Champion elect Sam Allen (PedalOn) was in commanding form at the final round of the league leading from the first whistle to the chequered flag.  Allen’s winning margin was nearly six minutes meant he lapped all but the remaining top four.

Today’s race at Southampton Sports Centre lived up to its usual mud fest as there were a few running sections which help sap riders strength. Our promoting club Crabwood CC had devised a tough course made harder with the mud but nevertheless riders did ‘enjoy’ the slog. Wessex League riders and supporters all came together for one last time this season for the Geoff Shergold Memorial race, a race Geoff would have been happy to put on.

With the light beginning to disappear Allen made a quick start and was soon nearly a minute up on the chasing bunch before he had completed the opening lap. Sam seemed to master the tricky conditions as others seemed to be slipping and sliding and the race was always going to be won from the pits. Those with a good pit crew and gallons of water were always going to benefit.

In the early stages of the race Joe Hickerton (Spokes BPC Racing) and Michael Guilford (VC Meudon) were dicing with each other whilst the next rider up was Tom Budden (Sotonia CC). Other riders within the top ten were Karl Norfolk (PedalOn), Tim Doole (Maybush CC) and Dan Atkins (Didcot Phoenix CC). After four laps Allen’s lead over Guilford was nearly two minutes with Hickerton, Norfolk, and Budden all covered by twenty five seconds.

The tussle between Hickerton, Guilford and Norfolk all came together on the mid race distance despite them now three down on Allen. Budden was slipping away and the remainder of the top ten were now over five minutes down on our leader. With Allen lapping at around the eight minute mark he was quickly picking of riders within the top ten.

In the closing stages of the race there were no significant position changes, although Doug Wollett (Maybush CC) did manage to pick up a couple of places only to see them slip away in the dying stages of the last couple of laps dropping him back down to tenth.

Allen’s win sealed a great season for the Overton rider taking not only the win but a Championship.

Helen Pattinson (Hargroves Ridley Montezuma’s) closed out here wonderful season by winning the race after an early tussle with team mate and junior rider Katie Scott. Scott was the first to make good in the tricky conditions and led for most of the opening lap before Pattinson found a way past and then once past was able to control her lines as conditions changed. After a couple of laps Pattinson had a gap of twenty seconds with only Jennifer Forrester (Zepnat.com) able to stay relatively close by but 49secs down. The remainder of the women with the exception of Lydia Brookes (Les Files) were now over two minutes plus down.

Pattinson pushed on over the next couple of laps which saw Scott beginning to lose time and she was now a minute down on the new UCI Master CX World Champion with Forester now the only other women not to be lapped. Ella Freeman another team mate of Pattinson and Scott was running in ninth and taking the second step on the podium in the junior category.

Pattinson took the top spot in the veteran’s race with Cotswold Veldrijden team mates Harriet Guest and Donna Short her first podium taking the other spots. The senior podium was topped by Jennifer Forrester with Lydia Brookes and Hargroves Ridley Montezuma’s rider Kara Perryman third.

The vet 50+ race was won by another UCI Master Champion as Dave McMullen (Cotswold Veldrijden) led from start to finish and finishing just over a minute ahead of Kevin Holloway (GS Vecchi). In the middle of the race Malcolm Cross (VC Venta) was having a good race moving up from fifth on the second lap to claim third spot on the podium. There were also places gain by Andrew Cracknell (PedalOn) and Malcolm Dymond (C&N Cycles RT) in the middle of the pack but they were both two minutes adrift of our leader.

The combined vet 40+ and junior race was won by junior Callum Macleod (PedalOn) leading from the front. In the early stages of the race Macleod had Barney Clacy and Will Cooper (Hargroves-Ridley-Montezuma’s) for company with both Dan Guest (Cotswold Veldrijden) and Paul Lloyd (Worx Bikes) holding up the vet 40+ section on the race.

By the third lap Macleod held a lead of 30secs over Clacy with Guest at 1min 08secs and Lloyd a further 6secs back. Beginning to pick away at Coopers position was Ben Bishop (Charlotteville CC) and as they started the last lap Bishop was eight seconds behind but Bishop’s last lap saw him catch and pass the Hargroves rider finally putting thirteen seconds into him.

In the youth races there were wins for Ella Lawrence (Solent Pirates Youth CC) and Euan Macleod Willebrord Wil Vooruit.

Results

(full results)

Seniors

1^st Sam Allen PedalOn 63mins 42secs

2^nd Joe Hickerton Spokes BPC Racing @ 5mins 53secs

3^rd Karl Norfolk PedalOn @7mins 04secs

4^th Tom Budden Sotonia CC @8mins 04secs

5^th Michael Guilford VC Meudon @10mins 13secs

6^th Jamie Norfolk PedalOn @1lap

7^th Tim Doole Maybush CC

8^th Doug Wollett Maybush CC

9^th Dan Crook Abbotts Ann Cycles

10^th Daniel Atkins Didcot Phoenix CC

Women

1^st Helen Pattinson Hargroves-Ridley- Montezuma’s 47mins 33secs 1^st Vet

2^nd Katie Scott Hargroves-Ridley- Montezuma’s @2mins 28secs 1^st Junior

3^rd Jennifer Forrester Zepnat.com @4mins 07secs 1^st Senior

4^th Lydia Brookes Les Files @1lap 2^nd Senior

5^th Kara Perryman Hargroves-Ridley- Montezuma’s 3^rd Senior

6^th Lauren Cracknell PedalOn

7^th Alison Rothnie Spokes BPC Racing

8^th Kate Robson PedalOn

9^th Ella Freeman Hargroves-Ridley- Montezuma’s 2^nd Junior

10^th Lindy Larkin Sarum Velo

12^th Harriet Guest Cotswold Veldrijden 2^nd Vet

14^th Donna Short Cotswold Veldrijden 3^rd Vet

Vet 50+

1^st Dave McMullen Cotswold Veldrijden 44mins 12secs

2^nd Kevin Holloway GS Vecchi @1min 03secs

3^rd Malcolm Cross VC Venta @2mins 05secs

4^th Andrew Cracknell PedalOn @2mins 15secs

5^th Martyn Dymond C&N Cycles RT

Vet 40+Junior

1^st Callum Macleod PedalOn 36mins 28secs 1^st Junior

2^nd Barney Clacy Hargroves-Ridley- Montezuma’s 2^nd Junior

3^rd Dan Guest Cotswold Veldrijden 1^st Vet

4^th Paul Lloyd Worx Cycles 2^nd Vet

5^th Ben Bishop Charlotteville CC 3^rd Junior

8^th Anthony Turner Cotswold Veldrijden 3^rd Vet