Round 9 of the Central League took the action to Chilton Edge School near Reading on a dry but very windy day.
The course was laid out around the sports fields with a twisty section through the wooded section near to the school buildings.
Due to this being a joint promoted event and despite there being a National Trophy race on there was a large entry requiring several lap counters to keep up?
The morning got underway with first the under 10’s and then quickly followed by the under12’s races. The young riders had a well laid out course with a bit of everything in it. There was climbing, descending and two long straights and a lot of wind to contend with.
The next race was a combined Go Ride adult race for novice riders and the youths. This group used the whole of the course and it was soon clear that Robbie Bolwell (Wight Mountain) was keen to take a win. He set of from the first lap and soon opened up a minute lead over Jack Saunders (Swindon RC) and Charles Page (Hillingdon Slipstreamers) with Tom Sewell (Swindon RC) and Edward Gronbech (Oxford City) already over two minutes behind the leader.
Over the next couple of laps Bolwell’s lead was extended by over a minute a lap, Saunders was now clear of Page by 40 seconds with Page three minutes down on the leader. Bolwell was closing in only 10 seconds behind Charles with Gronbech a further 20 seconds behind these two.
The girl’s race was a bit closer with three girls evenly matched at the start and all within sight of each other to start with. Bethany Taylor (BCDC) was on a high having won the last two rounds and soon got a gap from Rhianna Jones (Swindon RC) and her teammate Hannah Gibbs. Bethany won to record three straight win to push her to the top of the league table. This wasn’t the only win for the Taylor household as mum Jenny won the Senior Go-Race and Beth’s younger sister Sophie finished third in the under 14’s.
The final race of the day saw a huge entry made up of seniors, juniors, vets and women. There were well over hundred riders on the course.
The senior race was won by Michael Cotty (Wheelbase Cannondale) who after one lap riding with a rider from Corley Cycles attacked him going into the wind around the football fields, got a gap and soon built on it. Michaels only problem was trying to dodge all the other slower riders all over the course. Michael said: “I had to pick my moments to pass while still maintaining a good race pace”.
At the finish Michael was a clear winner but then it was the job of the lap counters to sort out the remainder of the results.
Provisional Results
Seniors
1. Michael Cotty Wheelbase/ Cannondale
2. Paul Robertson Sportest
3. Peter Kench GWR Team
Juniors
1. William Macke AW Cycles
2. Jason Pitt AW Cycles
3. Aaron Westgarth Kingscliffe Flyers
Under 10
1. Skip Nelson A5 Rangers
2. Alex Wetherill N/A
3. Ellis Jones Swindon RC
Under 10 Girls
1. Emily Conn Palmer Park Velo
2. Lucy Storey N/A
3. Hannah Ridge N/A
U12
1. Tom Durkin Welwyn Wheelers
2. Alasdair Grant A5 Rangers
3. Alexi Edwards Welwyn Wheelers
U12 Girls
1. Kitty Pilgrim Morris Palmer Park Velo
2. Natalie Moore Swindon RC
3. Isobel Barnet N/A
Youths U16 Boys
1. Robert Bolwell Wight Mountain
2. Jack Saunders Swindon RC
3. Joshua Mitchell Biscester Millennium
Youths U 16 Girls
1. Bethany Taylor BCDS
2. Rhianna Jones Swindon RC
3. Hannah Gibbs Swindon RC
Youths U14 Boys
1. Charles Page Hillingdon Slipstreamers
2. Tom Sewell Swindon RC
3. Edward Gronbech Oxford City RC
Youths U14 Girls
1. Rhonna Grant A5 Rangers
2. Lauren Randall Icknield RC
3. Sophie Taylor BCDS
