Reigning champion Sam Allen (PedalOn) finally got his season underway with a win but was pushed all the way by former champion Michael Cotty (Col Collective) as the two inseparable throughout the hour long race.

The latest round of the league was promoted by the Take3 club and held on the airfield at Abingdon in Oxfordshire. The course used parts of the airfield runway and the adjacent 4×4 course as it rolled its way with no respite for the riders who had to be on the pedals for most of the lap. The course was dry despite recent rain and it was a nice sunny warm autumn morning.

Results available on the Black Sheep Timing website HERE

Queries about results should be emailed to Black Sheep Timing at  blacksheepsportsltd@gmail.com

Photographs by Graham Robins  HERE

Report by Graham Robins.

 

In the early exchanges Allen had Tom Sewell (Cotswold Veldrijden) and the winner last week to contend with, closely followed by Cotty. Dan Guest decided that winning the earlier vet40+ race wasn’t enough and was close behind. Also at the front were the usual trio of Tom Budden (Sotonia CC), Jamie Norfolk (PedalOn), Joe Hickerton (Eden Veranda Racing) and Alex Forester (Zepnet.com RT).

After the early laps Allen and Cotty were 16secs ahead of Sewell and Guest who in turn were a further 10secs ahead of the trio of chasers. This order stayed the same until the seventh lap when with Allen and Cotty over 30secs clear the chasing group all came back together. The five were now locked together until the bell lap. The only change of the order in the last lap saw Sewell slip back and loose contact at the front.

Allen entered the final twisty section that led onto the runway first and exited a couple of seconds up on Cotty which he held to cross the line. We waited to see the outcome of the sprint to see who took the final podium position. It was Hickerton who held on to out sprint Guest, who in turn was followed in by Forrester, Norfolk and Sewell in that order.

In the women’s race Sarah Barber (North Hants RC) found the winning ways when returning to Wessex League duties after a successful trip to last week’s Three Peaks race where she managed to podium in third place. Making an excellent start again this week was junior rider Kara Perryman (Team Montezuma’s Hargroves) who quickly pulled a gap over a strong chasing bunch led by Helen Pattinson (Solent Pirates) and Harriet Guest (Cotswold Veldrijden)

After a couple of laps Barber had passed those in front of her and was soon on the back of Perryman and then once there made quick work of passing. Tamina Oliver (PM) was vying for a good finish but a puncture put paid to that despite a fine fight back she still managed to podium.

In the vet50+ race there was a one two finish for the GS Vecchi team as Tim Costello led Kevin Holloway over the line. In the earlier part of the race Costello had Mitch Purvis (Rides On Air) for company. Keith Sheridan (Cotswold Veldrijden) and team mate Dave McMullen were close at hand along with Chris Hutchings (VC Venta) and Andy Cracknell (PedalOn) not too far away. In the closing stages Holloway passed Purvis who was going backwards and was passed by Sheridan.

Dan Guest (Cotswold Veldrijden) made ease of the vet40+race but in the opening laps he had Paul Lloyd (Rides On Air) close by. Junior rider Callum Macleod (PPV) led the first lap before Guest and Lloyd slipped past. In the chasing group behind Macleod were junior riders Will Cooper (Team Montezuma’s Hargroves), Ed Gronbech (Oxford City RC) who soon broke his chain and retired and Erin Baker (Team MK). In the closing stages Guest held a lead of 18secs from Lloyd and Macleod a further 22secs back. Erin Baker held fourth ahead of Graham Rogerson (Cotswold Veldrijden) and Will Cooper.

In the male youth race Barney Clacy (Eden Veranda Racing) continued where he left of last week taking the win by 9secs ahead of Tom Cousins Zappi’s CC) and Matthew Coulson (PPV). In the female youth race Millie Couzens (Zappi’s CC) continued he good start to the season with the win ahead of Anna Wadsworth (Beeline Bicycles RT) and Amelie Prior (Zappi’s CC). Max Edgington (Oxonian CC) won the male youth under 14 classes and Maddie Wadsworth (Beeline Bicycles RT) won the female youth under 16 classes.

In the under 12’s there were wins for Thomas Cracknell (PedalOn) and Niamh Murphy (Cotswold Veldrijden).

Provisional Results

Seniors

1^st Sam Allen PedalOn 57mins 16secs

2^nd Michael Cotty Col Collective @1sec

3^rd Joe Hickerton Eden Veranda Racing @18secs

4^th Dan Guest Cotswold Veldrijden @19secs

5^th Alex Forrester Zepnet.com RT

6^th Jamie Norfolk PedalOn

7^th Tom Sewell Cotswold Veldrijden

8^th Tom Budden Sotonia CC

9^th Chris Minter PedalOn

10^th Trevor Allen

Women

1^st Sarah Barber North Hants RC

2^nd Tamina Oliver PM

3^rd Kara Perryman Team Montezuma’s Hargroves 1^st Junior

4^th Susan Parker North Hants RC

5^th Harriet Guest Cotswold Veldrijden

Helen Pattinson Solent Pirates 1^st Vet

 

Vet 50+

1^st Tim Costello GS Vecchi

2^nd Kevin Holloway GS Vecchi

3^rd Keith Sheridan Cotswold Veldrijden

4^th Mitch Purvis Rides On Air

5^th David McMullen

Vet 40+

1^st Dan Guest Cotswold Veldrijden

2^nd Paul Lloyd Rides On Air

3^rd Graham Rogerson Cotswold Veldrijden

Juniors

1^st Callum Macleod PPV

2^nd Erin Baker Team MK

3^rd Will Team Montezuma’s Hargroves