After wintry showers descended on much of the U.K during the run up to the bank holiday weekend a sigh of relief could be heard around the iconic Herne Hill cycle track when blue skies and warm sunshine greeted the riders and crowds for what is the famous Good Friday meeting. Riders from Germany, France Belgium and Slovakia mixed things up with Team GB, Sky and domestic club riders. The event also marked the return of the Good Friday meeting to its traditional home, following British Cycling's re-laying of the track last year.
With the Qualifying heats run off during the morning and an exhibition Bicycle polo match during the interval, the main programme of races started at 1pm with the Sid Stevens 500m handicap, which was won on the line by CC Cardiff's Ieuan Williams, who just held off Callum Skinner and John Paul, both representing City of Edinburgh RC.
Derny racing is always fast and furious and round one of the Dragon Smoke Derny GP didn't disappoint: thirty laps of the track with twelve dernys and riders mixing things up was always going to cause sparks but it would be Jack Kirk (UVCA Troyes) who would dominate the racing. An exhibition race by the current British Derny Champion left some serious riders wondering what the youngster had in the tank. With twelve of the thirty laps gone Kirk upped the pace and made a useful attack only to be joined by Adam Duggleby(Altura RT). However, Kirk proved too quick for Duggleby in the closing laps and with five laps to go the British champion had built up an uncatchable 100 metres lead.
The White Hope Sprint saw a strong Barnaby Swinnerton of Swinnerton Cycles take the one lap race from Ryan Whatmough(Sheperds cycles) and Jack Hoyle(Terminator Lyme RC). Swinnerton outpaced the rest of the field, going off hard from the start to secure a fine victory.
It took an action-packed twenty five laps to sort out the Ed Taylor points race which was won by Germany's Marcel Kaltz. Again Adam Duggleby played a prominent part in the race but the German had the fresher legs in the end to take the victory. Tony Lock (Edwardes Elite) made the early attempt riding the first five laps on his own but it was Duggleby who closed the gap to take the first sprint at twenty laps. Three riders rode over the top to make the first serious break: Klatz, Dominic Hill and Iain Cook took their chance with Klatz taking the second sprint at lap fifteen but the peloton were having none of it and upped the pace bringing the whole field back together. Klatz was securing his points taking the next sprint on lap ten. Small groups were trying their luck off the front but the pace of the chasing pack was proving too fierce and with seven laps remaining the field were again back together. Dominic Hill attacked with five to go and took the penultimate sprint. Euan Cattermole made a big effort with two laps remaining but he was caught on the final bend by Klatz who secured the race victory.
Local rider Richard St Pierre (Brixton Cycles) took the victory in Devil take the Hindmost holding off George Gori (LA Fuga-Sigmasport) to the delight of the partisan crowd.
Heat two of the Dragon Smoke Derny again gave the crowd thirty laps of intriguing racing with Jack Kirk taking another fine victory. Alex Wise (VC St Raphael) and Planet X's Ian Cooper made the first real move with ten laps gone, gaining a useful two hundred metres on a chasing three of Duggleby, Belgium's Wim Bernhert and James Holland Leader(Zipvit). The racing remained pretty stable for the next handful of laps but Kirk then worked his way onto the front where he held on to a small advantage to take another fine win.
A fall by Team Terminator's Imogen Farlie saw a restart in the Womens Keirin. The young rider fell at the start of the race injuring her face but returned to compete in the event much to the crowd's delight. Three laps of the track saw a steady ride round on lap one but Solihull's Danielle Khan made an attack on the second lap only to be brought back for a sprint finish which was taken by Victoria Williamson (Welwyn Wheelers).
The Witten Timber 500m Sprint saw the day’s big hitters go head-to-head. In the minor final Jon Paul held off Ieuan Williams to take fifth overall in the competition, whilst Bristol Cycling Dev Squad's Lewis Oliva took seventh. Third and fourth spot was run off between Sky's Ross Edgar and Team V Sprint's Dave Daniel. The V Sprint rider made his play on the back straight and held off Edgar until the finishing straight but the Sky rider proved too strong and took the sprint to secure third overall. Peter Mitchell rode a superb race to take the overall victory in the competition. The Team V Sprint rider seemed to sit back in the back straight whilst Callum Skinner made a worthy attack only for Mitchell to wind the bike up coming out of the final bend and take the win.
A huge field took to the track for the 10km Ron Beckett Scratch race. The opening ten laps saw the bunch holding a fairly leisurely pace not wanting to take the chance out the front but it would be Gus Gillies (Bicycleworks.com) who made the first move off the front, but it would prove fruitless with the bunch picking up the pace. James Solly tried his luck on the next lap and managed to sneak away, with three riders (Stuart McClusky, Jack Edwards and Tim Ryan) coming up to him. The four worked well and soon pulled out a good lead over the bunch, a lead which they would keep until two laps to go when the pace would get a bit too hot for McClusky. The pace was ever increasing from the bunch and with the bell ringing in their ears, an attack came from Shepard Cycles’ Ryan Whatmough and Tom Arnstein (Velo Ecosse) but in the end it was Tim Ryan (Cardiff Jif) who would have the strong legs at the end to take the win from James Solly and Jack Edwards (PM Racing)
Bristol Dev Squad's Lewis Oliva took the final of the Neovite Super Keirin, a win that left Peter Mitchell, Ross Edgar and Matt Rotherham scratching their heads wondering where he’s emerged from. At the bell lap Mitchell made the first attack but was unable to get away and Oliva made a late charge to cut through the group to take a very close victory from Rotherham and Mitchell.
