Graham Robins reports on the first round of the Wessex Cylo-Cross League on Saturday, 17th September
Photo: Graham Robins – http://www.grahamrobins.net/
The Wessex League Cyclo cross season got underway at the newly named Oxford Spires Academy near Cowley. The course was spread out over a couple of football pitches and a very technical wooded section. Although the course was dry we did have a couple of small showers which managed to catch out a few riders who were willing to push on.
The morning got underway with the u12 race which once again was very well supported and only goes to prove that Cyclo cross in the Wessex area has a long future. There were twenty eight young riders on the start line, some regular riders and a few new ones. They all rode a smaller course and completed 9 laps finishing just before the first large shower of the day.
Results (Provisional)
1st Sophie Taylor BDCS
2nd Oscar Ingham Chapel Tri Star
3rd Jay Allen Palmer Park Velo
4th Seren Jones Swindon RC
5th Conor Hutchinson Swindon RC
6th Matthew Thornton Oxonian CC
The next race was the youth race which was convincingly won by Harvey Lowe (Hargroves Cycles) from Robbie Bolwell (Wight Mountain). Harvey was involved in a crash at the start of the race but managed to get back on and then lap the whole field before taking the winning spoils.
Result
1st Harvey Lowe Hargroves Cycles
2nd Robbie Bolwell Wight Mountain @1 lap
3rd Jack Saunders
4th Tom Sewell Swindon RC
5th Zoe Sheehan Swindon RC
6th Edward Gronbech Oxford City RC
Next was the combined Vet/Women/Jun race. The race was very well supported by sixty six riders with a large entry from the newly boosted Wight Mountain team coming across from the Isle of Wight. The team had brought in Sean Williams the winner of last season’s vet category and a couple of women new to Cross. The team will soon be added to by two other riders who were unable to race today.
The race started with the two junior Hargroves riders Matt Hargroves and new acquisition Matt Woods who rode for Swindon RC last season making all the early speed with Sean Williams just hanging on with Mike Groves (Stevens UK/Hargroves) a little way behind him. The two leaders were well matched and stayed together throughout the race although Woods did drop his chain at one point but managed to make up time to pick up the leader before too long. Sean was now dropping away from the younger leaders but not losing ground to Groves in their own race. Others close to the front were Will Girvan (North Hants RC) Pete Smith (Team Jewson) and Dave McMullen now riding in Team GWR colours this season.
Result
1st Matt Hargroves Hargroves Cycles
2nd Matt Woods Hargroves Cycles
3rd Sean Williams Wight Mountain 1st Vet
4th Mike Groves Stevens UK/ Hargroves Cycles
5th Bill Girvan North Hants RC
The women’s race was won by Claire Smith Swindon RC who finished well clear of Nina French Wight Mountain. In fact Wight Mountain women finished 2nd 3rd and 4th with Nicky Volley finishing 6th.
Result
1st Claire Smith Swindon RC
2nd Nina French Wight Mountain
3rd Karen Murphy Wight Mountain
4th Sarah Woods Wight Mountain
5th Hazel Jowett Chapel Tristars
6th Nicky Volley Wight Mountain
Last race of the day was the senior race. Last season’s league winner Michael Cotty fresh back from filming cycling videos abroad took up his position at the front of the grid with a strong presents of Hargroves riders and Lee Williams (Team Wiggle) Welsh National Mountain Bike Champion. Michael had also coerced a couple of road riders across to the cross discipline, and the race also included Justin Hoy (Felt) riding a mountain bike and riding on the unfamiliar grass instead of his favoured tarmac.
The race soon split into two small groups at the front. First group contained Lee Williams, Steve James and Luke Gray (Hargroves Cycles), the second group a little way behind contained Michael Cotty, Dan Lewis (RAF CC) Crispin Doyle(Swindon RC) and Matt MacDonald(Stevens UK /Hargroves).
The leading group of three stayed together for almost the entire race until Luke dropped back with a couple of laps to go. This left Lee and Steve to take the bell running in tandem. Out of sight Steve attacked and he arrived into the finishing technical section first to solo to a win. Lee finished 7secs down and was full of praise for the winner saying he was “just too strong on the last lapâ€.
