle. Judith Martin won the ladies race to make it a good day for the Poole club. Gilfillan is off to France next week for “Le Alpe D’uez Triathlon, the 115km bike leg finishes at the top of the famous climb with the following 22km run around the ski station. Meanwhile Winton rider Claire Day (Born to Bike) won her second gold medal at the 100 mile time trial championships. The former Bournemouth Jubilee member repeated her success of last year, recording 4.20.56 as part of the winning ladies team. "Crap day! crap legs!, you know the story, i grovelled around determined to finish so we could win the team award and i ended up winning my age group as well!" said Claire.

• Ridebike.co.uk trio, Mark Chadbourne, Simon Willats and Roland Tilley claimed 3 of the top 5 placings in round 4 of the Southern X country MTB series. Chadbourne was best placed in second spot. Carol Tilley won the veteran ladies race. All four will be in action this weekend at the National X country Championships at Richmond, North Yorkshire.

CLUB EVENTS

BOURNEMOUTH JUBILEE 10 P311 12/07 38 starters
1, S MCGLOUGHLIN 22.39
2, J CLEMAS 23.35
3, M SAVAGE 23.43

NEW FOREST 10 P164 12/07 34 STARTERS
1,G ALLAN (G A CYCLES) 22.35
2,S BARNES(G A CYCLES) 23.02
3,M BEALE (VC ST RAPHAEL) 23.20

CC WEYMOUTH 5 P451 12/07 13 STARTERS
1,J CHAPMAN 10.44
2,C LAWSON 10.55
3,M MERRITT 11.37

POOLE WHEELERS 10 P412 13/07 27 STARTERS
1,J GILFILLAN (TEAM FEAT) 20.27
2,T ICKE 20.48
3,G DIGHTON 20.58

Local Weekly Round Up

Image courtesy of Graham Robins

• Will Stephenson (Bournemouth Arrow/Hotel Collingwood) won the South Division junior road race title after a 30 mile solo breakaway. Pretty impressive as there was a very strong wind blowing. Stephenson, enjoying a great season, won by over two minutes on the rolling 50 mile course over Stockbridge Down in Hampshire.

• Strong winds made the going tough in the Wessex Road Club 50 mile time trial, held at Lytchett Matravers Reigning national 12 hour champion, Julian Jenkinson (Utag-Yamaha) was victorious but his time of 1.49.47 was only 18 seconds ahead of Jon Wynn, 1.50.05, with Tom Alliban (Revo Racing) in third, 1.52.56. Terry Icke,66, (Poole Wheelers) rode strongly to claim 4th in 1.56.28. Icke is also enjoying a good season, and is planning to ride the World Masters Track Champioships, at Manchester later this year. Icke will target the 3,000 metre pursuit.

• Last years overall series winner, Jason Eastwood (Hargroves Cycles) sprinted to victory in round 2 of the Moreton Road Race series. A field of 66 lined up for what proved to be a fast race. The scratch group caught the handicap groups in front, with two of the ten 3 mile laps remaining. Eastwood proved unstoppable in the dash for the line. Roland Tilley (ridebike.co.uk) and Andrew Boyd (revo racing) took the minor places. Speaking about his plans for this season Eastwood said, "I am aiming to podium at the world masters track champs in September and also intend to do a bit of time trialling, as i have just bought a TT bike. I have just come back from racing in Holland which was great, so am hoping to do more out there and Belgium too. Also doing a couple of Crits in California in August, just for the experience"
(I dont have many details yet, but a crash in the finishing straight at Moreton, last night, Thursday 25 resulted in ambulance being called)

Paul Hopkins (Merida UK) was a clear winner of the Dorset Rough Riders MTB 2 hour Enduro. Held at Coldharbour, deep in the Wareham Forest, Hopkins led from the first lap. Working well with teammate Gregg Shrosbree, the pair built a healthy lead. However, Shrosbree suffered a punctured and by the time he rejoined the race, he was left salvaging pride. Hopkins pushed on alone and built a lead of over 5 minutes, and looked very comfortable on the mix of single track, fire trails and dusty gravel paths. Roland Tilley (ridebike.co.uk) & James Horton (Primera) chased hard but could make no impression. Tilley finally dropped Horton on the last lap to take second, the Primera rider hanging on for third. Liz Gilmour (ridebike) won the ladies race from Heidi Gould (CC Weymouth) with Carol Tilley third.

Club Events
BJW 10 24/5 P472c 21 STARTERS
1,L PIERCY (DRAG2ZERO) 23.36
2,K RIDGE 25.21
3,C WHITE 26.02

NEW FOREST 10 24/5 P311 33 STARTERS
1,J GILFILIAN (TEAM FEAT) 21.58
2,S BARNES (GA CYCLES) 23.18
3,C HUMM 23.22

CC WEYMOUTH 10 24/5 P451 18 STARTERS
1,B RIGLAR 22.48
2,J CHAPMAN 23.09
3,C LAWSON 23.48

POOLE WH 25/5 P459 22 STARTERS
1,T ICKE 22.44
2,G DIGHTON 23.47
3,S.BIRTWISTLE 23.20

BOURNEMOUTH ARROW 26/05 10 P3II 17 STARTERS
1,J GILFILIAN (TEAM FEAT)
2,J DIBBEN (HARGROVES CYCLES)
3,P MATTHEWS (UTAG-YAMAHA)


And Finally a few lines from Andy Preston (CC Weymouth)

"I was getting ready for, and doing, my first 400 km audax from Shrewsbury to Holyhead and back …first time I've ridden through the night, which really was quite an experience – although I expect more enjoyable for being in a group than being on a TT - I can understand how you'd get into it ;-). Our main problem was the incredible storm that rolled around snowdownia for the whole afternoon and night, which made it more challenging than I'd expected."