With temperatures still in the high twenties at the beginning of the evening, it was clear that riders were in for a glorious evening of racing. Indeed, the warm temperatures were enough to cause a distraction in themselves. However, thoughts of weekend barbeques accompanied by a certain epic tennis performance were soon put aside as racing got underway.
Photos: Jun Aishima
The first race of the night was the Hare and Hounds. With ten A riders and nine B riders starting, the numbers were the most evenly matched of any Hare and Hounds event this season. It took four laps for the A riders to make inroads into the fast starting B-race. However, the early fast pace soon began to take its toll on the B-race. Josh Mitchell of Bicester Millenium sensed this drop in pace and made a determined effort to break away which scattered the B race into a number of disparate groups. The A riders slowly swallowed up the B riders one by one with the exception of Mitchell who fought hard when caught by AW Cycles duo Matt Gittings and Joe Crolla in the final lap. Gittings eventually triumphed in the sprint finish ahead of Crolla, with Mitchell’s valiant effort earning him third place.
The B points race took on a fast pace from the start, with Mitchell, and Tom Sefton and Matthew Lansley of Palmer Park Velo pushing the pace to make the first break and picking up the early points. The group held the bunch off for three laps, but were eventually swallowed up by the bunch. A mini break consisting of guest rider Adele Tyson-Bloor of VC St Raphael and Daniel Lansley of AW Cycles formed immediately, but the two riders were unable to hold off the accelerating bunch. As the pace eased in the final laps, the points available in the last lap were anyone’s for the taking. In the end, the early break trio of Mitchell, Sefton and Lansley grabbed the top three spots on the final lap. Sefton triumphed overall, followed by Mitchell then Lansley.
In the A Derny Final Crolla stole an early lead, with team mate Max Stedman once again hot on his heels. Oliver Hitchings of Peter Hansford Racing was the only other rider to be in touch for the majority of the race. With four and a half laps to go, Crolla’s Derny stuttered. Stedman took advantage of the ensuing confusion to make a break for the lead and, with the laps now running out, Nick Abraham showed his strength by starting to pull back into contention for the top three slots. His attempts were sadly fruitless, with Stedman powering on to take the win ahead of Hitchings and Crolla.
The Unknown Distance was the penultimate event of the night and AW Cycles’Jason Pitt made his characteristic move of attempting a break from the line. However, with a short race predicted, Pitt couldn’t hold off the fast pace of the group. With a lap to go, Ian Greenstreet of Newbury RC was perfectly positioned to take the lead, with B-rider Mitchell leading a determined effort on his wheel. Mitchell’s intelligent tactics meant he was able to put in a concerted effort to the line and was rewarded with the win. Greenstreet was first A rider, with Marty McCrossan of Wyndy Milla taking second spot and Pitt holding on for third. Sefton claimed second place in the Bs, with Tyson-Bloor putting in an exceptional final lap which would almost have resulted in a podium spot in the overall race.
The last event of the night was the AW Cycles Endurance 20k. The group remained fairly composed for the first 10 laps, with no riders willing to make a break. Hitchings and McCrossan made the first attempt at a break, but were caught after just two laps. This break meant the overall pace quickened slightly, but further break attempts by Crolla, Stedman, Hitchings, Gittings and Sam Sturgeon of AW Cycles were quickly swallowed up by the peloton and, with 10 laps to go, the bunch remained united. Hitchings made the final attempt to get away with seven to go, but with Greenstreet leading a determined chase back to him it was quite clear that the result would be determined in the final lap. Crolla’s excellent final sprint earned him another win, closely followed by Abraham and Gittings. In the Bs, Sefton was the victor, with Matt Lansley taking second spot and Nick Cammell of GS Henley being rewarded for a strong final lap with third place.
Senior A & B
Hare & Hounds
1 Matt GITTINGS AW Cycles
2 Joe CROLLA AW Cycles
3 Josh MITCHELL Bicester Millennium
Senior A
Derny Motorpaced Final
1 Max STEDMAN AW Cycles
2 Oliver HITCHINGS Peter Hansford Racing
3 Joe CROLLA AW Cycles
Unknown Distance
1 Ian GREENSTREET Newbury RC
2 Marty McCROSSAN Wyndymilla
3 Jason PITT AW Cycles
AW Cycles 20k Endurance
1 Joe CROLLA AW Cycles
2 Nick ABRAHAM BCPM
3 Matt GITTINGS AW Cycles
Senior B
Points Race
1 Tom SEFTON Palmer Park Velo
2 Josh MITCHELL Bicester Millennium
3 Matthew LANSLEY Palmer Park Velo
Unknown Distance
1 Josh MITCHELL Bicester Millennium
2 Tom SEFTON Palmer Park Velo
AW Cycles 20k Endurance
1 Tom SEFTON Palmer Park Velo
2 Matthew LANSLEY Palmer Park Velo
3 Nick CAMMELL GS Henley
Ladies
Unknown Distance
1 Adel TYSON-BLOOR VC St Raphael
