Imperial Winter Circuit Series (Round 3)
Race 3, Saturday, 19th December 2009
Report and photos from Lucy Collins
It was a touch and go situation whether the racing would take place on the Hillingdon circuit for round 3 due to some very icy patches around the circuit. However, the organisation lead by Richard Collins armed with salt, brooms, shovels, manpower and a little help from the sun were able to make the circuit safe with help from some cones around any remaining icy patches.
The 3rd and 4th cat racers assembled on the start line and completed two sighting laps to familiarise themselves with the difficult sections. To their credit, they all handled the situation expertly with only one minor incident. The thirty five 3rd cats started first with the fourty two 4th cats a further minute later. The 4ths were riding hard and in the final three laps, the 3rd cat race was asked to allow the 4th cats to pass them in order for them to have a clear run to the finish. This again they all did with great care and with a charge to the line, Robert Reid (London Dynamo) just got the better of his team mate David Webborn with Steve Bell (London Phoenix) in 3rd.
In the 3rd category race, Team Imperial riders Stoyko Bussarov and Dave Ryan made a number of attacks but as soon as they made a few seconds they were reeled back in. Last weeks 4th cat winner Alex Pantelides (Twickenham CC) rode off the front and was alone with 4 km to go but was brought back to finally finish 10th. In the rush to the line, Steve Jackson (Rollapaluza) beat Will Platt (Kingston Wheelers) to the finish with Andy Angwin (London Phoenix) 3rd in a tight sprint. Credit goes to all the riders for handling the conditions so well.
Elite/1/2/3
In the E/1/23/ race, a smaller entry of 27 lined up looking for overall series points, however, notable previous winners Steve Golla and Phil Sykes (Sigma Sport) were missing. It was a very fast start again and as in the other races, all the riders handled the conditions very well as you would expect from this category of rider.
Notably, juniors Lawrence Carpenter (Hillingdon Slipstreamers) and Matt Myers (Twickenham CC) rode comfortably in the fast moving group. The other junior with great potential Felix English (Pearson Cycles) along with seasoned campaigner Vince Halpern (AWCycles.Co.Uk) broke clear from the group. It took great courage to ride at such speed off the front of the group but the main group effort led by Paul Alderson (SWR), Jason Edwards (VC Meudon), Henry Furniss (WyndyMilla) and Harry Bulstrode (DH Cyclesport) bought them back after three quarters distance. 
However, the race distance was trimmed as the sun went down and the temperature dropped, but justice was done for the two breakaways as strong sprinting saw Felix English a comfortable winner from fast finishing Vince Halpern. They were followed by Jo Skelton (Brixton Cycles), Mark Ottaway (VC Meudon), Harry Bulstrode and with Henry Furniss finishing in 7th. It was a truly worthy finish to an excellent race and again a credit to all the finishers who handled and rode the circuit with great skill.
Notable non finishers were Corrine Hall (Team Corridori) who was frozen to the bone and Matt Myers who unluckily punctured with just 4km to the finish. All in all a great days racing, this made the organisation’s efforts truly worthwhile.
More Photos
RESULTS
E/1/2/3
1st Felix English Team Pearson Cycles 1J
2nd Vincent Halpern A W Cycles.Co.Uk 1
3rd Jules Birks V C Londres 2
4th Jo Skelton Brixton Cycles 2
5th mark ottaway vc meudon 2
6th Harry Bulstrode DH Cyclesport E
7th Henry Furniss WyndyMilla 1
8th Paul Alderson SWRC 2
9th Michael Widera www.sportscoaching.com 3
10th Martin Garratt London Dynamo 3
11th James Leach Onelife-Fuga Racing Team 3
12th Richard Da Silva Stevenage CC 2
13th Owen Lake Cambridge CC 2J
14th Taylor Johnson Team De Ver 3J
15th Lawrence Carpenter Hillingdon Slipstreamers 3J
16th Adelo Christides Egmes 3
17th Jason Edwards V C Meudon 1
18th Ed Sneddon Sigma Sport 3
19th Matthew Myers Twickenham CC 3J
20th Vaughan Luff De Ver Cycles 3
21st Arjan Planting Affinity 2
22nd Andy Fowkes Thames Velo 2
3rd Category
1st Steven Jackson Rollapaluza CC 3
2nd William Platt Kingston Wheelers CC 3
3rd Andy Angwin London Phoenix 3
4th Nathan Smith London Phoenix 3
5th Ralph Keeler Cambridge CC 3
6th Alan Strang Dulwich Paragon 3
7th Rich Cooper Willesden CC 3
8th Phillip Burgess Norwood Paragon CC 3
9th Roland Chuter private member 3
10th Alex Pantelides Twickenham CC 3J
11th Robin Osborne London Dynamo CC 3
12th Ralph Carter London Dynamo 3
13th Andy Edwards Kingston Wheelers CC 3
14th Stuart Stow Twickenham CC 3
15th Ben Knowles London Phoenix 3
16th Dave Ryan Imperial Racing Team 3
17th Peter Dixon Willesden CC 3
18th Patrick Hawkins Dulwich Paragon 3
19th Stoyko Bussarov Imperial Racing Team 3
20th Steven Noble London Dynamo 3
4th Category
1st Robert Reid London Dynamo 4
2nd David Webborn London Dynamo CC 4
3rd Steve Bell London Phoenix 4
4th Mark Chan Dulwich Paragon 4
5th Alex Clayton Durham Uni CC 4
6th Simon North Hemel Hempstead CC/TORQ 4
7th Richard Gearing London Dynamo 4
8th simon pemberton London Phoenix CC 4
9th Ian Blatchford Maidenhead CC 4
10th Chris Grange Hemel Hempstead 4
11th Chris Zavos London Dynamo 4
12th Nathan Edwards Durham Uni CC 4
13th Stephen Thompson WyndyMilla 4
14th Nick Southworth High Wycombe CC 4
15th Robert Nall London Dynamo 4
16th Kit Gillibrand London Dynamo 4
17th Richard Garrod 4
18th James Foy FVS TRI 4
19th Patrick Weston North Devon Wheelers 4
20th James Hansell Cardiff Jif 4
21st Roger Richards Dulwich Paragon 4
22nd Martin Porter Thames Velo 4
23rd Byron Jones London Phoenix 4
24th Will Horrocks Kingston Wheelers 4
25th Simon Parton Kingston Wheelers 4
26th Alex Dulwich Paragon 4
27th Mark Orphan Dulwich Paragon 4
28th no number - white bike, red bar tape
29th Marcelo Brodzinski Kingston Wheelers 4
30th Andrew McCombe CC Basingstoke 4
Related Links
