It may have been the hottest day of the year, but a strong blustery wind and the ever increasing threat of thunderstorms meant riders were not blessed with perfect riding conditions. However, whilst the weather may not have been the most impressive, the riding certainly was.
The first race of the night was the trackcycling B Scratch. After a slow start, it took three laps before the first break consisting of Joshua Mitchell of Bicester Millennium, GS Henley’s Sean Gorvy and Mark Shepherd of Banjo Cycles to form. However, the group soon closed the gap and, with a lap to go, the race remained anyone’s. Shepherd led out in the final lap, but his lead was insufficient to gain the advantage needed to overcome the sprinting prowess of Josh Mitchell and Palmer Park Velo Under 16 riders Tom Sefton and Matthew Lansley. Sefton eventually took the honours just half a wheel ahead of Lansley, with Mitchell finishing third.
10-riders lined up for the trackcycling A Scratch race, with Louis Magnani of Prestige Velo and AW Cycles’ Nick English making a break from the gun. However, with English’s team mate Joe Crolla in determined pursuit, the break lasted barely a lap. The bunch stayed fast – but united – until the penultimate lap when English led out a group consisting of Magnani and two more AW Cycles riders – George Withers and Matt Gittings – in a determined effort to break away. Crolla was eventually victorious in the final sprint, closely followed by Gittings and King.
Gittings may have had to settle with second in the scratch, but his performance in the A Keirin suggested it may have been a deliberate strategy to keep something in reserve. As the derny peeled off, Gittings held his position at the front of the bunch for the entire lap, still having energy to triumph in a sprint finish with Crolla. Magnani rode well on the final straight to claim the third podium spot.
Prior to the Keirin final, four riders were taking part in round two of the WLCA 1km Time Trial, The first heat consisted of Ian Greenstreet of Newbury RC and Paul Davidoff of Team Terminator. Greenstreet, who recently became British Masters champion in the 2km pursuit distance, showed he is able to translate this into half the distance and clocked an exceptional time of 1:13.17 – the fastest time recorded so far in the series. Davidoff finished in 1:23.97. The second heat consisted of Kevin Easterbrook of RAF Odiham Wheelers and Shepherd. Shepherd finished in 1:20.37 – the fourth fastest time of the series so far – with Easterbrook putting in a time of 1:23.74.
It was a similar result in the B Keirin. Having lost out on the scratch, Mitchell was determined to set things right – and he certainly succeeded. He put in a strong last lap, and his excellent final sprint was enough this time to see off the competition from Lansley and Sefton who finished in second and third respectively.
The Senior A Devil remained a fast pace throughout until the final lap. All the riders hung back in anticipation to see who would be first to make the move. In the end, it was Gittings who made the push on the final bend and, in a move similar to the Keirin event before it, held the lead all the way to the finish. King and Magnani saw their determined efforts in the final straight rewarded with second and third place respectively.
The Senior B Devil saw an entirely different race strategy adopted. Shepherd put a gap of 50 metres between himself and the rest of the riders from the third lap. The bunch caught him twice, but let him time trial off the front again, waiting for him to tire – which he didn’t. This time, his lead in the final lap was enough to hold off the young sprinters and he easily took the win. Lansley won the minor sprint for second place, with Sefton taking third.
The last event of the night was, as usual, the AW Cycles 20k. English and Gorvy made a break from the gun and, whilst the break was ultimately unsuccessful, it forced the race to a fast pace with riders immediately breaking into multiple disparate groups. However, after just four laps, the pace calmed and, with 40 laps to go, the group became united. Whilst a number of breaks were attempted, the fast pace of the peloton ensured no riders could stay away.
King and Sam Sturgeon of NRG Sports Massage were the first to make a notable gap with the main bunch with 28 laps to go. However, even this failed to stick and, once caught by the bunch, a further break consisting of English, Greenstreet and Crolla formed. The fast pace of the pursuing peloton once again ensured the riders were swallowed up and, perhaps frustrated by this, English made an attempt at a solo break with 25 laps to go which he was able to hold for a full five laps. With the pace seemly accelerating, a break by English, King and Greenstreet with ten laps to go ripped the field apart. The front group of three soon became a disordered group of nine with Shepherd the only B rider who had been able to bridge into this group.
In the final lap, English and King found themselves ahead of rest of the field, with English eventually taking the win a wheel ahead of King. Magnani had to settle for third place, just ahead of Nick Abraham.
WLCA 1km Time Trial
1 Ian GREENSTREET Newbury RC 1:13.17
2 Mark SHEPHERD Banjo Cycles 1:20.37
3 Kevin EASTERBROOK RAF Odiham Wheelers 1:23.74
4 Paul DAVIDOFF Team Terminator 1:23.97
Senior A riders
trackcycling 10 Lap Scratch
1 Joe CROLLA AW Cycles
2 Matt GITTINGS AW Cycles
3 Rob KING BC Private Member
Keirin Final
1 Matt GITTINGS AW Cycles
2 Joe CROLLA AW Cycles
3 Louis MAGNANI Prestige VC
Devil
1 Matt GITTINGS AW Cycles
2 Rob King BC Private Member
3 Louis MAGNANI Prestige VC
AW Cycles 20k Endurance
1 Nick ENGLISH AW Cycles
2 Rob KING BC Private Member
3 Louis MAGNANI Prestige VC
Senior B
trackcycling 10 Lap Scratch
1 Tom SEFTON Palmer Park Velo
2 Matthew LANSLEY Palmer Park Velo
3 Josh MITCHELL Bicester Millennium
Keirin Final
1 Josh MITCHELL Bicester Millennium
2 Matthew LANSLEY Palmer Park Velo
3 Tom SEFTON Palmer Park Velo
Devil
1 Mark SHEPHERD Banjo Cycles
2 Matthew LANSLEY Palmer Park Velo
3 Tom SEFTON Palmer Park Velo
AW Cycles 20k Endurance
1 Mark SHEPHERD. Banjo cycles
2 Josh MITCHELL Bicester Millennium
3 Nick CAMMELL GS Henley
Ladies
trackcycling 10 Lap Scratch
1 Lydia BROOKES GS Henley
Devil
1 Lydia BROOKES GS Henley
