Peter Anderson, Stephen Wilkinson, Andrew Donaldson & Paul Townsley winners at the BMCR 60 Plus Road Race Champs
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RR Result: BMCR 60 Plus Road Race Champs
RESULT
E Cat RR Champs 2023
Rider report … Looking at the 50+ riders signed up for Sundays race revealed the best field of the year would be taking to the start. (Apart from a couple of exceptions all the ‘names’ appeared present). Conditions looked to be near perfect and with the Welland circuit set fast & fair, not too demanding, the championship stage was set. Whoever was to pull on the winners jersey today was definitely going to earn it!
The flag dropped and brought early accelerations & responses highlighting that certain riders were being well marked… the price of early season successes? The peloton very aware that some amongst us shouldn’t be allowed to disappear solo up the road. My very first RR champs and I had a basic plan: 1) don’t get dropped!! 2) watch & follow a couple of proven racers 3) avoid chasing all the breaks down solo 4) keep safe…
Still not sure where or how the ‘four’ slipped off the front during the first lap (busy hanging on in & setting a one lap PB at 25mph) but they were solidly gone… first time check at the start / finish line was 1 minute… which to my inexperienced ears meant they were not for catching. Lap 2 saw attack & counter attack from within the bunch but what appeared obvious was we weren’t working well together… and a collective effort to reduce the time gap was looking unlikely. So a race for 5th then? During the group surges, I was setting segment PB’s for fun… (whilst remembering to fuel & drink) We weren’t hanging about!
As Lap 3 approached, I missed the update on just how far ahead the Fab 4 now were… & I only found out post race that in-fact 3 more from the peloton had set sail off the front and were in the process of successfully bridging… I think we briefly glimpsed them way up the road… out of reach & in their own private battle. The final lap saw various attempts from amongst us to gain separation from the group and to try to finish the race on solo terms. Eventually Mike Twelves showed the bunch how it’s done with a blistering dig roughly 4k from home, which got him 15 secs worth of clear tarmac… which he held till the line.
Nearing Welland for the final sweep onto the finishing straight, the experienced (& those who possess a gallop) began to claim spots near the head of the bunch. With road space at a premium I was quickly relegated to spectator status as the riders now at the front flexed their muscles and did their thing… Paul Stewart quickly stamping his authority on the situation.
49 miles came & went really quickly for the bunch. Less than 2 hours quick! The seven out front rode well. REALLY well. I felt no disgrace in finishing 24th. Happy with my efforts, a good experience, & looking forward to racing next years Champs as an F Cat.
Huge thanks to all involved. Mike Amery & team laid on a superb & safe event. Congratulations to all who competed & rode strongly and fairly. The winners deservedly have their spoils with the results sheet / FB videos posted and perused. Kudos. Bring on the Crit Champs! I’m sure I read a quote earlier in the year ‘if you want a 50% chance of winning go play tennis’. For me BMCR lay on well run & varied events, which are challenging, competitive yet so enjoyable to be a part of… long may that continue.
RESULT
E Category
1 Peter Anderson Seacroft Wheelers E
2 John Davidson Reifen Racing E
3 Paul James Crawley Wheelers E
4 Charles Zanettacci Cheltenham & County CC E
5 Steve James CCLuton E
6 Mark Bremner VC Meudon E
7 Martin Tolley Stafford RC E
8 Mike Twelves Team Ohten Aveas E
9 Paul Stewart Moda RT E
10 Mark Wiffen Team Ohten Aveas E
11 Deano Sibthorpe Team Echelon E
12 Robert Blackburn Nigel Smith Racing E
13 Steve Blake Plymouth Corinthians E
14 Martin Fisher None E
15 Andrew Heaney private member E
16 Craig Wilson VC Meudon E
17 Steve Davies Bioracer uk RT E
18 Adrian Ward Team Terminator E
19 Ifor Phillips Holyhead cycling club E
20 Paul Walsingham Reflex Racing E
21 Neil Taylor Coalville Wheelers CC E
22 Martin Norris Warwick Lanterne Rouge CC E
23 Barry Bonnett None E
24 Jeremy Adamson BMCR E
25 Paul Mann Solihull CC E
26 Roger Taylor Hitchin Nomads E
27 Simon Jenkins Private member E
28 Rob Pears Bath CC E
29 Philip Wilkins Moda RT E
30 Eddie Humphreys Nottingham Clarion CC E
31 Tony Clack G S Mossa E
32 Tom Begg Cambridge Vets RT E
33 Philip Hargreaves VC Norwich E
34 Colin Parkinson South Western Road Club E
35 Tony Meader eagle rc E
36 Bjorn Krylander Cambridge RT E
37 Dean Cummings Acme Wheelers (Rhondda) E
38 Ken Roesner Bush Healthcare CRT E
Cat F
1 Stephen Wilkinson Team Wheel Guru F
2 Geoff Rawlinson Manchester Bicycle Club F
3 Neil Dean Cliff Pratt Racing F
4 Iain Turnbull Reifen Racing F
5 Mac McGready Kenilworth Wheelers F
6 Trevor Bradbury Python RT F
7 Tony Carter SDL Wonga F
8 Clive Jones Velo Schils interbike F
