Location: Quibell Park, Scunthorpe
Event: 2 November 2011
Report: Snowdon Sports
Bycka Sport Racing’s Mark Cotton secured overall victory in the series with a win in the fourth and final round of the Scunthorpe Evening Cyclo-Cross League at Quibell Park in Scunthorpe on Wednesday.
The Lincoln rider crossed the line just four seconds ahead of Doncaster-based professional road rider Graham Briggs (Rapha Condor-Sharp), while Tom Stewart (Doncaster Wheelers) took third after an intriguing three-way battle.
A reknowned sprinter, Briggs would prove a threat in a sprint finish so Cotton attacked on every lap in a bid to shake off his rival.
But Briggs kept him in touch, while Stewart was hanging on at the back of the leading trio, losing touch occasionally on the straights but then latching back on around the technical areas.
Cotton was struggling to shake off Briggs, but with two of the 19 laps remaining in began raining and his ability to tackle tricky corners at speed began to pay dividends with Briggs slowing slightly on the same bends.
Cotton managed to build up enough of a lead on those final few corners to give him a lead as they headed for the 50-yards finishing straight, and although Briggs blasted after his rival he could only get within four seconds, while holding off Stewart by inches.
That result means that Cotton – who also won the first and third rounds – takes the overall evening series.
Results:
Seniors:
1 Mark Cotton (Bycka Sport Racing) 50:07
2 Graham Briggs (Rapha Condor Sharp) @ 4sec
3 Tom Stewart (Doncaster Wheelers) @ same time
4 Pete Fielding-Smith (Richardsons RT) @ 2:38
5 Mark Preston (VC Lincoln) @ 1 lap
6 Jordan Gell (VC Lincoln)
7 Paul Clarke (Lincoln Wheelers)
8 Andy Faichney (City RC Hull)
9 Lewis Meadows (Cottingham Coureurs)
10 Mark Robbins (Scunthorpe Poly CC) @ 2 laps
Veterans: Pete Fielding-Smith. Juniors: Jordan Gell. Over-50s: Andrew Lawson (Lincsquad). Women: Victoria Hood (Team Swift).
Final Overall:
1 Mark Cotton (Bycka Sport Racing)
2 Jordan Gell (VC Lincoln)
3 Paul Clarke (Lincoln Wheelers)
4 John Clarke (Lincoln Wheelers)
British Cycling would like to thank the organising team, officials and everyone else who helped promote this event. Our sport could not exist without the hundreds of people, many of them unpaid volunteers, who put in many hours of hard work running events, activities and clubs.
