Report: Wessex CX League Round 9

Wins in the senior race for Sam Allen and a second win at the venue for Southampton based Abbie Manley (Hargroves Montezuma’s). Barney Clacy (Hargroves Montezuma’s) won the junior race whilst Dan Guest won the vet40+ and Kevin Holloway (GS Vecchi) the vet50+ category.

Report: Wessex CX League Round 9

Sunday 18th November | by Graham Robins

This was the second race this season at the Droxford MxP, but this time in very different conditions. The earlier round back in mid October was a very wet day, but today the course was bathed in glorious winter sunshine but a very cold wind.

The course was firm and hardly cut up. Our hosts Fareham Wheelers had come up with another great days racing at the venue with a couple of enforced changes from the previous race which seemed to suit riders.

There were wins in the senior race for Sam Allen (PedalOn) and a second win at the venue for Southampton based Abbie Manley (above) (Hargroves Montezuma’s). Barney Clacy (Hargroves Montezuma’s) won the junior race whilst Dan Guest (Cotswold Veldrijden) won the vet40+ and Kevin Holloway (GS Vecchi) the vet50+ category.

Sam Allen took full advantage of the dry conditions and quickly built a lead on the opening lap of the senior race and he soon had a 17secs lead before completing the first full lap. He led Oscar Hutchings (VC Venta) and Joe Hickerton (Spokes BPC Racing). David Bone (RC Revenna) was holding off visiting rider David Peňa Ruiz (Probike Club). Whilst Allen was enjoying a clear run to the chequered flag the race behind him was quite fluid with changes on each lap. Hutchings was now a clear second with Bone, Ruiz and Hickerton running fairly close together.

By mid race Allen led Hutchings by 50secs, Bone and Ruiz were at 1min 08secs, Hickerton a couple of second back and now Thomas Nightingale (Didcot Phoenix) was beginning to come through the field passing team mate Daniel Atkins who managed to get two punctures on successive laps.

At the bell Allen led Hutchings by over two minutes but Bone was closing him down. Also making up time in the closing stages were Ruiz and Nightingale and it looked like we were going to get three way sprint for the minor podium places but the final lap was just enough to prevent this happening. Allen took the spoils followed by Hutchings at 2min 45secs, Bone completed the podium positions coming in 10secs further down. Ruiz held off Nightingale on the final lap by 30secs and Hickerton maintained his sixth place.

In the combined women’s race Abbie Manley (Hargroves Montezuma’s) wasted no time in acquainting herself with her local venue and quickly opened a lead. Chancing behind were team mates Amy Costello at 14secs and Helen Pattinson at 40secs and first vet. Completing the Hargroves lead was Ella Lawrence whilst Lindy Brazier-Larkin (Sarum Velo) was the first senior.
By mid race Manley led by Perryman by 25secs, Pattinson was at a minute and Larkin was at 1min 47secs. Junior rider Lawrence was being caught by Charlotte Heywood-Mahé (Les Filles Racing Team) while behind there was a three rider train containing Melanie Smith (Cotswold Veldrijden), Carly Hughes (Fareham Wheelers) and Tracy Bremner (North Hants RC). Lydia Gould (VC Venta) was leading the vet 50+ from Alison Ford (GS Vecchi) and Catherine Pascoe (New Forest CC).

Over the remaining two laps the places remained the same with just time gaps changing as riders were finding conditions sapping. Manley won the overall and was first junior, Pattinson was first vet and Brazier- Larkin was first senior.
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In the combined vet 40+ and junior race it was the junior pairing of Hargroves Montezuma’s riders of Barney Clacy and Samuel Freeman who made the most of the firm conditions and quickly dispatched the vet pairing of Paul Lloyd (Banjo Cycles) and Dan Guest (Cotswold Veldrijden) inside the opening lap.

