trackcycling wasn’t at the 2012 SCCU Good Friday Meeting at Herne Hill. It was the first time since we started that we’d missed it but, unfortunately, a combination of the Olympics, the Australian Grand Prix and a late Easter meant that it clashed with the World Championships in Melbourne. And with the 2011 meeting held at Manchester, it was a while since we’d been to a ‘proper’ Good Friday – so we were really looking forward to the 2013 event.
Full Results and pictures
With the appalling weather over the last few weeks showing no signs of improving, we started watching the long term forecasts with a degree of trepidation. With seven days to go it looked like there was a good chance of snow the day before but as the big day approached, things started to look up and by Thursday the chances of any sort of rain, the Met Office predicted, were minimal. The temperatures, on the other hand, were still predicted to be positively polar…
Open Sprint
The chilly but sunny morning session kicked off with the traditional 200m qualifiers for the Open Sprint competitions and the big names were out in force with old friends of the Good Friday meeting like Peter Mitchell of Performance Cycle Coaching, Lewis Oliva of USN Wales and Callum Skinner of City of Edinburgh RC joined by German powerhouse Robert Foerstemann.
And it was British Champion Skinner that topped the leaderboard – his early time of 11.081 unchallenged – as Foerstemann took to the track. Matt Rotherham of Sportcity Velo and Skinner’s team mate John Paul had come close with 11.386 and 11.400 but not even the German could challenge the young Scot – clocking 11.132 to finish in second spot.
200m Qualifying
1 Callum SKINNER City of Edinburgh RC 11.081
2 Robert FOERSTEMANN Germany 11.132
3 Matthew ROTHERHAM Sportcity Velo 11.386
4 John PAUL City of Edinburgh RC 11.400
5 Lewis OLIVA USN Wales 11.411
6 Peter MITCHELL Performance Cycle Coaching 11.655
There were no surprises in the first round, which largely went to form, with Joachim Ritter of Performance Cycle Coaching, Miles Annon of Swinnerton Cycles, Michael Veen of Amsterdam and Para-T’s Jody Cundy joining the top qualifiers via the Repechages.
Rotherham and Oliva were the big losers in the Quarter Finals with Skinner and Foerstemann progressing along with 4th fastest qualifier Paul and 6th fastest Mitchell joining them in the Semis.
The first of those Semis was an all City of Edinburgh RC affair and it was Skinner that edged it while Foerstemann powered away from Mitchell to set up a crowd pleasing final. And it was Foerstemann who prevailed, outdragging Skinner to the line to collect the impressive ‘News of the World International Trophy’ – for winning the event which has outlived its former sponsor.
Final
1 Robert FOERSTEMANN Germany 11.62
2 Callum SKINNER City of Edinburgh RC
3rd-4th Place Ride
3 John PAUL City of Edinburgh RC 12.32
4 Peter MITCHELL Performance Cycle Coaching
John Dennis White Hope Sprint
In the White Hope Sprint it was Sean Mayer of Swinnerton Cycles that joined a roll of honour that includes – in addition to John Dennis, after whom the competition is now named – Maurice Burton who presented the trophy, Mayer’s sponsor (and uncle!) Paul Swinnerton, Russell Williams, Gary Coltman, James Taylor, Jamie Staff, Matt Crampton and Matt Rotherham. Mayer took the win with ease with Leon Gledhill of Sportcity Velo, Jack Hoyle of Performance Cycle Coaching and Ryan Whatmough of Team Terminator scrapping for the minor places.
FINAL
1 Sean MAYER Swinnerton Cycles/Lyme RC 12.005
2 Leon GLEDHILL Sportcity Velo
3 Jack HOYLE Performance Cycle Coaching
4 Ryan WHATMOUGH Team Terminator
5 Tom SCAMMELL Performance Cycle Coaching
6 Alistair THOMAS Sportcity Velo
Rudd Handicap
The Rudd Handicap attempts to put the Open, White Hope and Women’s Sprint competitors – plus a few others – on an even footing over a series of single lap heats and a final. John Paul just failed to take the first heat, having start from the back of the field, but joined Gledhill in the Final. Sophie Capewell of Lichfield City CC started from the head of the field in the second heat and managed to stay there – Andre Prati of Pedale Agratese came closest to catching her.
