It was the South and South Wales who took the honours in both the men’s and women’s Battle of Britain in the second round in Newport this weekend, while the Elite GP saw wins for Birmingham’s Chris Timms and Sheffield’s Lizzie Rigley.
MEN'S BATTLE OF BRITAIN
With The Midlands and The North teams short, it was a close 16-match battle between the home side and Eastern Region, with just two points separating them throughout.
A 7-3 from the South’s Mark Carmichael and Conner Tucker saw them clinch the win in the final heat, with the match finishing 82-78.
South and South Wales - 82 points
Eastern Region - 78 points
WOMEN'S BATTLE OF BRITAIN
The women’s event showcased another competitive field, with solid team performances from the South and South Wales to hold off previous round winners the North and Scotland.
The penultimate lap of heat 19 saw the North and the South separated by a single point – with the win looking like it would seal the overall victory.
A gate exclusion for Lizzie Rigley left it all to do for Niamh Morton in the North, but the South East’s Chloe Pearce and Lily Parr took a fine 1-2.
Only needing two points for the match, Lauren Hookway and Sandra Tamborska made no mistake in the final heat with another 1-2 and seven points to take the match at the last breath for the South & South Wales.
South and South Wales - 68 points
North and Scotland - 62 points
South East and Eastern - 53 points
The Midlands - 49 points
MEN'S ELITE GP
In the men’s Elite GP, there was a reduced eight heats to accommodate only seven riders, but there was a match of competitive racing which saw Chris Timms (Birmingham) take the win in the A final from Ben Mould (Horspath) before flying out to Poland to race.
Ben Clarke (Ipswich), who took the win in the previous round, finished third while teammate Ash Hill rolled across the line in fourth. James Porter (Ipswich) took the win in the B final.
A Final
1. Chris Timms
2. Ben Mould
3. Ben Clarke
4. Ash Hill
B Final
1. James Porter
2. Lee Galley
3. Mike Baldock
WOMEN'S ELITE GP
Lizzie Rigley (Sheffield) had a fine weekend of racing, hardly putting a pedal stroke wrong with a strong performance in the earlier Battle of Britain and a win in the afternoon’s GP A final.
The previous seasons overall winner Emily Burgess (A&T) took second place, while Lauren Hookway (Exeter CSC) took third and Poole’s Sandra Tamborska finished fourth.
A Final
1. Lizzie Rigley
2. Emily Burgess
3. Lauren Hookway
4. Sandra Tamborska
B Final
1. Maddie Saunders
2. Laura Watson
3. Chloe Pearce
4. Lily Parr
C Final
1. Georgia Burt
2. Rachel Lammin
3. Rebekah Humphries
4. Natalie Goulden
Intermediate
In the intermediate event there was a wealth of talent looking to come through the ranks.
In the A final, it was Ella Case who wrapped the day up with a fine win over Kesgrave teammates Amberley Gant and Demi Blue Harris. Newport’s Ellie George had to be content with fourth after an impressive day’s racing.
A Final
1. Ella Case
2. Amberley Gant
3. Demi Blue Harris
4. Ellie George
B Final
1.Sophie Bees
2. Esme Lewis
3. Danny Sherwood
4. Tia Hardy
C Final
1. Caitlin Jenkins
2. Megan Evans
3. Mia Edwards
