A bitterly cold but dry evening for round 4 of the Reading Track League at Palmer Park Stadium
![]() |
by Guy Swarbrick
The forecast rain didn’t quite materialise – although it could be seen coming down in sheets to the East and West of the track – but the Arctic wind did and the sunshine that lit the track in the opening half hour couldn’t disguise a bitterly cold evening.
The opening the trackcycling 10 Lap Scratch saw AW Cycles’ Matt Gittings – home for the summer from Indianapolis and still in his Marian University kit – ride away from the small Senior A field to take a comfortable win from Neil Rutter of Cotswold Veldrijden and Nick Abraham. In the Senior Bs it was Hugh Knudsen who took the honours, ahead of new AW Cycles recruit Dan Lansley and Team Terminator’s Paul Davidoff.
Matt Gittings pips George Withers to the win in the Devil
Attention then turned to the finals of the Central Division/Track League Individual Pursuit Championship. In the Men’s event Nick English of AW Cycles steadily eased away from Newbury RC’s Ian Greenstreet to win by 11 seconds with a time of 5:17.79. Tamina Olver of Team CTC took the Ladies title by half a minute from Sarah Tombs with a 3:12.39.
Gittings followed up his win in the opening race with another in the Devil, just edging out Withers on the line – before wrapping up his evening’s work with a third victory in the Sprint ahead of Rutter and Withers once again. Tom Sefton of Palmer Park Velo took the Senior B Devil from Lansley and Josh Mitchell of Bicester Millennium. Mitchell – who lost out to Sefton by the narrowest of margins in the last Senior B Sprint – had his revenge this time – reversing the result and popping a wheelie over the line to celebrate. Pat Tynan of Reading CC took third place.
Matt Gittings completes his hat-trick of wins with the Senior A Sprint
But it was Sefton back on top in the AW Cycles 20k – the youngster was the only B rider who was able to stay with the five A riders in the lead group and took the win from Mark Shepherd of Banjo Cycles and 10 Lap Scratch winner Knudsen. The lead group tore up the race from the mid-way point with IP winner English and Max Brown of Zappi’s instrumental in driving the pace but once again it was Nick Abraham who took the final sprint from Rutter and English.
Tamina Oliver of Team CTC – Central Division Ladies IP Champion
Central Division/Track League Individual Pursuit Finals
Men
1 Nick ENGLISH AW Cycles 5:17.79
2 Ian GREENSTREET Newbury RC 5:28.28
Ladies
1 Tamina OLIVER Team CTC 3:12.39
2 Sarah TOMBS 3:41.45
Senior A
trackcycling 10 Lap Scratch
1 Matt GITTINGS Marian University
2 Neil RUTTER Cotswold Veldrijden
3 George WITHERS AW Cycles
Devil
1 Matt GITTINGS Marian University
2 George WITHERS AW Cycles
3 Nick ABRAHAM BC Private Member
Sprint
1 Matt GITTINGS Marian University
2 Neil RUTTER Cotswold Veldrijden
3 George WITHERS AW Cycles
AW Cycles 20k Endurance
1 Nick ABRAHAM BC Private Member
2 Neil RUTTER Cotswold Veldrijden
3 Nick ENGLISH AW Cycles
Senior B
trackcycling 10 Lap Scratch
1 Hugh KNUDSEN BC Private Member
2 Paul DAVIDOFF Team Terminator
3 Daniel LANSLEY AW Cycles
Devil
1 Tom SEFTON Palmer Park Velo
2 Daniel LANSLEY AW Cycles
3 Joshua MITCHELL Bicester Millennium
Sprint
1 Joshua MITCHELL Bicester Millennium
2 Tom SEFTON Palmer Park Velo
2 Pat TYNAN Reading CC
AW Cycles 20k Endurance
1 Tom SEFTON Palmer Park Velo
2 Mark SHEPHERD Banjo Cycles
3 Hugh KNUDSEN BC Private Member
Under 16
AW Cycles 20k Endurance
1 Dylan THOMAS Palmer Park Velo
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- Result: Beverley Town Centre Races
- Hill Climb Championships: Change of Course
