The GWR Team Winter Floodlit Cyclo Cross Series overall winner has been decided a week before the final round as Paul Lloyd, who took 2nd place on the night, did enough to secure the 2011 series victory.
Lloyd secured an 8 point advantage over Dan Lewis, who missed the final round, taking the overall prize supplied by Trail Cake, a new company who provides guided mountain bike rides in the Forest of Dean.
The weather cold and the air full of light drizzle but the track remained fast and hard packed even though a few corners had a film of the sticky stuff covering them, as the riders practiced on the course in the night dew they began to deteriorate. The series has seen over 130 riders compete
this year, with the last round attracting 44 riders, who made the final trip of 2011 to Supermarine Rugby Club in South Marston for the 10th and final round of the winter series.
The race was run off in darkness with very little wind and light rain, it was a cold, damp typical November evening. Paul Lloyd led the race from the gun followed in close attendance by series promoter Dan Smith, who on the third corner lost control which caused him to crash and hold up some of the front runners. This lead to Lloyd linking up with Crispin Doyle just ahead of Peter Kench, Joe Griffiths, Adam Britain and George Bate.
On lap three it was Kench who took a tumble which saw him drop out of the top ten. Doyle had attacked, in the difficult conditions, knowing that he had made the right choice of Dugast Rhinos pumped to 18psi. The conditions were to cause many of the riders to fall during the race but Doyle managed to have a clean ride and after 10 laps took his second win of the series to show his good form before this weekend’s National Race at Southampton.
Lloyd came in for 2nd place on the night safe in the knowledge that the overall win was his. Kench made an impressive recovery and was lapping the course faster than anyone on the circuit, on his way to third place by the end of the 45 mins + one lap. First veteran rider was Andy Webb, 1st Lady was Ruby Baker and 1 Junior was Joe Griffiths.
The overall was taken by Paul Lloyd from Dan Lewis and George Bate. The top three veterans were Steve Brown, Kevin Blann, and Duncan Melish 1st lady was Caroline Goward.
The GWR team winter series would like to thank the support of Margaret and Stewart Smith who without their support the series would not have run. We would also like to thank Ian Edmonds and Jez Read for turning up each week to repair the course and to photograph all the action. The
team are now taking a well earned break, but will be back next year.
Full results and the overall are now on www.gwrteam.com
