Veteran racing in events organised by GS Henley at Nettlebed near Henley on Thames
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D Category Championship Report
The race was aggressive from the start which culminated in four riders Martin Russell, John French, Jimmy Rutherford and Mick Day got away the second time up the finish hill. They got clear over the top and were quickly joined by strongmen John Manning and Andy Donaldson.
With two laps to go they were joined by one other rider who was dropped fairly quickly. French took a flyer down the hill at Stoke Row on the last lap. Manning took up the chase with Donaldson on his wheel. They caught him in the straight before the climb where Donaldson came past and won by 20 to 30 metres using his new fast cadence style.
He said afterwards: ‘ It was a tough race and I thought that John French might have managed it. But I have adopted the fast pedalling style helped by my track riding. I think that gave me the edge on the hill when the others were pushing bigger gears. I am delighted to be champion knowing I have beaten a lot of very good riders.’
1 Andy Donaldson
2 Mick Day
3 Jimmy Rutherford
4 John French
5 John Manning
6 Patrick Schils
7 Martin Hulbert
8 Bob Moore
9 Malcolm Whitehead
10 Mac McGready
E Nat RR Championships 2012
Seven laps of a rolling course with a finishing hill and 2km drag immediately afterwards provided the spring board for most of the pressure in the race which started on the first lap. Many attacks in the first few laps were brought back by the favourites watching each other like hawks and not wanting to let anything go. Early aggressors included Alan Kemp, Derek George, David Harper, Dave Woods, Tom Wilson with two very strong high speed surges, Don Parry, Ray Robinson and later on inevitably Chris Gunter. Non managed to escape but it did result in a severe thinning down of the leading group by the end of lap 3.
Finally with one lap to go Kemp attacked decisively on the long descent through Stoke Row prior to the climb, quickly followed by Parry. These two were then joined on the drag after the climb by Paul Allen, Tom Wilson, Allan Ramsey to make five away for the last lap although they never managed to gain more than about 400 – 500 meters lead. Wilson commented later they were really “chewing the bars” to get across – but get across they did. Parry said later he thought that for once he had got Alan Kemp on the ropes on the climb but the moved settled down quite quickly with the five working to sustain the lead. Ray Robinson riding strongly the whole race got caught in no man’s land desperately attempting to bridge but to no avail.
On the final descent Ramsey attacked followed by Parry into the last corner. Parry went for a long one, gained a quite a few meters, Ramsay blew, Parry blew in the final fifty meters with Kemp and Wilson and Allen all going past before the line to finish in that order.
E Category
1 Alan Kemp
2 Tom Wilson
3 Paul Allen
4 Don Parry
5 Ray Palin
6 Ralph Keeler
7 Dave Woods
8 Alistair Cameron
9 Chris Gunter
10 Ray Robinson
11 David Harper
12 Alan Williams
13 Allan Ramsay
14 Susan Shook
15 Kenneth Corbett
16 Tom Lejeune
17 Gordon Smith
18 Bob Ford
19 Ivor Thomas
20 Lindsay Ruocco
F/G/H Category Championship Report
Riding his first race of the year, former professional road race champion Geoff Wiles beat Mike Allen, unbeaten in nine races this season to the line in the uphill sprint for the line. But it was another old pro over 70, Tony Woodcock who ignited the race the first time up the hill. According to Allen he put it into a big gear and ripped the race apart.
Woodcock’s attack took ten riders clear never to be seen again and leaving riders scattered around the course. The group worked well together, as further back, a number decided to call it a day. On lap two, defending champion Richard Booth punctured another of the escapees also punctured leaving eight riders to might out the finish.
Wiles, who earlier this year rode the 1955 Peace Race route for charity, made a kamikaze escape at the bottom of the final hill round the 90 degree right hander and took 10 lengths out of Allen. He clawed his way back on the hill only for Wiles, who rode for Holdsworth with Les West in the 70’s, to go again and claim the title.
Allen said:’ I thought he was going to come off the way he went round the corner. I managed to fight back on but then he went again.’
Wiles said:’ I was riding 200 km a day doing the Peace Race route, but its not the same as racing. You never know how you will go until you get into a race. I am very happy to take the title in what was a good and extremely well run race.’
F Category
1 Geoff Wiles
2 Mike Allen
3 Andy Hicks
4 Dick Naylor
5 Roger McGlynn
6 Barry Jones
7 Lance Ravenhill
G Category
1 Tony Woodcock
2 Pete Ryalls
3 Mick Ives
H Category
1 Dave Elliott
2 David Sankey
3 Chas Wilde