- Crit Result: Portsmouth Evening Circuits 11
- Crit Result: RCR FatCreations Goodwood Summer Special
- UK Armed Forces Inter-services Road Race
- Report: TLI Cycling ‘Belgium Training Series
- BMCR RESULT: The Ron Day MK Bowl Circuit races (July 23rd)
- RR Result: Bath RC Junior National Series Road Race
- Crit Result: West Thames League 15
- Crit Result: SACA Salt Ayre Tuesday Series 15
- Crit Result: Bath CC Mid Summer Series 2
- Crit Result: Full Gas Summer Circuit Series #17
- TT Result: Ross-On-Wye & Dist CC 25m TT
- TT Result: Ross-On-Wye & Dist CC 10m TT
- TT Result: Kernow Racing Team 10m TT
- News: Men’s Tour of Britain Route (Stage 1 & 2)
- Youth Result: RL360 Isle of Man Youth League 14
- TT Result: Verulam Cycling Club 25m TT
- TT Result: Manchester & District Ladies CA 25m TT
- TT Result: Ferryhill Wheelers CC 25m TT
- Crit Result: Banbury Star Crit Series #2
- RR Result: Lakes Road Club Summer Road Race
- National Circuit Series: Colne
- TT Result: Kings Lynn CC 15m TT
- TT Result: ECCA 10 mile Time Trial
- TT Result: Chorley Cycling Club 10m TT
- TT Result: Houghton CC 25m TT
- TT Result: Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers 10m TT
- TT Result: Farnham RC 10m TT
- Crit Result: King&Queen of the Bowl Series #13
- TT Result: Kernow Racing Team 10m TT
- Crit Result: Lichfield/Velospeed No Frills at Curborough #7
- TT Result: Swindon RC & Swindon Wh 50m TT
- Crit News: Spatzwear Friday Night Crit Series #6 | YBC
- GB News: Paracycling Squad for Paris 2024
- Crit Result: Thanks Crit it’s Friday 7
- Crit Result: Omega Portsmouth Circuits 6
- Result: BMCR National Road Bike TT Championship
- Crit Result: Ride Revolution Coaching Summer Crits #2
- Crit Result: Shutt Velo Rapide Hitters Crits Rd2
Other News on VeloUK
- Hill Climb Championships: Change of Course
- TT Result: Ross-On-Wye & Dist CC 25m TT
- News: Men’s Tour of Britain Route (Stage 1 & 2)
- GB News: Paracycling Squad for Paris 2024
- Ribble Redefines Road with launch of Allroad
- BMCR: National Road Bike Time Trial Championship
- SUNDAY: Bath Road Club Junior National Series Road Race
- TLI CYCLING FEATURE: SUPER4SERIES
- NATIONAL CIRCUIT SERIES UPDATE 2024
- News: Josh Tarling Extends Contract at Ineos
- Tour of Britain for Men 2024
- News: Connor Swift Extends Contract with Ineos
- Updated GB Olympic Team News
- Sunday: 2024 Youth Circuit Race Championships (Cyclopark)
- ROBBED BY THE HIGHWAYS AGENCY – National Highways
- Startlist: BMCR National Road Championships E/F/G/H
- OLYMPIC NEWS – Team GB Announces First Riders for Olympics
- News: Alex Richardson Retires
- New Releases from Shutt Velo Rapide
- STARTLIST: Men’s British Road Race Championships
- STARTLIST: 2024 Women’s British Road Race Championships
- Startlist: 2024 CAMS Yorkshire Classic Road Races
- Startlists: 2024 Circuit Race Championships
- Startlist: CAMS Ronde van Wymeswold
- Startlists & 2023 Results: National Time Trial Championships
- NEWS: Star Studded Line Up for National Road Champs
- Riders so far: London Dynamo Summer Road Races
- Women’s Tour of Britain Startlist (provisional)
- News: Lincoln winner hit by car
- Entries Wanted: Ilkley Cycles Races
- GB Team Named for Women’s Tour of Britain
- STARTLISTS: NW, Yorkshire & NE Regional RR Championships
- Startlists: East Midlands Road Race Championships
- News: Ribble Rebellion Race USA’s Armed Forces Cycling Classic
- TT Result: Legato Racing Team 10m TT
- Pre-Race Rider Quotes: Ford RideLondon Classique
- STARTLIST: Witham Wheelers Road Races
- Team News: Tour of Britain for Alba Development RT
- Startlist: Totnes Vire 2024
- Starters: NW Junior/U23 360cycling Two Day