Simon McLaughlin blows away his rivals to take the individual title in the Inter-Club Hill Climb competition
Eamonn Deane writes … Making it an unprecendented four wins out of four, Simon McLaughlin took the individual title in the Inter-Club Hill Climb competition. A winner on Portland, Creech and Kingston, MaClaughlin blew the opposition away on his favourite climb, becoming the first man to achieve the “Grand Slam”.
A very strong, swirling wind scattered the riders across the hill, first in their faces, then from the side as they fought their way to the top. Gary Dighton (Poole Wheelers) & James Horton (BJW)were the only two riders to offer a challenge to the winged McLaughlin, with the Poole man taking second but at 30 seconds, it proved a token challenge.
CC Weymouth won the coveted team award and thouroughly deserved it to. They lacked an individual challenger but packed out the field in all four events scoring valuable points, and successfully defending the title they won for the first time last year. Heidi Gould (CC Weymouth) also won all four events, although sometimes she was only racing against herself. However, you can only beat who crosses the start line and Heidi contributed a good haul of points for her team.
The West Dorset upstarts certainly gave their big town rivals, Poole Wheelers and Bournemouth Jubilee a bloody nose, in the nicest possible way of course. This year’s Inter Club Hill Climb competition has been a great success. Good weather, no doubt has helped with the high number of riders but the emphasis on the team competition is the real key to the series success.
So the bragging rights stay with Weymouth for another year but hostilities will resume again on Portland Hill October 2012, surely they cannot make it a hatrick of wins?
More photos and brought to you by http://blog.sportsmassagebournemouth.co.uk/
Provisional Result
1. S Mclaughlin (Bjw) 7:23:32
2. G Dighton (Pw) 7:53:78
3. J Horton (Bjw) 7:57:07
4. B Riglar (Ccw) 8:06
5. M Kumm (Pw) 8:17
6. H Fielding (Pw) 8:24
7. M Aldridge (Pw) 8:32
8. A Graham (Bjw) 8:33
9. R Weston (Pw) 8:37
10. J Thacker (Vcstr)8:39
11. D Hicks (Bjw) 8:41:99
12. J Clemas (Bjw) 8:43:95
13. M Merritt (Ccw) 9:05:14
14. S Pye (Bjw) 9:08:08
15. J Wickham (Ccw) 9:14
16. S Pink (Ccw) 9:16
17. P Evans (Bjw) 9:20
18. C Rowe (Bjw) 9:23:74
19. H Bevan (Pw) 9:23
20. MÂ Fisher (Bjw) 9:35
21. JÂ Fuller (Bjw) 9:43
22. J Smith (Ccw) 9:54:73
23. D Matthews (Ccw) 10:16
24. A Jackson (Ccw) 10:17
25. Heidi Gould (Ccw) 10:38:09
26. H Pankhurst (Pw) 10:41:01
27. J Chapman (Ccw) 10:49:76
27. D Camms (Ccw) 10:49:76
29. W Wilson (Ccw) 10:57:36
30. P Gale (Ccw) 11:08:42
31. F Newton (Wrc) 11:49:92
32.S Carrington(Ccw) 12:35
33. R Gould (Ccw) 15:39