Clacy soon had a lead of 31secs over Freeman while Lloyd and Guest were locked together in each other’s wheel tracks. Riding in fifth was junior Euan Macleod (PedalOn) and with him was vet David Spencer (VC Venta). Behind was a chase group containing Joel Hawkins and Harry Dridge (Hargroves Montezuma’s) along with Jay Allen (PedalOn).

At the bell Clacy was leading Freeman now by just over a minute; Guest had managed to drop Lloyd and Macleod had held onto the third junior spot on the podium. Spencer was 10secs ahead of a charging Jamie Norfolk (PedalOn) but held on to the flag.

The vet 50+race looked like a GS Vecchi Sunday club run as all three of their riders took the podium places. Tim Costello was the first of the trio to stick his wheel in front and quickly he was joined by Kevin Holloway. The third member of the team Phillip Boarer had dropped 10secs but was soon to reel the time back. Owen Pattinson (Owen’s Cycles) along with Chris Hutchings (VC Venta) and Phillip Connell (Sotonia CC) were fairly well matched and along with Dave McMullen (Cotswold Veldrijden) held the middle of the race.

On lap four Holloway made his move for the lead dropping Costello whilst Boarer was now at 20secs. Pattinson was at 54secs and Hutchings at just over a minute. Lap five saw Boarer catch and pass Costello a lead he was able to maintain to the line and in doing so gained around 10secs over the last lap.

In the combined youth race there were wins for Sam Nanopoulas (Solent Pirates Youth CC) in the u16’s and Finlay Biggin (Zappi’s) in the u14’s. In the Female category it was a family double as Madeline Grace Cooper won the u16’s and her sister Melissa Eve Cooper took the win in the u14’s both riding for the Spokes BPC Racing team.

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Provisional Results

Seniors
1st Sam Allen PedalOn 59mins 51secs
2nd Oscar Hutchings VC Venta @2mins 45secs
3rd David Bone RC Revenna @2mins 55secs
4th David Peňa Ruiz Probike Club
5th Thomas Nightingale Didcot Phoenix
6th Joe Hickerton Spokes BPC Racing
7th Karl Norfolk PedalOn
8th Harry Franklin In Gear Quickvit CC
9th Ash Appella PedalOn
10th Tim Doole Maybush CC

Women Combined
1st Abbie Manley Hargroves Montezuma’s 43mins 15secs and 1st junior
2nd Helen Pattinson Hargroves Montezuma’s and 1st vet
3rd Amy Perryman Hargroves Montezuma’s and 2nsd jun
4th Lindy Brazier-Larkin Sarum Velo and 1st senior
5th Charlotte Heywood-Mahé Les Filles Racing Team and 2nd senior
6th Ella Lawrence Hargroves Montezuma’s and 3rd jun
7th Melanie Smith Cotswold Veldrijden and 3rd senior
8th Tracy Bremner North Hants RC and 2nd vet
9th Carly Hughes Fareham Wheelers
10th Cam Powell PedalOn and 3rd vet

Vet 50+ women
1st Lydia Gould VC Venta
2nd Alison Ford GS Vecchi
3rd Catherine Pascoe New Forest CC

Juniors
1st Barney Clacy Hargroves Montezuma’s 41mins 58secs
2nd Samuel freeman Hargroves Montezuma’s @1min19secs
3rd Euan Macleod PedalOn @2mins 52secs
4th Jay Allen PedalOn
5th Joel Hawkins Hargroves Montezuma’s

Vet40+
1st Dan Guest Cotswold Veldrijden 43mins 45secs
2nd Paul Lloyd Banjo Cycles @22secs
3rd David Spencer VC Venta @1min 09secs
4th Jamie Norfolk PedalOn
5th Crispin Doyle Hargroves Montezuma’s

Vet50+
1st Kevin Holloway GS Vecchi 39mins 03secs
2nd Phillip Boarer GS Vecchi @28secs
3rd Tim Costello GS Vecchi @41secs
4th Owen Pattinson Owen’s Cycles
5th Dave McMullen Cotswold Veldrijden