Today’s venue was the Brookes Uni campus in Oxford, the course consisted of two large playing fields and a small wooded section. Every season the league visits the venue it always throws up a surprise, this year it was dry and very fast much akin to a “Critérium” one rider commented. The early morning races were bathed in bright sunshine but extremely cold and the conditions got worse throughout the day finishing with rain for the seniors to contend with making the top surface very slippery on the turns.

Results are available HERE

Please email any queries to events@southernxc.uk.com

Photo Gallery by Graham Robins  HERE

Report by Graham Robins

Keeping up his 100% win to start ratio Adrian Lansley (PedalOn) once again was the winner of today’s latest round, but once again he was pushed most of the way by team mate Sam Allen right up until the last couple of laps.

It was Alex Forrester (Zepnat.com) who made the better start, closely followed by Michael Cotty (Col Collective), Lansley and Allen. A visiting rider William Lewis (High Peak Cycle RT) was not too far behind along with fellow under23 rider Tom Sewell (Cotswold Veldrijden).

Lansley and Allen quickly made their attack dropping Forrester who was now in a tussle with Lewis and Joe Hickerton (Eden Veranda), while Sewell and Cotty had joined forces trading places on different sections of the large course. As the early laps went by the two PedalOn riders pulled a gap of 21secs to Forrester and Lewis while Hickerton was at 31secs Sewell and Cotty were slowly dropping back and the rain increased.

At the bell with Lansley now 15secs ahead of Allen, Forrester and Lewis were over a minute down and Cotty was 1min 47secs on the leading pair. So Lansley completed another fine win from Allen but the action was coming from behind them. As the pair of Lewis and Forrester entered the final twisty section which led onto the finish straight it was Lewis who went in ‘hot’ and lost his front wheel depositing the rider to the ground while Forrester kept upright to claim the final step on the podium.

In the women’s race it was local sponsored rider Emily Wadsworth (Beeline-Gener8) who led from start to finish in the combined race. Sarah Barber (North Hants RC) gave chase but soon found herself on her own, Helen Pattinson (Solent Pirates) also was riding on her own. This meant the top three were one from each category and so we had to look further down the field to spot the rest. Tamina Oliver (PM) was the next senior women along with junior rider Kara Perryman (Montezumas Hargroves Cycles). In the vet race Jessica Connor (Cotswold Veldrijden) and team mate Harriet Guest were next up, this only left us with Ella Freeman (Montezumas Hargroves Cycles) and third placed women Natasha Reddy to look out for. Over the remainder of the race the positions were unchanged and the split podium result was the final order.

In the vet 40+ race Dan Guest (Cotswold Veldrijden) was not hanging around to get cold and soon held a lead over Callum Macleod (PPV) of something getting on for a minute he was followed by junior Will Cooper (Montezumas Hargroves Cycles) and vet Graham Rogerson (Cotswold Veldrijden). Quickly climbing through the field was Crispin Doyle (Hargroves Cycles) and he was up to fourth place at the bell all be it 1min 23secs behind Guest. So at the bell the order which remained the same until the chequered flag was Guest, Macleod, Will Cooper, Doyle, Will McDonald (Take3 Tri), Rogerson and Oxford City RC rider Ed Gronbech.

Tim Costello (GS Vecchi) returned to winning ways as he quickly got to terms with the fast flat course and he built up a lead on the opening lap which he never looked like relinquishing throughout the race. Behind the Sussex based rider was Keith Sheridan (Cotswold Veldrijden) and Gary Barlow (Reading CC) and this was the finishing order.

The Youth riders set a blistering pace from the off with a group of four immediately breaking away from the rest of the field. Initially led by Matt Coulson (PPV) with Barney Clacy (Hargroves Cycles – Ridley RT), Tom Couzens (Zappis Cycling Club) and Sam Bishop (Charlotteville CC) tucked in, the race settled until Bishop dropped a few seconds leaving the podium places, bar accidents, to the three out front. On the final lap, Clacy made a big effort gaining a handful of seconds on Couzens with Coulson a further twenty or so off the winner in third.

The technical dexterity shown by Amy Perryman (Solent Pirates) while bunny-hopping all the hurdles gave her a crucial winning advantage over the other girls (and most of the boys) in taking the U16 girls win, while Katie Scott (Cotswold Veldrijden) taking second was joined by the returning Alderney Baker (Matrix Fitness Corley Cycles) on the final podium spot.

Millie Couzens (Zappis Cycling Club) continued her winning ways taking the U14 girls win while Max Edgington ((Solent Pirates) lead the U14 boys in.

In the earlier under 10’s race there were wins for Ben Woodhouse Newbury RC and Rebecca Carter, whilst Jed Smithson Hillingdon Slipstreamers and Niamh Murphy Cotswold Veldrijden won the under 12’s race.

Prizes awarded as follows.

• Youth U16 male placed 4
• Youth U14 male placed 4
• Junior men placed 4
• Vet 40-49 men placed 4 – 11
• Vet 50+ men placed 4 – 10
• Vet women placed 4 – 5
• Senior women placed 4 – 6
• Senior men placed 4 – 16

Please contact the organiser David Jones to arrange collection by cheque or bank transfer.

 

Provisional Results

Seniors

1^st Adrian Lansley PedalOn 57mins 25secs

2^nd Sam Allen PedalOn @30secs

3^rd Alexander Forrester Zepnat.com @1min06secs

4^th William Lewis High Peak Cycle RT

5^th Michael Cotty Col Collective

6^th Tom Sewell Cotswold Veldrijden

7^th Kean Wytrykowski PedalOn

8^th Joe Hickerton Eden Veranda Racing

9^th Ryan Smith HR Owens RT

10^th Chris McGovern T1 Diabetes.info

Women

1^st Emily Wadsworth Beeline-Gener8 1^st Junior

2^nd Sarah Barber North Hants RC 1^st Senior

3^rd Helen Pattinson Solent Pirates 1^st Vet

4^th Tamina Oliver PM

5^th Kara Perryman Team Montezumas Hargroves Cycles

Vet 40+/ Juniors

1^st Dan Guest Cotswold Veldrijden

2^nd Callum Macleod Palmer Park Velo

3^rd Will Cooper Team Montezumas Hargroves

4^th Crispin Doyle Hargroves Cycles

5^th Will McDonald Take3 Tri

Vet 50+

1^st Tim Costello GS Vecchi 40mins 17secs

2^nd Keith Sheridan Cotswold Veldrijden @23secs

3^rd Gary Barlow reading CC

4^th Dave McMullen Cotswold Veldrijden

5^th Kevin Holloway GS Vecchi