A fast and furious race saw junior Will Stephenson (Bournemouth Arrow/Hotel Collingwood) taking victory right on the line.
The fast moving scratch group was taking no prisoners tonight and the race was all together with more than three laps remaining. As soon as the catch was made the attacks came thick and fast with slower riders being shelled out the back!
Simon Willats (Ridebike.co.uk) escaped with three laps to go and with ever-fit teammates Roland Tilley & Mark Chadbourne riding shotgun the move was looking good.However, Hargroves Cycles pair, Luke Gray & series leader Jason Eastwood had other ideas and by the bell Willats was back in the bunch.
Eastwood had won at the Mountbatten centre, Portsmouth, the night before and must have been licking his lips at the bunch sprint that was about to unfold. National U23 Cyclo-Cross Champion, Luke Gray gave his teammate the perfect lead out but coming up fast and unnoticed on the inside was Stephenson. The sixteen year old took it on the line from the sprint specialist Eastwood; the youngster is enjoying a great season and looked strong and confident in the dramatic finale. Tilley, consistent as ever, grabbed third in the exciting dash for the line.
Provisional Result
1, WILL STEPHENSON (BOURNEMOUTH ARROW/HOTEL COLLINGWOOD)
2, JASON EASTWOOD (HARGROVES CYCLES)
3, ROLAND TILLEY (RIDEBIKE.CO.UK)
4, GREGG SHROSBREE (MERIDA)
5, STEVE DRING (TEAM ECHELON ROTOR)
6, JORDAN WADE (POOLE WHEELERS
7, SHAUN AMOR (UK BIKING)
8, JOHN HAYES (RIDEBIKE.CO.UK)
9, JOSH DAY (OFF CAMBER)
10, RYAN HASLER (CYCLE EXPERIENCE)
Luke Gray (Hargroves Cycles) won round 6 of the summer series at Ludgershall in Wiltshire. The 40 minute + 5 lap race on the Army testing track started slowly with a few half hearted attacks. Four riders eventually got away and established a small gap. Gray, wanting some of the action attacked off the front of the peloton, taking just over a lap to join up with the lead group. Working well together they stayed away, with Gray proving the strongest in the sprint.
photo: Lisa Lindstrom
• Louise Burman (A3CRG) came away from the National Masters Track Championships at Newport Velodrome with a silver & bronze medal. Burman came second in the 2 KM pursuit but was disappointed with her third place in the 500 metre time trial. “I have ridden faster in training but on the day I just didn’t get it all out” she said.
Burman will be working on her starts ahead of the Europeans in Montichiari, Italy in August and the World Masters in Manchester in October. Bryce Dyer (VC ST Raphael) won a silver medal in the 1KM Time Trial. Dyer was "pretty happy" with the result. "When you are up against pure specialists even getting a medal is a result"
Bryce Dyer
• Poole Wheelers trio, Richard Martin, Andy Buddle and Cliff Free recorded a time of 1.34.36. However this was only good enough for 20th place at the National Team Time Trial Championships. On a rolling 36 mile course at Rake in Hampshire, the SIS.com team was clear winners with 1.15.34.
Terry Jeffries (New Forest cc) traveled to Cirencester for the Corinium 25. The 63 year old veteran was rewarded with a season’s best time of 58.46.Jeffries was frustrated the following day however, as road works forced the cancellation of the Bristol South 10,it looked like a "float day" as well.
Para-Cycling World Champions, Barney Storey (MBE) & Sarah Storey (OBE)were both at Bournemouth Track last weekend.
Tandem Pilot, Barney, gave a master class in Tandem Track riding and was also busy constantly changing Stokers, all keen to try out the new track. Barney & Sarah have just ridden the Deloitte John o Groats to Lands End ride, raising money for the 2012 paralympics.
Sarah will soon start her build up to the Para-Cycling world Road Championships in Denmark in September. Riding with her team, Horizon Fitness/Prendas Ciclismo, she will get the best preparation possible ahead of the Worlds.
Barney will focus on track work with less racing before thoughts turn to the World Championships in Los Angeles in February 2012.
• Sally Bigham (Ergon-Topeak) won the 95km Kitzalp MTB marathon in Austria. Poole based Bigham is in good form and the 4400 metres of climbing in this tough race suited her. Her win comes on the back of a solid 6th place at the World Marathon Championships.
• Confusion reined at the Southern Area downhill Championships. Problems with the timing system in the UK BIKE PARK event at Okeford Hill meant that no results have yet been released and no champion declared.
• James Gilfillan (Team feat) will start favourite for this Sundays Jubilee 25 mile Time Trial. Poole based Gilfillan has just completed the Race across America.
The 4 man Team Feat squad finished second in the 5 day race across the USA. Expected to challenge the triathlete will be Steve Clark (Team Milton Keynes) and Tom Alliban (Revo Racing). Local hopes lie with Gary Dighton & Terry Icke (Poole Wheelers & Paul Jones (BJW)
CLUB EVENTS
BOURNEMOUTH JUBILEE HILLY 24 P427 05/07 6 STARTERS
1,E DEANE 58.30
2,C ROWE 1.00.31
3,D HICKS 1.01.40
NEW FOREST CC 25 P335 05/07 11 STARTERS
1,B BOARDMAN 1.03.47
2,S GRACE(GA CYCLES) 1.07.37
3,T BUTLER 1.07.53
Two crashes on a wet cattle grid, including the winner Boardman.
CC WEYMOUTH 10 P459 05/07 8 STARTERS
1,J CHAPMAN 24.05
2,J GLYNN 24.29
3,P DUNN 25.21
POOLE WH/WESSEX RC 25 P413 06/07 CANCELLED DUE TO RAIN & POOR VISIBILITY
BOURNEMOUTH ARROW 10 P311 07/07 14 STARTERS
1,J GILFILLAN (TEAM FEAT) 21.55
2,D PICKERING (BJW) 22.49
3,B BOARDMAN 23.48