9 Keith Middleton Velo Club Lincoln F
10 Ian Cowan Solihull CC F
11 Roland Elsdon BMCR F
12 Maurice Laing Perth United F
13 Michael Austin Chard Wheelers F
14 Roy Hunt Team Enable MI Racing F
15 Rob O’ Connor Team Enable Mi racing. F
16 John Phillips Sotonia CC F
17 John Galway Scarborough Coast CC F
18 Bill Olver Cheltenham and County CC F
19 Nick Giles Pocomotion Road Club F
20 Chris Davis Giant CC Halo Films F
21 Chris Danby seamons cc F
22 David Broadbent Moda RT F
23 Vince Ellis Velo Schils – Interbike RT F
24 Andy Roberts G.S. Vecchi F
25 Bob Tyrrell Dursley RC F
Cat G
1 Andrew Donaldson Moda G
2 Ralph Keeler St Ives G
3 Malcolm Freeman GS Vecchi G
4 Brian Cookson CC Lancashire G
5 Andrew Simpkins Team Echelon G
6 Ken Bradbury Team Echelon G
7 Terry Meechan Ride Coventry G
8 Keith Walton stratford cycling club G
9 Dave Scargill Team Albany G
10 Alistair Cameron Alba Rosa CC G
11 David Deakins Lune RCC G
12 Tom Wilson GS Invicta / Eyelevel Optical G
13 John Duckett KalasMotip G
14 Chris Gunter Alpha RC G
15 Ivor Thomas Bush Healthcare CRT G
16 Jeff Hathaway North Bucks Road Clubr G
17 Steven Buckley PDQ G
18 David Lang Pro Vision Race Team G
Cat H
1 Paul Townsley Team TMC H
2 Rob Stones Hull Thursday RC H
3 Andy Hicks Bath Cycling Club H
MORE REPORTS:
F Cat Race Report
There was absolute silence as we assembled for the start. No quips, banter or attempts at humour. They were shunned in favour of concentrated focus. Some had a plan.
Plans like hopes and dreams often crash. Today was such a day ….. almost.
A French man, not the onion seller on a bicycle, but the former National 25 mile Champion, struck out early with an eye wateringly fast pace as if we’d all upset him.
Was it Brexit? He was heading for the exit as fast as he could and leaving us all behind. Clearly he didn’t want our company. One’s a crowd in his race book and he was trying to lose the devil that had possessed him. Not even when the redoubtable Ian Turnbull joined him and offered a turn, John French opted to continue ever onwards unassisted at a hellish lick. Non plussed we just carried on. But there was another man with a plan, Steve Wilkinson, expected an armchair ride for 2 laps and wasn’t disappointed. A day on the sofa it wasn’t for so many and soon the bunch was down to half.
Twenty riders had succumbed but it was steadfast attrition that accounted for their demise. No attacks, no breaks, just a relentless 37 kph each long lap did the damage.
It also brought a brave, combative John French back into the fold. Slowly his lead slipped from almost 2 mns to a handful of seconds. He was dangling out there; prey, now being stalked. The capture was inevitable. He slipped through us with a mere 8 k remaining. I almost reached out to pat him on the back but it would have been like comforting granite.
The pace now increased and the inevitable sprint finish, like a foreboding grey cloud of doubt and uncertainty, grew ever more certain. Vince Ellis attacked. Off the front and away but it was brief. The danger that is Nick Giles never materialised. John Galway surged and prodded but it came to nought and for once Neil Dean kept his powder dry.
The riding was of a high quality. A touch of brakes that caused a sudden compression was rare, a murmuring replaced any grumble, the white line was kissed not crossed; we were on our best behaviour.
The mood changed as the bunch realised we were on the final approaches. Knots of tension, whitening knuckles held hard on sweat soaked bars, space was squeezed, time slowed as legs whirled ever faster and we swung like a Count Basie Orchestra round that final corner. Wilko made a deliberate surge up the outside. It placed him nicely about 10 back in contrast to having spent 70 k as almost last, but not forgotten, man. MacGready hovered, Bradbury shadowed him and Dean sat in there to one side chafing at the bit but waiting. In amongst it all was Rawlinson, literally the grey man, and Turnbull, hawk like, waiting to swoop.
A yellow flag hung motionless signalling 200 to go. Wilko judges it so well and seeing a gap he smoothly, effortlessly hits the front. It’s fast but it’s doable and more like maintaining this speed rather than launching a sprint. It’s quick. It’s also close. There’s uncertainty for the rest as to who beat who; did I? Were you?and the results deliver disappointment as well as joy.
But was it ever in doubt? Not for Wilko. Fast men confined to a few square meters and fighting over final millimetres. It’s done.
A pure sprinter got it. Others were all so close but that’s the way it goes. If this were cycling heaven then there have to be stars. Pure speed won the day. Undiluted raw power unleashed for a lash of seconds that no one could match or begrudge. It’s racing. It’s a Mike Amery organised event and today we did it proud. Sportsmanship came to the fore and congratulations were genuine. Many thanks to Mike, his team, all those in every capacity that made the day the success it was for all.
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