After a 2012 season heavily disrupted by the weather and the coldest March on record, hopes weren’t high that the new season of Reading Track League would get under way as planned last night at Palmer Park Velodrome. In the event, the youth riders took to the track in glorious late evening sunshine, the predicted showers held off and the temperatures even stayed reasonable until the last couple of events.

The Senior racing started with the Senior A riders’ trackcycling 10 Lap Scratch which was run at a cracking pace for an early season event. The field stayed together for most of the race with Andy Shackel of Peter Hanford finally making a move on the bell lap. The gusty conditions probably doomed the long range effort and Shackel was passed by Neil Rutter of Cotswold Veldrijden and George Withers of AW Cycles, having to settle for third on the line.

In the Senior Bs there was a split in the field which saw Tom Sefton of Palmer Park Velo ride away from the front group on the final lap to take the win from team mate Matthew Lansley and Hugh Knudsen of the University of Bristol.

The Senior A field was reasonably strong –especially for an opening night - but the entry for the Sprint competition was small enough for the competition to be run as a straight final. Again, it was was Rutter and Withers to the fore – well clear of third placed Nick English of AW Cycles – and it was Rutter who was ahead on the exit to turn 4. Withers had the momentum though and eased passed his opponent to take the win.

By contrast, the Senior Bs needed three heats to seed the six-up final and it was Sam Grant of West Drayton Mountain Bike Club who made the jump, shadowed by Josh Mitchell of Bicester Millenium. The experienced Grant held the youngster off to take the win with Knudsen third, some way back.

Martin Harris of Banjo Cycles took the win in a longer than usual Unknown distance race with Sefton the first Senior B rider home. Nick Abraham and Mitchell took fairly comfortable wins in their respective Senior A and B Devils and then it was time for the AW Cycles 20k Endurance race.

Like the earlier scratch races, the 20k was ridden at a high tempo from start to finish and, apart from a few tentative forays off the front – and a lot of people blown out of the back – the main contenders were still together at the bell when the charge finally came. Rutter ran him close, but it was Abraham that took his second win of the night with Rob King of AW Cycles taking third.

Matt Lansley of Lower Earley was the first of the Senior B riders home, just ahead of Sefton who battled valiantly to get back to the main field in the closing stages.

Senior A

trackcycling Scratch
1 Neil RUTTER Cotswold Veldrijden
2 George WITHERS AW Cycles
3 Andy SHACKEL Peter Hanford

Devil
1 Nick ABRAHAM – BC Private member
2 George WITHERS – AW Cycles
3 Neil RUTTER – Cotswold Veldrijden

Unknown Distance
1 Martyn HARRIS Banjo Cycles
2 Neil RUTTER Cotswold Veldrijden
3 George WITHERS AW Cycles

Sprint Final
1 George WITHERS AW Cycles
2 Neil RUTTER Cotswold Veldrijden
3 Nick ENGLISH AW Cycles

AW Cycles 20K Endurance
1 Nick ABRAHAM BC Private member
2 Neil RUTTER Cotswold Veldrijden
3 Rob KING AW Cycles

Senior B

trackcycling Scratch
1 Tom SEFTON Palmer Park Velo
2 Mattew LANSLEY Palmer Park Velo
3 Hugh KNUDSEN University of Bristol CC

Devil
1 Josh MITCHELL – Bicester Millenium
2 Sam GRANT - WDMBC
3 Matthew LANSLEY Palmer Park Velo

Unknown Distance
1 Tom SEFTON Palmer Park Velo
2 Hugh KNUDSEN University of Bristol CC
3 James PILGRIM Morris GS Henley

Sprint Final
1 Sam GRANT - WDMBC
2 Josh MITCHELL – Bicester Millenium
3 Hugh KNUDSEN University of Bristol CC

AW Cycles 20K Endurance
1 Matthew LANSLEY Palmer Park Velo
2 Tom SEFTON Palmer Park Velo

Ladies

trackcycling Scratch
1 Emily MELLOR VO2 Development

Devil
1 Emily MELLOR VO2 Development

Unknown Distance
1 Emily MELLOR VO2 Development

Sprint
1 Emily MELLOR VO2 Development