Oliva, Skinner and Rotherham all overcame their
handicapping to take their heats which set up an exciting Final with Capewell once again at the head of the field. This time, though, it was the favourites who came through with Skinner taking the win from Rotherham and Paul with Ieuan Williams of CC Cardiff in 4th place.
Final
1 Callum SKINNER City of Edinburgh RC 20 31.226
2 Matthew ROTHERHAM Sportcity Velo 15
3 John PAUL City of Edinburgh RC 5
4 Ieuan WILLIAMS CC Cardiff 35
Sprint Competitons
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Ed Taylor Points Race
An exciting Points Race was dominated by Tom Scully of Raleigh GAC – despite the best efforts of the Rudy Project Racing Team. It was Rudy Project’s Marcel Kalz that book-ended the race, taking the first and last sprints, but Scully took third in the first, second in the last and won the third and fourth sprints to win by five points. Manuel Cazzaro of Sud Tirol 2000 took the second sprint and those five points were enough to clinch third place.
1 Tom SCULLY Raleigh GAC 15 pts
2 Marcel KALZ Rudy Project (Germany) 10
3 Manuel CAZZARO Sud Tirol 2000 (Italy) 5
4 Alex WISE VC St Raphael 5
5 Andy TENNANT Genysis 3
6 Wayne CROMBIE East London Velo 3
Neovite Keirin
Five packed heats with two qualifying from each set up a massive 10-up Final with Foerstemann winning the first from Miles Annon of Swinnerton Cycles. Rotherham took Heat 2 from Skinner with Ryan Whatmough of Team Terminator heading John Paul home in Heat 3. Cundy took Heat 4 from Richard St Pierre of Brixton Cycles while the last two places went to Miles Stovold of Swinnerton Cycles and Mitchell.
The Final saw Foerstemann take the initiative at the bell but it’s a long way round the Herne Hill track and with a little bit of team work from Skinner and Paul boxing the German in through turn two and on to the back straight and it was the two Scots that led on to the home straight with Skinner taking the win from Paul and Foerstemann.
Final
1 Callum SKINNER City of Edinburgh RC 11.548
2 John PAUL City of Edinburgh RC
3 Robert FOERSTEMANN Germany
4 Ryan WHATMOUGH Team Terminator
5 Matthew ROTHERHAM Sportcity Velo
6 Jody CUNDY Para-T
Ron Becket Scratch Race
Philip Watkins of 34 Nomads and Wayne Crombie of East London Velo broke away in the Ron Becket Scratch and eased out almost half a lap lead over the field before Crombie blew, leaving Watkins to battle away on his own.
Tom Rotherham of Sport City Velo bided his time and as the attack faltered he powered away from the bunch to close down Watkins and clinch a comfortable and impressive win. Watkins managed to win the sprint for second, which was some consolation.
1 Thomas ROTHERHAM Sportcity Velo
2 Philip WATKINS 34 Nomads Gem Hygiene
3 Stuart BETTIS Southdowns Bikes
4 Stephen SORBA Dulwich Paragon CC
5 Joshua MITCHELL Bicester Millenium
6 Martin USHER Time RT
Golden Wheel 20kms Scratch Race
Scully followed up his performance in the Points Race with another dominant performance in the big money Golden Wheel Scratch Race. Taking his chance as the early four man break came back. Scully slipped away and almost took a lap on the field in the closing stages.
It was the Rudy Project Racing Team who again lead the charge, trying to get last year’s winner Marcel Kalz back in to contention but, while the closed the gap somewhat, they gave up the chase in the run-in with Matthew Rotherham adopting his younger brother’s tactics to take second from Andy Tennant of Madison Genysis with Kalz taking fourth place.