Results
1st Steve James Hargroves Cycles 54mins 59secs
2nd Lee Williams Team Wiggle @7sec
3rd Luke Gray Hargroves Cycles @51 secs
4th Michael Cotty Wheelbase/ Cannondale @1min 39secs
5th Dan Lewis RAF CC @1min 43secs
6th Crispin Doyle Swindon RC @1min 44secs
The next round of the Wessex League is on Sunday 2nd October at Swindon
FULL RESULTS
Seniors
1   Steve James   Hargroves Cycles   54:59:00
2   Lee Williams   Team Wiggle   55:06:00
3   Luke Gray   Hargroves Cycles   55:50:00
4   Michael Cotty   Wheelbase/cannondale   56:40:00
5   Dan Lewis   RAF CC   56:44:00
6   Crispin Doyle   Swindon RC   56:45:00
7   Matt Macdonald   Stevens UK   57:50:00
8   Andrew Baum   Cwmcarn   58:17:00
9   Matt Steven   VC 10   58:46:00
10   Peter Kench   GWR Team   59:45:00
11   Dan Smith   GWR Team   01:00:36
12   Jamie Norfolk   Pedalon   01:00:41
13   James Cotty   Wheelbase/cannondale   01:00:56
14   Nick Onslow   Pedalon   01:00:59
15   Phil Gough   Red Kite Cycles   At 1 Lap(s).
16   Jason Blann   Team Rose Blann   At 1 Lap(s).
17   Adam Morris   ACU   At 1 Lap(s).
18   Steve Golla   High Wycombe   At 1 Lap(s).
19   Jamie Shearer   Andover Whs   At 1 Lap(s).
20   Frank Lebon   Giant   At 1 Lap(s).
21   Andy Powell   Hargroves Cycles   At 1 Lap(s).
22   Elst Manuel   Spartaan CC   At 1 Lap(s).
23   Justin Hoy   Felt   At 1 Lap(s).
24   Mike Holborow   Swindon RC   At 1 Lap(s).
25   Harry Bulstrode   Wheelbase/cannondale   At 1 Lap(s).
26   Michael Raven   Not Known   At 1 Lap(s).
27   Michael Warner   Wheelbase/cannondale   At 1 Lap(s).
28   Jason Painton   Ride on Air   At 1 Lap(s).
29   Gavin Spiggs   Aw cycles   At 1 Lap(s).
30   Ian Dow   Ride on Air   At 1 Lap(s).
31   Simon Smith   Adeo Cadence   At 1 Lap(s).
32   Jay Bradley   Not Known   At 1 Lap(s).
33   Vit Javorik   Not Known   At 1 Lap(s).
34   Julian Mann   Stevens UK   At 2 Lap(s).
35   Neil Dayus   Southampton RC   At 2 Lap(s).
36   Berni Charlick   CC Basingstoke   At 2 Lap(s).
37   Malcolm Rose   Oxonian CC   At 2 Lap(s).
38   Greg Mook   Didcot Phoenix CC   At 3 Lap(s).
39   Andre Pollard   Not Known   At 3 Lap(s).
40   Petein Sven   Spartaan CC   At 3 Lap(s).
Veterans/Junior/Women
1   Matt Hargroves   Hargroves Cycles   41:19:00
2   Matt Woods   Hargroves Cycles   41:19:00
3   Sean Williams   Wight Mountain   43:20:00
4   Mike Groves   Stevens UK   43:40:00
5   Bill Girvan   NHRC   45:43:00
6   Pete Smith   Team Jewson   45:53:00
7   Dave Mcmullen   Team GWR   47:09:00
8   David Phillips   Swindon RC   47:42:00
9   Jason Hawkins   Coventry RC   45:50:00
10   Dave Wadsworth   Beeline Cycles   45:53:00
11   Kevin Blann   Team Rose Blann   46:14:00
12   Pete Hutchinson   Swindon RC
13   Lee Edmonds   Welland Valley
14   Steve Proud   Mike Vaughan
15   Steve Taylor   Sherwood
16   William Macke   AW Cycles
17   Keith Sheridan   Hargroves Cycles
18   Duncan Mellish   Team Zappis
19   Joe Broadhead   Summit
20   Scott ?????   Swindon RC
21   Andy Smith   Swindon RC
22   Ray Robson   Team Rose Blann
23   Jordan Wade   Poole Whs
24   Gareth Dridge   Southdown Velo
