The third and final day of the 2009 Masters National Track Championships at Newport opened with Pursuits and closed with some thrilling points races. A fitting end to an entertaining weekend.
Full Masters and CWAD Results. Day 1 and Day 2 reports.
Pictures from the event can be purchased from swarbrick.com
Pictures from the event can be purchased from swarbrick.com
Pursuit
The Women’s pursuits ran in ‘reverse’ order – starting with the 30-34s and running up through the age categories. Run over 2km, what would prove to be the fastest time of the day – 2.29.950 – was set, unsurprisingly, in the youngest age category. And it was no great surprise that the rider who set it was Sarah Storey (VC St Raphael). Melanie Sneddon of Penzance Wheelers recovered from her exertions in yesterday’s Scratch race to take Silver with a time of 2.40.440 and Julie Dominguez of West Lothian Clarion took Bronze with a 2.55.580.
In the 35-39 category, Siobhan Mullan (AKO Ducati Corse WCT) and Alison Chisholm (Edinburgh RC) were again the hunt for the title. The longer distance suited Chisholm better than it did the newly crowned Sprint Champion and she took the title with a 2.46.086 from Chisholm’s 2.51.036. Marianne Pughe (Activ-cycles Fentimans RT) took the Bronze, stopping the clock at 3.00.795.
The closest result of the morning session was in the 40-44 category. All five women went under 3 minutes, but it was Claire Newland (Welwyn Wheelers) who set the benchmark, clocking 2.40.930. Janet Birkmyre (XRT elmycycles.co.uk) battled hard with Jayne Paine (Willesden CC), coming down from a 1 second deficit to win her heat in 2.40.953 – just 0.023 seconds off the title. Paine’s time of 2.42.486 was good enough to secure her the Bronze.
Like the 45-49 category, Louise Schuller of Finsbury Park CC took the title comfortably with a time of 2.59.071. Silver went to Isobel Fletcher with a 3.07.803 and Bronze to Ann Robinson of Brereton Wheelers who completed the 8 laps in 3.16.096.
Finally, the 50+ category saw Christine Higgs of Macclesfield Wheelers post a very impressive time of 2.47.443 to take the Gold, just ahead of Arja Scarsbrrok of Team Echelon who clocked 2.48.353. Jenni Nicholson (Deeside Thistle CC) was third with a time of 2.59.491.
In the Men’s pursuit, Roland Crayford from San Fairy Ann proved he’s as good at the long distances as he is at the sprint events, taking gold in the 70+ category with a time of 2.50.916 for the 2000m Victor Possee of VC St Raphael took second with 2.55.935, fractionally ahead of Gordon Johnston (Classic Walls RT) who took Bronze with 2.56.076.
In the 65-69 John Mason of Ayr Roads CC took a comfortable victory, clocking 2.48.735 – 8 seconds ahead of Silver medallist Barry Ferguson (Rutland CC) who stopped the clock at 2.56.503, not too far ahead of Bronze medallist Robert Porter of GS Surosa’s 2.57.110.
A bigger field in the 60-64 produced some very quick times with Kevin Gill of PCA Ciclos Uno setting a very respectable 2.32.001. Michael Allen of Belper BC was just a second behind at 2.33.138 and Max Pendleton of Mildenhall CC picked up the Bronze thanks to a 2.38.512.
The first group to break the 2 minutes 30 barrier was the 55-59, where both Gold medallist Ian Humphreys (Deeside Thistle CC – 2.25.431) and Steve Davies (Ferryhill Wheelers CC – 2.28.678) dipped under a 19 seconds a lap average. Bronze went to Clive Burr VC Londres with a 2.34.522.
Only the first two of the 50-54 riders went under two and a half minutes, too – Graham Barclay of Team Leslie Bike Shop took Gold with a 2.26.713 and Nick Yarworth of Malvern Cycle Sport the Silver with 2.29.113. David Park of Scunthorpe Poly CC was just over the mark at 2.34.592 in third place.
The 45-49 category is the first to be run over 3000m. Peter Ettles of Forres CC took the Golg with 3.33.491 – the fourth fastest time of the day over the longer distance – with Alastair Taylor taking yet another medal for Musselburgh Roads CC, taking Silver with 3.40.396. Ian Greenstreet of Newbury RC clocked a 3.41.050 to take the Bronze.
In the 40-44 category the Tim Lawson from Team scienceinsport.com took the title with a time of 3.35.729, two and a half seconds clear of scratch race escapee Peter Georgi of Epic Viner RT who clocked 3.38.271. Third place went to Elliot Davis riding for the GB Fire Service CT half a second back on 3.38.701.
Second fastest time of the day went to Bryan Taylor in the 35-39 category – despite what he described as his ‘worst start ever’. And he did need to work hard to make up time on Joel Stewart of agiskovoner.com who was up for most of the heat. In the end, Taylor clocked 3.31.794, Stewart 3.33.060. Simon Bateson of East London Velo took Bronze with 3.38.003.
Ben Elliott of VC St Raphael in the 30-34 category was the only one to better Taylor’s time, taking the Gold with a time of 3.31.032, comfortably ahead of Stuart Dodd (Leisure Lakes RT) who clocked 3.35.237 and Boyd Roberts Planet X on 3.41.796.
