Location: Gosling Sports Park, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire
Event: 26 April 2013
Report: Peter Waghorn/Snowdon Sports
A record number of 44 youth riders turned out for the opening meeting of the 2013 Welwyn Track League which was well supported despite the bitterly cold conditions.
The Senior A group races produced four different winners. George Farrell (Welwyn Wheelers) took the 10-lap scratch event for starters, and 2012 series winner John McClelland (Prestige VC) opened his account with victory in the devil before his junior clubmate Kristian Woolf won the points race and Mark Smith (Welwyn Wheelers) finished off with victory in the 10-mile scratch at the head of a five-man break.
Theo Doncaster (CC Ashwell) dominated the Senior B group, winning all three races to put him in the running for promotion to the higher category along with Kieran Brady (City Centre Cycles) who was also in strong form.
A strong Youth A group produced some competitive racing with Jack Plumley (Welwyn Wheelers) securing four wins but pushed hard by Frank Longstaff (Team Terminator) and Jordan Mooney (Welwyn Wheelers).
Charles Page (Hillingdon Slipstreamers) was an impressive winner of all four Youth B events and will join the Youth A riders from now on. Local riders Will Raymond and Tom Durkin filled the minor places and top girl was Harriet Mellor (Hillingdon Slipstreamers) who will be pressing the boys in this group.
As ever, the Youth C/D/E races had a wide age range of riders. Felix Mackie (Lee Valley Youth CC) won the scratch race, but the three handicap races did not favour the scratch riders and gave opportunities to the limit riders which were gratefully accepted by Sophie Lewis (CC Ashwell) and a very determined Lauren Higham (Welwyn Wheelers).
The standard and high numbers in the youth categories promises an excellent series.
Results:
Senior A
10-lap scratch: 1 George Farrell (Welwyn Wheelers), 2 Martin Ruepp (Iceni Velo), 3 Mark Smith (Welwyn Wheelers)
Devil: 1 John McClelland (Prestige VC), 2 Farrell, 3 Joe Fry (RST)
10-lap points: 1 Kristian Woolf (Prestige VC), 2 Smith, 3 Farrell
10-mile scratch: 1 Smith, 2 McClelland, 3 Luke Morgan (CC Luton)
Senior B
10-lap scratch: 1 Theo Doncaster (CC Ashwell), 2 Brian Evans (Herts Wheelerss), 3 Kieran Brady (City Centre Cycles)
Devil: 1 Doncaster, 2 Brady, 3 Anthony Morris (CC Ashwell)
10-lap points: 1 Doncaster, 2 Brady, 3 Gareth Richards (Shimri Cycles)
Youth A
10-lap scratch: 1 Jack Plumley (Welwyn Wheelers), 2 Frank Longstaff (Team Terminator), 3 Glen Dossett (Welwyn Wheelers)
Devil: 1 Plumley, 2 Dan Maynard (Welwyn Wheelers), 3 Longstaff
10-lap points: 1 Plumley, 2 Longstaff, 3 Jordan Mooney (Welwyn Wheelers)
8-lap handicap: 1 Plumley, 2 Mooney, 3 Longstaff
Youth B
5-lap scratch: 1 Charles Page (Hillingdon Slipstreamers), 2 Will Raymond (Welwyn Wheelers), 3 Tom Durkin (Welwyn Wheelers)
Devil: 1 Page, 2 Durkin, 3 Harriet Mellor (Hillingdon Slipstreamers)
Points: 1 Page, 2 Raymond, 3 Durkin
6-lap scratch: 1 Page, 2 Raymond, 3 Mellor
Youth C/D/E
3-lap scratch: 1 Felix Mackie (Lee Valley Youth CC), 2 Christian Manzi (Welwyn Wheelers), 3 Sam Asker (West Suffolk Wheelers)
3-lap handicap: 1 Sophie Lewis (CC Ashwell), 2 Sam Gage (Welwyn Wheelers), 3 Lauren Higham (Welwyn Wheelers)
3-lap handicap: 1 Higham, 2 Fraser Elsworth (West Suffolk Wheelers), 3 Ben Griffin (Welwyn Wheelers)
4-lap handicap: 1 Higham, 2 Joe Kiely (Welwyn Wheelers), 3 Imogen Chastell (Welwyn Wheelers)
Please credit www.britishcycling.org.uk and link back if you use any of our race results.
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.
