In the late autumn sunshine there were wins for Callum Macleod (Pedal On) and Katie Scott (Hargroves-Montezuma’s) at the Reading CC Bill Higson Memorial races at the Prospect Park venue in central Reading. Both our winners lead their races from the start, and both winners margin was nearly two minutes.

The parkland venue included a single track orchard which this year ran quickly due to the lack of rain for weeks. The only real problem riders faced were the exposed tree roots and the loose top surface throughout the wooded orchard.

The start of the senior race began with a small group of riders edging out a gap as Macleod, Alex Briggs (Tekkerz CC), Tom Budden (Sotonia CC), Thomas Nightingale (Didcot Phoenix CC) and Matthew Wakefield (Team Wakies) began to distance the chasers.

After the opening couple of laps the race order was as follows, Macleod, Briggs, Budden, Nightingale and Wakefield. Briggs was causing Budden problems along with the timing crew as he had forgotten to attach his chip and was not showing on the leader board. Heading up the chasers was Joe Hickerton (BPC Spokes Racing), Dan Atkins (Didcot Phoenix CC) and Morgan Jones (Banjo Cycles)

With Macleod now clear at the front Budden was in a race with Briggs and these two had eased away. Hickerton was the first of the leading group to retire and on the next lap we lost Briggs which left Budden free to race. Both Nightingale and Wakefield had moved up due to the withdrawals and Atkins was also making good pace. Over the closing laps David Bone (RC Ravenna) managed to pass Jones and Jamie Smith had climbed into the top eight. Our other top ten places fell to Tim Doole (Maybush CC) and Derek Newpauer who finally managed to see off Alex Watkins (Sarum Velo).

In the women’s race Katie Scott (Hargroves-Montezuma’s) made easy going of the course as she lead away and soon had a 15secs gap over Maddie Wadsworth (Beeline Bicycles CC) who was followed by Alderney Baker (Team Empella) and Abbie Manley (Hargroves-Montezuma’s). Clare Ross (Brixton CC) was the first senior rider and Helen Pattinson (Hargroves-Montezuma’s) was in fifth and first vet.

The head of the race was headed up by our four juniors Katie, Maddie, Alderney and Abbie whilst in the senior race Ross was clear of second place Lindy Brazier-Larkin (Sarum Velo) that had Melanie Smith (Cotswold Veldrijden) not too far behind. Pattinson was our first vet with Jessica Connor (Cotswold Veldrijden) 1min 30secs further back. Closing out the vet podium was Ruth Miller. The vet 50+ leading women was the GS Vecchi rider Ali Ford.

In the vet 40+ race Dan Guest (Cotswold Veldrijden) had a front row seat watching the two juniors Sam Smith (Magspeed Racing) and Barney Clacy (Hargroves-Montezuma’s) fight it out whilst Matthew Coulson (PPV) completed the quartet at the front. Whilst the four stayed together for a couple of laps the two juniors Smith and Clacy soon pulled clear of Guest. On the final lap Coulson slipped away and was being caught by Crispin Doyle and Sam Freeman ((Hargroves-Montezuma’s) but held on to the flag to finish off the podium positions.

In the vet50+ race it was the GS Vecchi pair of Kevin Holloway and Phillip Boarer who made the early running as they soon pulled out a gap out over team mate Tim Costello, Christopher Hutchings (VC Venta), Andy Cracknell (Pedal On) and Shaun Green (Stonehenge Triathlon and Road Club).

Rob Waller (Banjo Cycles) was holding off Owen Pattinson for a lap until the Alton based rider got past while Hutchings got the better of Costello and he built a gap of 15secs. Green was at 1min 45 and Cracknell now at 1min 52. On the bell lap Holloway extended his lead to 17secs over Boarer, Pattinson was at 54secs and Waller a further 6secs behind.

In the youth race it was Oxford based Millie Couzens who held off Jed Smithson (Worx Factory Racing) right on the line to win. Along with Max Edgington (Solent Pirates Youth CC) and Gareth Davies (Banjo Cycles) the four riders gapped Toby Houghton (Fareham Wheelers) and Thomas Wadsworth (Beeline Bicycles RT) over the six laps and on the final lap Couzens and Smithson pulled a couple of seconds out over Edgington who had just 3sec over Davies.

Provisional Results (full results here)

Seniors

1^st Callum Macleod Pedal On 54mins 37secs

2^nd Tom Budden Sotonia CC @1min 59secs

3^rd Thomas Nightingale Didcot Phoenix CC @2mins 44secs

4^th Matthew Wakefield Team Wakies

5^th Daniel Atkins Didcot Phoenix CC

6^th David Bone RC Revenna

7^th Morgan Jones Banjo Cycles

8^th Jamie Smith

9^th Tim Doole Maybush CC

10^th Derek Newpauer

Women

1^st Katie Scott Hargroves-Montezuma’s 37mins 54secs 1^st junior

2^nd Maddie Wadsworth Beeline Bicycles RT 2^nd junior

3^rd Alderney Baker Team Empella 3^rd junior

4^th Abbie Manley Hargroves-Montezuma’s

5^th Clare Ross Brixton CC and 1^st senior

6^th Helen Pattinson Hargroves-Montezuma’s and 1^st vet

7^th Lindy Brazier-Larkin Sarum Velo 2^nd senior

8^th Melanie Smith Cotswold Veldrijden 3^rd senior

9^th Carly Hughes Fareham Wheelers

10^th Jessica Connor Cotswold Veldrijden and 2^nd vet

Ruth Miller 3^rd vet

Alison Ford GS Vecchi 1^st vet 50+

Vet 40+

1^st Dan Guest Cotswold Veldrijden 41mins 51secs

2^nd Crispin Doyle Hargroves-Montezuma’s @8secs

3^rd Jamie Norfolk Pedal On

4^th William McDonald Banjo Cycles

5^th David Spencer VC Venta

Juniors

1^st Sam Smith Magspeed Racing

2^nd Barney Clacy Hargroves-Montezuma’s

3^rd Matthew Coulson PPV

4^th Samuel Freeman Hargroves-Montezuma’s

5^th Euan Macleod Pedal On

Vet50+

1^st Kevin Holloway GS Vecchi

2^nd Phillip Boarer GS Vecchi

3^rd Owen Pattinson Owen’s Cycles

4^th Rob Waller Banjo Cycles

5^th Christopher Hutchings VC Venta

Youth

1^st Millie Couzens

2^nd Jed Smithson Worx Factory Racing

3^rd Max Edgington Solent Pirates Youth CC

4^th Gareth Davies Banjo Cycles

5^th Thomas Wadsworth Beeline Bicycles RT