There were wins for Mike Smith, Harriet Owen, Ben Marks, & Tim Dawkins at the first of the crit races to be held at the South Winchester Park and Ride
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Report – VC Venta Summer Criterium 1
by Graham Robins | Sunday 29th June 2014
NOTE: Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
There was a large turnout across all the groups as this venue proves once again to be a popular racing venue. It was overcast and breezy for the youth racing but once the sun broke through it soon warmed up and so did much of the racing.
The feature E/1/2 race saw some fast action almost straight from the start. The race was one hour plus five laps on the testing one kilometre track. The opening laps were very fast and attacks were quickly shut down as the whole field were strung out trying to hold onto the pace.
After ten minutes, Mitchell Webber (Pedal Heaven), Oscar Hutchings (Bikeshed-UEX) and Mike Smith (Cycleworks.co.uk) slipped of the front and between them they worked hard to eventually break the hold of the bunch. After twenty minutes of racing the three had a lead over two chasers of thirty seconds and the bunch were a further ten seconds behind them.
It took the three another fifteen minutes to lap the field and they weren’t content with that as they set about chasing the tail once again. Mitch did make an attack at one point but he was soon caught by his two fellow leaders and decided it was better with three than on his own.
While the three leaders were happy to circulate and pick off the back markers a strong group of six had formed were working very hard together and they stayed ahead of the remainder of the bunch until the end to contest the sprint for the minor places?
At the bell the three leaders crossed the finish line and almost stayed that way until the line when Mike Smith decided to attack on the incline to the line and managed to hold of Mitch with Oscar taking third, the sprint behind was won by James Wilson (VC St Raphael).
The women’s race saw a commanding Harriet Owen (Matrix Fitness-Vulpine) lead right from the start. On the opening lap she already had a 15secs lead. The women’s race was 40mins plus 3laps and Harriett lead from start to finish. As the minutes ticked down Harriet eased away and by 35minutes she managed to lap the group of six which had formed behind her. Harriet stayed with this group which towards the end became five until the bell and then she attacked from the front to solo home clear of the remainder of the field.
The third cat race was 50minutes and 3laps and once it got started after a false start due to one rider having a puncture and landing in the road on his own racing got underway. Ten minutes in and the first proper move goes away when Ben Marks (cycleworks.co.uk) started to ease away from two other riders Will Ranoe (VCGH) and Tommy Garland (BCPM).
Ben stayed away on his own until 28minutes when the large group of 13 behind him finally caught his and he dropped back in the bunch for some rest bite. This group now stayed together for another ten minutes until Luke Gray (Trek Cyclocross Collective) came to the front and tried to initiate something but the others were too close to the finish to let him go. This group rolled the next few laps all together until the bell and the race finished in a big bunch sprint which was won fittingly by Ben Marks as he had done an awful lot of work on the front in the early stages of the race.
The fourth cat race saw one rider Tim Dawkins (Sotonia) lap most of the field on his way to a commanding win. He soon got away and the only rider to get close o him was Oliver Leach (UCLU CC) who was at one point22secs behind with a further 8riders 10secs behind him.
Provisional Results
E/1/2 60mins + 5 laps
1st Mike Smith cycleworks.co.uk
2nd Mitch Webber Pedal Heaven Colbornes
3rd Oscar Hutchings Bikeshed UEX
4th James Wilson VC St Raphael
5th Andy Shackel Team Wiggle
6th Harry Veale cycleworks.co.uk
7th Rob McCarthy Pedal Heaven Colbornes
8th Rob Sharland Kingston Wheelers
9th Kieran Ali Cycleworks.co.uk
10th Cameron Thompson VC St Raphael
Women’s 40 minutes +3 laps
1st Harriet Owen Matrix Fitness-Vulpine
2nd Jennifer Powell Cheltenham &County CC
3rd Georgina Panchaud Cycleworks.co.uk
4th Ruby Chappell Behind The Bikeshed
5th Florence Collyer Powell SURC
6th Jennifer Goddard Hargroves Cycles
3rd Cats 50mins +3laps
1st Ben Marks Cycleworks.co.uk
2nd Luke Gray Trek Cyclocross Collective
3rd Duncan Lancashire Andover Wheelers
4th Steve Willis Trainsharp RT
5th Edward Sutton Wightlink LCM Systems
6th Andrew Knight NFTO
4th Cats 35mins +3laps
1st Tim Dawkins Sotonia
2nd Oliver Leach UCLU CC
3rd James Peckham Sotonia
4th Ian Hayden Wightlink LCM System
5th Liam Keynes SRAM CC
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
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