25   Stuart Gough   Portswood
26   David Hobbs   Corinium
27   W Buchanan   Ride on Air
28   Tony Turner   Oxonian CC
29   Chris Smith   Team MK
30   Leon Mander   Chapel Tristars   At 1 Lap(s).
31   Peter Bolke   Not Known   At 1 Lap(s).
32   Ashley Reles   Wheelers   At 1 Lap(s).
33   Chris Cook   PB Science   At 1 Lap(s).
34   Jeremy Mulkern   Aylesbury   At 1 Lap(s).
35   Gareth Walker   Swindon RC   At 1 Lap(s).
36   Steve Dines   Wight Mountain   At 1 Lap(s).
37   Richard Bremner   NHRC   At 1 Lap(s).
38   Andy Pond   Not Known   At 1 Lap(s).
39   Mat Rowley   Oxonian CC   At 1 Lap(s).
40   Claire Smith   Swindon RC   At 1 Lap(s).
41   Geoff Booker   Oxonian CC   At 1 Lap(s).
42   Anthony Dyment   NHRC   At 1 Lap(s).
43   Darren Chappell   Behind The Bikeshed   At 1 Lap(s).
44   Simon Meadwell   Bournemouth Jubilee   At 1 Lap(s).
45   Simon North   Summit   At 1 Lap(s).
46   N Adnitt   Andover Whs   At 1 Lap(s).
47   S Hodgson   Not Known   At 1 Lap(s).
48   Phil Sherbert   NHRC   At 1 Lap(s).
49   Mitch Purvis   Didcot Phoenix CC   At 1 Lap(s).
50   Keith Allam   Not Known   At 1 Lap(s).
51   Colin Bates   Reading CC   At 1 Lap(s).
52   Phil Chinn   Fareham Whs   At 1 Lap(s).
53   Nina French   Wight Mountain   At 1 Lap(s).
54   Clive Seabrook   Abingdon Vale   At 1 Lap(s).
55   Karen Murphy   Wight Mountain   At 1 Lap(s).
56   Tony Jackson   Not Known   At 2 Lap(s).
57   D Corrigan   Pedalon   At 2 Lap(s).
58   Steve Warwick   Mountain Mania   At 2 Lap(s).
59   Sarah Woods W   Wight Mountain   At 2 Lap(s).
60   Dave Wade   Poole Whs   At 2 Lap(s).
61   Hazel Jowett   Chapel Tristars   At 2 Lap(s).
62   Jo Gundle   Aylesbury   At 2 Lap(s).
63   Nicky Volley   Wight Mountain   At 2 Lap(s).
64   Laura Holborow   Swindon RC   At 3 Lap(s).
65   John Burrow   Poole Whs   At 3 Lap(s).
66   Pete Martin   Team Zappis   At 3 Lap(s).
Under 12
1Â Â Â Sophie Taylor WÂ Â Â BCDSÂ Â Â 11:56
2   Oscar Ingham   Chapel tristars   12:00
3   Jay Allen   Palmer Park Velo   12:02
4   Conor Hutchinson   Swindon RC   12:50
5   Matthew Thornton   Oxonian CC   12:53
6   Harry Dridge   Southdown Velo   13:03
7   D Dawson   IVA   13:05
8   Ryan Hodkyns   Poole Whs   13:15
9   Anna Wadsworth W   Beeline   13:20
10Â Â Â Natalie Moore WÂ Â Â Swindon RCÂ Â Â 13:30
11   Harvey Jackson   Team Zappis   14:11
12   Maddie Wadsworth W   Beeline   At 1 Lap(s).
13   Ellis Jones   Swindon RC   At 1 Lap(s).
14Â Â Â Seren Jones WÂ Â Â Swindon RCÂ Â Â At 1 Lap(s).
15   Tyler Smith   Swindon RC   At 1 Lap(s).
16   Harrison Phillips   Swindon RC   At 1 Lap(s).
17   Hayden Gray   Not Known   At 1 Lap(s).
18   Ben Wright   Oxford City RC   At 1 Lap(s).
19   Kieran Rose   Oxonian CC   At 1 Lap(s).
20Â Â Â Isabel Phillips WÂ Â Â Swindon RCÂ Â Â At 1 Lap(s).
21   Mack Mellish   Team Zappis   At 1 Lap(s).
22   Izzy Buckingham W   Not Known   At 1 Lap(s).
23   Oliver Thornton   Oxonian CC   At 2 Lap(s).
24   Alex Long   PB Science   At 2 Lap(s).
25   Lui Buckingham   Not Known   At 2 Lap(s).
26   Lewis Jones   Swindon RC   At 2 Lap(s).
27   Jayden Blann   Team Rose Blann   At 2 Lap(s).