Points Race
The Women’s Points race was run with all the age categories together, but only the first four scoring on the points laps – regardless of age groups. Sarah Storey (VC St Raphael) dominated the race – always in the leading group or, latterly, off the front of the race taking the 30-39 Gold ahead of Siobhan Mullan of AKO Ducati Corse WCT and XRT elmycycles.co.uk rider Caroline Gammell.
Gammell’s team mate Janet Birkmyre followed Storey home in the final sprint ahead of Jayne Paine of Willesden CC, Cheryl Owens of GS Metro and Claire Newland of Welwyn Wheelers. It was only enough for Bronze in the 40-44 category, with Paine taking the title and Newland the Silver. Christine Higgs took Gold for Macclesfield Wheelers in the 45+ category.
The first of the Men’s points races was for all the over 60 riders. It was all go from the start with Dick Cubison (Sheffield Phoenix), Geoff Brandt (Birkenhead North End CC) and Thomas ‘Ed’ Demery (Bush Healthcare CRT) taking the first points after chasing down two Sandy Wallace (Sandy Wallace Cycles) attempts to get away early on.
Kevin Gill (PCA Ciclos Uno) won the second gallop before Max Pendleton (Mildenhall CC) set off to try gain a lap. Clocking up points as he went, he was catching Demery but despite taking 5 points in the 3rd sprint and another 3 having just failed to hold off Ravenhill (Kenilworth Wheelers) on the last lap, he had to settle for Silver in the 60-64s. Demery took points in every sprint – including the two before Pendelton’s break – and deservedly took the title. Gill, winner of the second sprint, took third.
Ravenhill’s last lap 5 points clinched the 65-69 title ahead of Dave Gretton of VC Nottingham and Robert Porter while the 70+ medals were shared among the usual suspects with Brian Dacey of De Laune CC taking Gold from Roland Crayford of San Fairy Ann CC and Victor Possee of VC St Raphael.
The next mixed category race was for the over 50s and was another chance for Steve Davies of Ferryhill Wheelers and Andy Laing of Musselburgh Roads CC to renew their rivalry in the 55-59s. It was Davies who set the pace, winning the first sprint ahead of Ian Humpreys (Deeside Thistle CC) and taking second after 20 laps.
Laing took maximum points at the halfway mark and then could only watch as Graham Barclay of Team Leslie Bike Shop attacked, ultimately gaining the lap and clinching Gold in the 50-54 category. Shortly afterwards, Davies clinched gold in the 50-59s, ahead of Humphreys and Laing. Mark Zaschke of City Cycle Centre took Silver behind Barclay when who won the last sprint and James Rutherford of Science in Sport took the Bronze.
The 45-49 race was probably the least eventful of the evening – despite a crash half way through = with a couple of half-hearted attempts to get away which came to nothing. Stephen Clayton of Lichfield City CC took the first sprint and continued to clock up points, but the race was settled when Alastair Taylor of Musselburgh Roads CC took a lap and added another Gold to the healthy list of medals heading back up to the Edinburgh suburbs thanks to Taylor and team mate Andy Laing. Clayton took the Silver and Colin Parkinson of South Western RC – who had tried to break clear early on – took the Bronze.
In the 40-44 race, the result was effectively settled when Andrew James of Port Talbot Wheelers and Elliot Davis of the GB Fire Service CT took a lap with a third of the 80 lap race to go. It wasn’t an easy lap to take, with James – initially out on his own – working with David Jack of Twickenham CC who was desperately trying to get back on the back of the bunch having lost nearly a full lap in the early stages of the race. Davis jumped off the front of the group and bridged the gap to his fellow fireman James and the two worked together to latch on to the back of the group.
Friday’s Scratch race winner Peter Georgi (Epic Viner RT) had failed in an earlier attempt to get away, but it was Ian Cooper of Planet X who topped the list of points scorers a lap down on the two leaders to clinch the Bronze medal.
The 35–39 and 30-34 race, originally scheduled for 120 laps, was cut to 80 and was probably the highlight of the day. Ian O’Hara of Sydenham Wheelers went off the front early on but after dangling half a lap off the back of the group was swallowed up again in the gallop to the first sprint which was taken by Chris Bush of VC St Raphael. The second was a photo between Oliver Davies of Dinnington RT and Daniel Rudd of Artic ET and Davies was there again next time up along with Graham Lackford of Pendragon-Kalas RT.
Bush’s team mate Jamie Streather (VC St Raphael) joined Lackford ,Davies and Bush to try to gain the lap and were away for almost 20 laps, sharing the points as they went. Streather couldn’t hold the pace but the other three gained the lap two thirds of the way through the race.
O’Hara tried again to get back on the lead lap late on, but couldn’t bridge the gap. Storey took the final sprint, alongside team mate Chris Bush – clinching the 30-34 Silver medal behind new national champion Davies and ahead of Graham Lackford of Pendragon-Kalas RT – with Bush taking Gold in the 35-39s. Richard Prince of Planet X who had finished consistently throughout the race took the 30-34 Gold ahead of Storey and Rudd.
