Location: Beaufort School, Gloucester
Event: 6 January 2013
Report: Paul Loosemoore/Snowdon Sports
Overall winner John Whittington wrapped up the Western League in style when he took a convincing victory in the final round at Beaufort School in Gloucester.
Whittington, who has now won seven of the 12 Western League staged races this season, went from the gun – perhaps determined to have a good workout ahead of the National Championships next weekend.
A cloudy but dry day greeted the riders, but the soft going wasn’t to everybody’s liking.
Whittington went from the gun and 48-year-old Cornwall rider Stuart Pickering (One & All) just couldn’t hold on to his wheel, and his main concern was whether he would eventually get lapped.
After two laps the veterans onslaught continued with Vince Page (Team Echelon) and Tony Davies (Dream) fighting it out for third place, while Graham Edwards (Abergavenny R C) was 10 seconds behind.
There was much bike changing with the front runners as the course cut up and the mud stuck like glue. Tony Davies lost contact with Vince Page on lap four and by lap five was met by a strong-riding Graham who by lap six was holding fourth spot.
Second senior Steven Green was closing on Tony in the second half but the gap was just too big.
Results:
1 John Whittington (unattached) 56:56
2 Stuart Pickering (One & All) @ 6:03
3 Vince Page (Team Echelon) @ 1 lap
4 Graham Edwards (Abergavenny RC)
5 Tony Davies (Dream CC)
6 Steven Green
7 Vilas Silverton
8 Donald Gray
9 David Barnaville
10 Ben Hall
Juniors: Josh Brooks (Malvern CS). Women: Ceris Styler (Unattached).
Youth:
1 Harry Sowden Clayton Cars
2 Megan James Abergavenny RC
3 Oliver Hayward Gloucester City CC
4 Tom Longdon North Cheshire
5 Chloe Ralph Solihull C C
6 Louis Brooks Malvern CS
7 James Scott U/A
U-12
1 Ned Collyer Dream Cycling
2 Toby Scott U/A
3 James Ralph RRPCC
U-10
1 Jonny Pickering One & All
2 Andrew Loosemore Team Striking Bikes
U-8
1 Leo Tarrant Cheltenham & County CC
2 Oliver Buckle BCDS
3 Grace Styler Halesowen CC
4 Rowan Shears U/A
5 Oli Burridge Cheltenham & County CC
6 Harry Burridge Cheltenham & County CC
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.
