Ben Eedy (Empella Cyclo-Cross.com) secured a narrow victory in the latest round of the SRAM Notts and Derby League staged by VC Nottingham at Bingham Leisure Centre in Bingham on Saturday.
Eedy came out on top in a four-up sprint finish at the end of six testing laps, the 32-year-old just holding off the attentions of 24-year-old Buzz Cycles rival Adam Biggs.
It was the first time this season that Eedy has won a round of the Notts and Derby League and got the better of rival Adam Biggs, who has always just been ahead of him until now.
With two third places in early rounds, this is the first time this season that Eedy has been on top of the podium, and goes some way towards making up for the last round when he was held off the podium by just inches while Biggs took second, just five seconds faster.
As well as Mickleover-based Eedy and Ilkeston’s Biggs, also in the sprint for the victory was Clay Cross RT rider Gareth Whittall, the 30-year-old from Nottingham, who just held off Andrew Stuart (TFN Tri Club) for third.
In-form 54-year-old Pete Harris was top veteran again and rode superbly for eighth place, while 18-year-old Lewis Tarnai-Wilson (Ashfield RC) was best under-23 and Pete Cocker (Witham Wheelers) was best junior.
In the youth race, there was a first league victory of the season for Matlock CC’s Arthur Green, who won by 23 seconds on a four-lap version of the course from Rutland Velo’s Oliver Maxwell.
Green has finished second on three occasions so far in the league – the last time being at ALlestree Park in round four where he was beaten by 43 seconds by Tom Weeds (Derby Mercury RC). But in the latest round Weeds had to settle for fourth spot, with Maxwell second and Jack King (Langdale Lightweights) third.
Results:
Seniors:
1 Ben Eedy (Empella Cyclo-Cross.com) 51:12
2 Adam Biggs (Buzz Cycles)
3 Gareth Whittall (Clay Cross RT)
4 Andrew Stuart (TFN Tri Club) all @ same time
5 Rob Parkin (Buzz Cycles) @ 26sec
6 Lee Shunburne (Matlock CC) @ same time
7 Kyle Burleigh (Nottingham Clarion) @ 1:22
8 Pete Harris (unattached) @ 2:05
9 Duncan Walmsley (Zepnat RT) @ same time
10 Steve Bloor (South Pennine RC) @ 2:26
Veterans: Pete Harris (unattached). Under-23s: Lewis Tarnai-Wilson (Ashfield RC). Juniors: Peter Cocker (Witham Wheelers). Women: Keira McVitty (Buzz Cycles).
Youth:
1 Arthur Green (Matlock CC) 23:22
2 Oliver Maxwell (Rutland Velo) @ 23sec
3 Jack King (Langdale Lightweights) @ 26sec
4 Tom Weeds (Derby Mercury RC) @ 1:19
5 William Gascoyne (Heanor Clarion) @ 1:32
6 Will Perrett (Heanor Clarion) @ 1:45
Under-14s: William Gascoyne (Heanor Clarion). Girls: Sarah Lomas (Matlock CC). Under-14 girls: Isabelle Boon (Belper BC).
Under-12s:
1 John Webster (Matlock CC) 14:21
2 Oliver Snodden (unattached) @ same time
3 James Swadling (Nottingham Clarion) @ 26sec
4 Will Barker (4Life Tri) @ 40sec
5 Tim Elsmore (Matlock CC) @ 45sec
6 George Swindell (Matlock CC) @ 58sec
Girls: Ffyona Booker (Matlock CC).
Under-9s:
1 Matthew Luscombe (Derby Mercury RC) 7:24
2 Alex Coleston-Shields (Lichfield CC) @ 8sec
3 Josh Giddings (Heanor Clarion) @ 15sec
Girls: Libby Smith (Matlock CC).
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.
