TLI Cycling Result: Nigel Harrop Road Races

Huw Owen, Carl Potter & Stephen Wilkinson winners at the Nigel Harrop Road Races on Sunday (Sept 29)

TLI Cycling Result: Nigel Harrop Road Race
Sunday 29 September

REPORT BY MICHAEL BELL: Nigel Harrop Memorial race | Promoted by Seamons Cycling Club | TLI category C & D. (50-59)

Originally due to be held in the sweltering heat of summer(!?), the race was one of a number of events thwarted by the roadworks and temporary traffic lights mayhem this season. 71 riders assembled at the race HQ in Siddington village hall to compete in 3 age-related races. Seamons Cycling Club promoted the race in honour of their own Nigel Harrop who passed away in 2021. Nigel was a former racer and a Manchester division champion, no mean feat in that strong cycling area.

Photos: Tracie Brannan

He returned to racing at the age of 50, achieving success as a veteran rider and going on to become an influential figure in TLI, holding a number of positions including Region Secretary. It was a chilly morning but at least it was dry, the previous two weekends had seen torrential rain. I was well wrapped up for the colder conditions, years ago, I’d eschew arm warmers gloves and overshoes in some sort of show of bravado but not now. I drew a line at doing star jumps to keep warm though, like Ray Bell, but alarm bells sounded in my mind when I overheard Chris Quin say he was going to attack from the start to get warm.

Thankfully, the first few miles were at a reasonably sedate pace as we familiarised ourselves with the course, a marshal on every one of the many intersecting country lanes.
Turning onto the A34 we benefited from the tailwind towards Siddington and the drag up to the finish. There was an attack from Paul Thursfield on the rise and I latched on.
We established a good gap, I had brief thoughts of this forming the basis of a winning break, maybe one or two of the main favourites would join us but it was not to be and after a number of miles sharing the pace, the pack reeled us in.

It became a bit of a blur for the next lap or so, it was fast though, the group often lining out, splitting, regrouping, attacks, counter-attacks, chases to get back in contention.
Carl Potter, as is often the case, broke away solo, he held the bunch off in a display of strength for half a lap of the 10 miles circuit before being joined by Gareth McGuinness and Karl Smith to form the race winning move.

What a trio! Karl later described how hard it was just to follow these two strong riders, saying he went to the front for a rest as it was easier to be able to dictate the pace than being behind them. To put this in context, that is how I felt when I was struggling to stay with Karl and Simon Deplitch in the recent TLI road race championship!
Maybe it was Mission Impossible for the remainder of the bunch to bring the escapees back.

Vocal cajoling from Ray Bell saw ‘two lines’ working well together but it was sporadic and the leaders were soon out of sight. Our group continued the futile chase for the remainder of the race, all the riders sharing the pace. The sprint for first was a two man affair as Carl with a C got the better of Gareth, who, it should be repeated often, is the World Champion in this age category. Karl with a K fell back and finished in 3rd place.

The A34 for the final time saw a strong move by Chris Quin who’d been one of the main protagonists in the chase. He broke away with Kevin Moore and Paul Griffiths and they crossed the line in that order. Andrew Turner won the sprint for 7th and I was 8th.

Featuring attacking riding, with an average speed of just over 25mph (for me) for the 53 miles, it was a fitting season finale for my TLI road racing in 2024, and hopefully a befitting memorial race for Nigel Harrop. It is said often but worth another line: racing can only happen thanks to people like Nigel Harrop, today’s organiser Nigel Modlinsky, all the other race organisers such as Keith Jones, Geoff Rawlinson, Graham Weigh and many others, the numerous volunteers who give up their time to marshal, assist at race HQ’s and other duties, and finally the Bike Marshals doing their thing in such a professional way, seeing the guys roll into the HQ carparks in formation before the start of a race is a sense of assurance I’ll always feel.

A special mention should also go to Tracie Brannan who’s been at most of the TLI races in the area, come rain or shine, but mostly rain, to take fantastic photos. Often, my favourite time of the day, post race, is awaiting the ‘photo drop’ on the TLI Facebook page. So that’s my 2024 season over, I’m sure many will appreciate their FB Newsfeed not being clogged up with my race ramblings. I’ll have to pick up the ‘rider profile’ interviews again. Who will be my first ‘victim’ 😉

Race 1 was won by Huw Owen. Huw and Steve Fidler in a two man break to the line. Steve attacked on lap 1. Huw joined him
1. Huw Owen, Energy Cycling Club S
2. Steven Fidler, Velo6 Racing M
3. James Claydon, Tactic RT M
4. Marco Ruggeri, Cycles-Shark M
5. Paul Allen, Casp RT B
6. Arthur Yates, Dolan Ellesse race team S
7. Barry Murphy, Graham Weigh Cycling Club B
8. Ben Manning, 3RT B
9. Karl Freeman, TEAM WHEEL GURU
10. Sam Taylor, Weaver Valley M
11. Angelo Derosa, Graham Weigh RT B
12. THOMAS GITTINS, RUTHIN S
13. Matthew Wales, Fibrax Fenwicks Wrexham Cycling Club M
14. Steve Abbott, Hoppers Rollers B
15. Paul Foster, Chorlton Velo CC B
16. Graham Waller, team bottrill A
17. Juan Felipe, Guzman achury Cycles-Shark S
18. Kevin West, Hale Velo A
19. Chris Spencer, Velo6 racing A
20. Leon Brown, cycles shark S
21. Phil Marchant, Hale Velo M
22. Mark Astles, Pocomotion RC B
23. Chris Shuker, Unattached A
24. Adrian Bloor, NA B
24. Samuel Habte, Cycle Shark B

Race 2 was won by Carl Potter sprinting clear from a three man break with the new UCI GF world champion (age 50-55) Gareth McGuinness in second and the evergreen Karl Smith taking 3rd
1. Carl Potter, Tactic UK RT C
2. Gareth McGuinness, Clwb beicio egni D
3. Karl Smith, Bott Cycle Team D
4. Christopher Quin, BioRacer UK C
5. Kevin Moore, Paceline Cycles North C
6. Paul Griffith, Clwb Beicio Egni Eryri C
7. ANDREW TURNER, ELEMENT CYCLING TEAM C
8. Michael Bell, New Brighton CC D
9. Paul Thursfield, Graham Weigh RT D
10. Jamie Pleavin, Liverpool Century Road Club C
10. David Jackson, Chorley CC D
11. Peter Rogers, Chorlton Velo D
12. Simon Bridge, Manchester Bicycle Club C
13. Mark Fenton, Aerologic RT D
14. Duncan Orme, Kent Valley Road Club C
15. Ray Bell, Liverpool braveheart BC C
16. Andy Bennett, fit360couk D
Julian Vescovi, Hoppers Rollers D
Duncan Park, North Lancs Road Club D

Race 3 was won by Steve Wilkinson out of a two an break with Andrew Tabernacle.
1. Stephen Wilkinson, Team Wheel Guru F
2. Andrew Tabernacle, Hoppers Rollers E
3. graham donnelly, RUTHIN E
4. Steve Davies, Bioracer uk RT E
5. Martin Norris, Warwick Lanterne Rouge CC E
6. Ian Moore Ruthin, Cycling Club F
7. Tony Carter, SDL Wonga SDL Wonga G
8. Geoff Rawlinson, Manchester Bicycle Club F
9. ALAN FORRESTER, GWRT G
10. Bill Young, Pro Vision CC E
11. Paul Mason, Velo.6 Racing F
12. chris danby, seamons cc F
13. Michael Jones, Warrington Road Club E