Report/Result: Barnsley RC RR (Hade Edge)

Oliver Akers winner of the category 3/4 Barnsley Road Club’s Hade Edge road race on Sunday

Report/Result: Barnsley RC RR (Hade Edge)

On a brilliant spring morning with a good tailwind up the climb, and a stack of juniors and U23, the chances of an aggressive race was always high and things did not disappoint. The main feature of the spectacular course at Hade Edge is the mile long drag out of the village, which usually decimates the field early on, which is exactly what happened, shredding the race into pockets of 5 of 6 after the top twenty five or so had managed to hold together.

In the early stages, Tom Andrews (Team Lifting Gear Products) and Joe Thorp (Ribble Rechrg RT) attacked and gained an advantage of over a minute. This didn’t last long, and was brought back. Again other attacks followed but nothing stuck.

The racing turned out to be very attritional with the groups getting thinner and thinner. With the race getting to its conclusion, a group of four came over the top of Flight Hill, made up of Owen (Clwb Beicio Egni), Sergeant (Otley CC), and Edwards (Team Lifting Gear Products); but it was multidisciplanarian, and local Holmfirth resident Oliver Akers (Zappi Junior RT) who pipped the group with a powerful sprint. Oliver comes out of the Holmfirth CC club and has previously won races at the Barnsley Town Centre Races representing them.

This is the fourth Holmfirth CC rider since 2015 to have won the Hade Edge race following in the steps of Traviss Pollard, Brown, Hale, and now (due to historic membership) Akers. Ryan Williams was awarded the Junior prize, on the basis of one rider one prize. We thank all out entrants, and we appeal to all racers to get entering road race events, and enter them as early as possible to support grass roots racing organisers.

On behalf of Barnsley Road Club est.1924, Chris Lawrence, Event Organiser.

Result
1. Oliver Akers (Zappi Junior RT) – Cat3 Junior
2. Huw Owen (Clwb Beicio Egni) – Cat3
3. Oliver Sergeant (Otley CC) – Cat3
4. Tobias Edwards (Team Lifting Gear Products) – Cat3
5. Joe Thorp (Ribble rechrg RT) – Cat3
6. Ryan Williams (Beeston CC) – Cat3 Junior
7. Deetray Jarrett (Green Jersey CC) – Cat3 Junior
8. Tom Andrews (Team Lifting Gear Products) – Cat3
9. Alex Raynard (Velo Bavarian RT) – Cat3
10. Joe Howcroft.