1 Tom SCULLY Team Raleigh
2 Matthew ROTHERHAM Sportcity Velo
3 Andy TENNANT Madison Genysis
4 Marcel KALZ Rudy Project (Germany)
5 Manuel CAZZARO Sud Tirol 2000 (Italy)
6 Ross EDGAR BC
Endurance Competitons
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In the early stages it looked as though it might be the slightly fragile Triumph Thunderbird motors that determined the outcome – and Peter Bauerlin’s steed probably did dent Robert Bickel’s chances – but in the end it was a front wheel puncture on James Holland-Leader’s bike that brought the race to life. Despite a lengthy wheel change, Holland-Leader rejoined pacer Uwe Smit and set off in pursuit of the race.
He swept past most of the field to set up a ding-dong battle with Emilien Clere and pacer Alain Daufillat that saw them side-by-side lap after lap with Holland-Leader leaning so far over his front wheel in the closing stages he could almost take a bite out of the big Triumph’s rear wheel and he and Smit surged through to take the win by a metre or so.
1 James HOLLAND-LEADER paced by Uwe SMIT (NED)
2 Emilien CLERE paced by Alain GAUDILLAT (FRA)
3 Richard KONJIN paced by Dick De HAAS (NED)
4 Symon LEWIS paced by Andre De RAET (BEL)
5 Robert BICKEL paced by Peter BAUERLIN (GER)
Stayers Race
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Double World Champion from Minsk Rebecca James delighted the crowd with a (non-racing appearance at lunch time) while a big field of Women riders – including Becky’s sister Rachel – competed in Sprint, Keirin and Scratch competitions.
De Ver Cycles Womens Sprint
James – riding for Abergavenny CC eased through to the Semi Finals from the second heat with Hannah Blount of Derby Mercury, to join Solihull CC’s Dannielle Khan and Abbie Dentus of race sponsors De Ver Cycles. Helen Scott of Performance Cycle Coaching and Ellie Coster of Bush Healthcare went through from Heat 4 with Rosie Blount of Derby Mercury and Sophie Capewell of Lichfield City CC taking the last two spots.
Khan and Coster took the first two spots in the final with James and Capewell joining them from the second Semi Final. Capewell ran Khan close in the final, but the speed skater from Solihull took the win with James in third place.
Final
1 Dannielle KHAN Solihull CC 12.995
2 Sophie CAPEWELL Lichfield City CC
3 Rachel JAMES Abergavenny CC
4 Ellie COSTER Bush Healthcare
De Ver Cycles Womens Keirin
Khan’s fine form continued in the Keirin where she edged the Blount sisters to take the win in her heat. James took the other heat from Coster and Helen Scott of Performance Cycle Coaching and it was Khan who bossed the Final, too – with Rosie Blount taking second place ahead of James.
Final
1 Dannielle KHAN Solihull CC 13.088
2 Rosie BLOUNT Derby Mercury
3 Rachel JAMES Abergavenny CC
4 Helen SCOTT Performance Cycle Coaching
5 Ellie COSTER Bush Healthcare
6 Hannah BLOUNT Derby Mercury
Scratch Race
Despite a couple of good efforts to break away, the Women’s Scratch Race came down to a bunch gallop and it was the sprinters that dominated with Coster taking the win from Hannah and Rosie Blount.
1 Ellie COSTER Bush Healthcare
2 Hannah BLOUNT Derby Mercury
3 Rosie BLOUNT Derby Mercury
4 Anna RAILTON Team ASL360
5 Laura CHEESMAN Prestige Velo
6 Abbie DENTUS Team De Ver Cycles
Women’s Race
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Despite the (bitter) cold, it was a great day’s racing and a perfect celebration of the 110th anniversary of the inaugural Good Friday Meeting. We’re already looking forward to next year – when, hopefully, it will be a bit warmer!
Misc images
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