The final event of the meeting was the Golden Wheel 20Kms Scratch race and with the dark clouds rolling in and the temperature dropping. Another large field took to the track for the final forty four laps of the day and would prove a cracking race to end proceedings. Alex Wise and David Brearly made the first attack of the race, going away on the first lap but were soon swallowed up. Small groups would be on and off the front for the next nine laps.
Then, with fifteen laps completed a group of nine including Duggleby and Tom Murray made the significant move of the race. They worked well together and soon had half a lap on the main bunch, Germany's Christian Grasman and Zach May(Cardiff JIF) took their chance and made an attack on the lead riders but such was the pace of the front group the chasers eased off the gas. Duggleby and Murray made a lap on the bunch with fourteen to go and carried on through to head up the main bunch. The bunch was soon stretched over three-quarters of the track. With lapped riders and caught riders, the race order was becoming a game of chess for the crowd and the judges and in the melee Kaltz and Grasman made up a lap on the leaders. The victory went to Marcel Kaltz, punching the air as he crossed the line.
Results
Sid Stevens 500m Handicap
Ieuan WILLIAMS CC Cardiff
Callum SKINNER City of Edinburgh Racing Club
John PAUL City of Edinburgh Racing Club
Lewis OLIVA Bristol Cycling Development Squad
Matthew ROTHERHAM Sportcity Velo =6th
Wayne CROMBIE East London Velo
Peter MITCHELL Team V Sprint Racing
Tom BAKER Team V Sprint Racing
Jack HOYLE Team Terminator
White Hope Sprint
Barnaby SWINNERTON Swinnerton Cycles
Ryan WHATMOUGH Shepherds Cycles
Jack HOYLE Team Terminator
Sean MAYER Lyme RC - Swinnerton Cycles
James HOLLAND - LEADER Prestige VC - Sigma Sport/TCR Show/Zipvit
Imogen FARLIE Team Terminator
Ed Taylor Points Race 12.5kms
Marcel KALTZ GERMANY GER
Adam DUGGLEBY Sportscover-Altura RT
Dominic HILL Bec CC
Stephen BRADBURY AW Cycles.co.uk
James NOTLEY Planet X
John McCLELLAND Prestige VC - Sigma Sport/TCR Show/Zipvit
Devil Take the Hindmost 8kms
Richard St PIERRE Brixton Cycles
George GORI La Fuga - Sigma Sport CC
Ryan WHATMOUGH Shepherds Cycles
Tom ARNSTEIN Velo Ecosse
Jack EDWARDS PM Racing
Alan TROLOVE West Suffolk Wheelers
DERNY PACED RACES- OVERALL 2 Races 15km each
Jack KIRK UVCA Troyes
Wim BERNHERT BELGIUM BEL
Adam DUGGLEBY Sportscover-Altura RT
Tom MURRAY Team IG - Sigmasport
Alistair RUTHERFORD Vanillabikes.com
James HOLLAND - LEADER Prestige VC - Sigma Sport/TCR Show/Zipvit
Randy COSTERMAN BELGIUM BEL
Symon LEWIS Edwardes Elite Cycling
David BREARLEY Cottingham Coureurs RT
Nick ENGLISH AW Cycles.co.uk
Ian COOPER Planet X
Alex WISE VC St Raphael
FEMALE KEIRIN
Victoria WILLIAMSON Welwyn Wheelers
Danielle KHAN Solihull CC
Lydia BOYLAN Look Mum No Hands!
Ellie COSTER Bush Healthcare
Sarah CROWLEY Cardiff Ajax CC
Imogen FARLIE Team Terminator
Adel TYSON-BLOOR VC St Raphael
WHITTEN TIMBER SPRINT
Peter MITCHELL Team V Sprint Racing
Callum SKINNER City of Edinburgh Racing Club
David DANIEL Team V Sprint Racing
Ross EDGAR Team Sky
John PAUL City of Edinburgh Racing Club
Ieuan WILLIAMS CC Cardiff
Lewis OLIVA Bristol Cycling Development Squad
Matthew ROTHERHAM Sportcity Velo
Michal ROHON SLOVAKIA SLO
Jody CUNDY Para-T (Cycling Team)
CRYSTAL PALACE TRI SUPER DEVIL 8kms
Dominic HILL Bec CC
Tom MURRAY Team IG - Sigmasport
Stephen BRADBURY AW Cycles.co.uk
Adam DUGGLEBY Sportscover-Altura RT
Jack CRACKNELL Team V Sprint Racing
Simon GAYWOOD Team IG - Sigmasport
Jack KIRK UVCA Troyes
James NOTLEY Planet X
RON BECKETT SCRATCH 10kms
Tim RYAN Cardiff Jif
James SOLLY VC Londres
Jack EDWARDS PM Racing
Tom ARNSTEIN Velo Ecosse
Gus GILLIES Bicycleworks.com
Ryan WHATMOUGH Shepherds Cycles
NEOVITE SUPER KEIRIN
Lewis OLIVA Bristol Cycling Development Squad
Matthew ROTHERHAM Sportcity Velo
Peter MITCHELL Team V Sprint Racing
Callum SKINNER City of Edinburgh Racing Club
John PAUL City of Edinburgh Racing Club
Ross EDGAR Team Sky
GOLDEN WHEEL 20kms SCRATCH RACE
Marcel KALTZ GERMANY GER
Adam DUGGLEBY Sportscover-Altura RT
Tom MURRAY Team IG - Sigmasport
Alistair RUTHERFORD Vanillabikes.com
Randy COSTERMANS BELGIUM BEL
Christian GRASMAN GERMANY GER
