The final event before the athletics track refurbishment caused a two month hiatus in the Track League programme was dominated by two other events. The first was the European Masters Track Championships, which kicked off on the same day and reduced numbers among the over-30 Track League regulars; the other was the West London Cycling Association Sprint Championships, which were held within the evening’s regular events.
With two Twickenham CC entrants failing to start, five of the seven remaining riders represented the men in black – Team Terminator – and the draw meant that the first two heats would be all black affairs with both riders going through. Sam’s Serruya and Sturgeon contested the first, with John Paul and Paul Davidoff in the second. The last heat guaranteed at least one non-Terminator rider, with Neil Cooper (AW Cycles) taking the heat and Swarbrick following him home to ensure that all five Team Terminator riders made the semis.
The first semi-final pitted Sam against Sam and Cam – and it was Serruya who booked his place in the final ahead of Sturgeon and the fast finishing Swarbrick. In the other semi, Paul took the second berth in the final, with Cooper joining him as fastest runner-up.
The final went to form, with Paul taking the title with a comfortable win from Serruya with defending champion Cooper in third.
In the evening’s other racing, Sturgeon made up for not making the Sprint final by taking the Senior A Scratch from Rob King (Reading CC) and Nick Abraham (BC Private Member), after Cooper and Swarbrick had spent 6 laps off the front – gaining 200 metres on the field before fading with two to go.
Still going strong at the end of the evening, Sturgeon also took third in the 20k in a very close finish which saw Abraham nick the win from Steve Legg (RT 316) on the line. It was a good night for Legg, too, with those points, plus another from a third in the Points race and three from the Unknown Distance saw him extend his lead in the Senior A Championship. King took the Points from Matt Gittings (AW Cycles).
In the Senior B Championship, Donal Linehan (Newbury CC) closed the gap on series leader Swarbrick with a win in the Points race ahead of AW Cycles duo Steve Clarke and Rikki Pankhurst and third in the 10 Lap Scratch behind early season leader Gavin Spiers (Reading CC) and race winner Trevor Bradbury (Reading CC).
It was Spiers that took the 20k win ahead of Bradbury and William Macke of Palmer Park Velo. Macke’s team mate Frazier Carr took the Unknown Distance race ahead of Swarbrick and Paul Cooper (Reading CC).
The Ladies events were dominated by Natalie Hill of Hillingdon Slipstreamers who took the 10 Lap Scratch from Emma Patterson (London Dynamo) and Cassie Gledhill (dna Cycles) and finished second in both the Unknown Distance – behind Denise Cater of Farnborough & Camberley CC and ahead of Gledhill again – and in the 20k, behind Patterson.
The Youths had a full programme, too, with the Harry Strudley (Palmer Park Velo) taking the clean sweep in the Under 16 races, winning the 200m Time Trial, 500m Sprint, Points and Scratch Races. George Withers (Palmer Park Velo) managed the same feat in the Under 14s, with team mate Jason Pitt taking 2nd place in every race! In the Under 12s Palmer Park Velo duo Joseph Linehan and Reg Pay took 1st and 2nd in every race with Linehan taking the honours in the Time Trial, Points and Scratch and Pay winning the Sprint. In the Under 10s it was another Palmer Park Velo whitewash (yellow-wash?) with Luis Hindman taking the Points and the Sprint, Danny Griffiths winning the Time Trial and Joe McGuinness taking the Scratch. McGuinness was ‘riding up’ in the Scratch, having already taken the Under 8 Time Trial and Points race. Conner Hindman took the Sprint and Scratch wins.
In the Under 14 Girls, Palmer Park Velo’s Kate Metalli won the 200m Time Trial and Scratch Race while Ellie Gilham of Bournemouth Arrow took the Points Race to ensure that the home club didn’t win everything!
West London Cycling Association Sprint
1 John PAUL Team Terminator
2 Sam SERRUYA Team Terminator
3 Neil COOPER AW Cycles
Senior A
10 Lap Scratch
1 Sam STURGEON Team Terminator
2 Rob KING Reading CC
3 Nick ABRAHAM BC Private Member
Points
1 Rob KING Reading CC
2 Matt GITTINGS AW Cycles
3 Steve LEGG RT316
Unknown Distance
1 Steve LEGG RT316
AW Cycles 20k Endurance
1 Nick ABRAHAM BC Private Member
2 Steve LEGG RT316
3 Sam STURGEON Team Terminator
Senior B
10 Lap Scratch
1 Trevor BRADBURY Reading CC
2 Gavin SPIERS Reading CC
3 Donal LINEHAN Newbury CC
Points
1 Donal LINEHAN Newbury CC
2 Steve CLARKE AW Cycles
3 Rikki PANKHURST AW Cycles
Unknown Distance
1 Frazier CARR Palmer Park Velo
2 Cam SWARBRICK Team Terminator
3 Paul COOPER Reading CC
AW Cycles 20k Endurance
1 Gavin SPIERS Reading CC
2 Trevor BRADBURY Reading CC
3 William MACKE Palmer Park Velo
Ladies
10 Lap Scratch
1 Natalie HILL Hillingdon Slipstreamers
2 Emma PATTERSON London Dynamo
3 Cassie GLEDHILL dna Cycles
Unknown Distance
1 Denise CATER Farnborough & Camberley CC
2 Natalie HILL Hillingdon Slipstreamers
3 Cassie GLEDHILL dna Cycles
AW Cycles 20k Endurance
1 Emma PATTERSON London Dynamo
2 Natalie HILL Hillingdon Slipstreamers
