Result: Neil Gardner Memorial RR

David Creeggan wins the road race in memory of Neil Gardner, a much loved and remembered coach at CC Luton

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David Creegan wins the Neil Gardner Memorial road race. Photo: Paul Douglas Photographic Services 

Creeggan assassinates the opposition in Astwood

A quality field lined up to contest the 12th running of the Neil Gardner Memorial Road Race held in honour of CC Luton’s legendary coach with a race over 86 miles around Astwood and North Crawley in Buckinghamshire.

Given that the weather was warm and the winds mild, the consensus amongst the assembled riders was that, as it had done in similar conditions two years ago, the race would stay together and end in a bunch gallop.

For the first few laps, it seemed that this would be the case, as the peloton averaged 27mph, deterring any speculative attacks. Then, with 25 miles covered, a quality duo comprising Jack Waller (Teamwallis CHH Racing Team) and Matt Jones (Team Corley Cycles) attacked and rapidly gained 40 seconds. It looked like the move had the potential to succeed, but as there were several strong teams in the bunch, notably Pedal Heaven, Twenty3C Orbea, CC Luton and Primal Europe; Waller and Jones were reigned in after a lap of freedom.

As the race reached half distance, the elastic finally snapped and 16 riders broke free. This escape contained several local riders, including Mike Wragg and Richard Wood (Team MK), Roy Chamberlain and Richard Cartland (Team Corley), James Fox (CC Luton) and his brother Simon (ViCiOUS VELO), as well as Tim Elverson and Dave Creeggan (Pedal Heaven), Dean Shannon and Andy Lyons (Twenty3C) and Tom Stockdale (Primal Racing).

After a settling down, the break went about making good their escape. However, a tractor on the course with a lap and a half remaining slowed their progress, enabling a chase group of 9, including Doug Coleman (CC Luton), Jones and Ian Knight (Team Corley), Mark Baines (Spirit Racing) and Jon Shubert (High Wycombe CC) to join up, as the bell sounded for the final lap.

With fatigue setting in, a final break was initiated by Fox, followed by Knight, Ashley Cox (Spirit), Shannon, Creeggan, Wood and Shannon. Unfortunately, a puncture put paid to the CC Luton rider’s chances, the six remaining would contest the finish, despite Chamberlain’s best efforts to break the others.
With the finish line looming, there was time for a final twist as the six jockeyed for position resulting in a touch of wheels that left Chamberlain and Shannon on the floor and Richard Wood distanced from the other three. Indeed, the impact was so severe that the Corley rider’s bike was broken in two.

Over the final 150m uphill drag to the line, Creeggan impressively and easily finished first ahead of Knight and Cox, with Richard Wood rolling over the line in fourth moments later. Chamberlain was unable to complete the race, although thankfully his injuries were not severe enough to require a trip to hospital. Shannon was only able to cover the last 150m on foot and ran over the line with his bike as the remnants of the peloton crossed the line a minute later.

Result

1 David Creeggan Pedal Heaven RT 3h-08m
2 Ian Knight Team Corley Cycles/Blue st
3 Ashley Cox Spirit Racing Team st
4 Richard Wood Team Milton Keynes @ 9s
5 Rhys Howells Twenty3c.co.uk Orbea @ 27s
6 Mark Baines Spirit Racing Team @ 34s
7 Michael Auger Strada-Sport st
8 Tom Stockdale Primal Europe Powered By RuTrainingToday.co.uk st
9 Dominic Schils Wieler Team Van Eyck Sport Wambeek st
10 James Wilson Supernovacycles.co.uk st
11 Tim Elverson Pedal Heaven RT st
12 Alexander King Loughborough Students CC st
13 Matthew Jones Team Corley Cycles/Blue st
14 Toby Parnell Cambridge CC st
15 Richard Cartland Team Corley Cycles/Blue st
16 Andy Lyons Twenty3c.co.uk Orbea st
17 Mike Wragg Team Milton Keynes st
18 Jonathan Shubert High Wycombe Cycling Club st
19 Douglas Coleman CC Luton st
20 Simon Fox ViCiOUS VELO @ 41s
21 Liam Stones Team Corley Cycles/Blue @ 46s
22 Dean Shannon Twenty3c.co.uk Orbea @ 49s
23 Lee Desborough St Ives CC @ 51s
24 John Peters CC Luton st
25 Tom Neale Spalding CC st
26 Toby Eichler Wilier / Live to Ride st
27 Tavis Walker Wilier / Live to Ride st
28 Robert Fletcher Arbis LLP – Roy Pink Cycles st
29 James Sale Pro Cycle Hire UK Racing Team @ 57s
30 Wayne Coombs Primal Europe Powered By RuTrainingToday.co.uk st
31 James Fox CC Luton @ 1m-01s
32 Martin Smith Primal Europe Powered By RuTrainingToday.co.uk @ 1m-30s
33 Simon Henley Team Corley Cycles/Blue st
34 Gavin Moore Pro Cycle Hire UK Racing Team st
35 Mike Jackson CC Luton @ 1m-49s
36 James Holland-Leader Prestige Velo Club st
37 Elliott Porter Team Corridori st
38 Robert McCarthy Pedal Heaven RT st
39 David Sinclair GWR Team/Swindon Cycles/High5/Kalas/Giant st
40 Declan Higgins VC St Raphael st
41 William Jenkins Spirit Racing Team st
42 Gregg Payne Arbis LLP – Roy Pink Cycles st
43 Mike Simpson GS Henley st
44 Samuel Price Team Synergy st
45 Chris Snook Banjo Cycles.com/Specialized st
46 David Palmer Spin-Rotor Racing Team st
47 Mark Jervis Python Racing Team st
48 Philip Starr Python Racing Team st
49 Daniel Kogan Twenty3c.co.uk Orbea st
50 Paul Crook WDMBC Beyond Mountainbikes/Rapidracer Products st
51 Jamie Scott Spin-Rotor Racing Team st
52 Tim Allen Clay Cross Road Team st
53 Sean Dines Team Corley Cycles/Blue st
54 Jack Waller Teamwallis CHH Racing Team st
55 Harry Godding P M Racing st
56 Anders Christensen Pedal Heaven RT st
57 Chris McNamara Pedal Heaven RT st
58 Todd Hotchkiss Performance Cycles-CMI U23 st
59 Philip Hetzel Ipswich BC st
60 Jake Hales Team IG – Sigma Sport st
61 Paul Londors Spin-Rotor Racing Team st
62 Adam Roud Cycle Club Basingstoke @ 5m-22s
?? Kieran Brady City Cycle Centre.com

 

 

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