Black Hawk Bikes rider Colin Ash took a dramatic last-gasp victory in the final round of the North East League, staged at Hetton Lyons Country Park near Houghton le Spring in Tyne and Wear on Sunday.
Ash, 36 and from County Durham, had been tussling for the lead for much of the race with the winner of the last round, 37-year-old Darlington-based Keith Murray (Team Scott UK).
But at the bell Murray attacked and opened up a lead of around ten seconds, and looked to be heading for a second consecutive victory. But in the last 30 metres Murray was baulked by a backmarker and while he was held up Ash came past to take the win, while Murray just managed to get going again and take second spot, while fellow Darlington rider Alan Nixon (Black Hawk Bikes) was third.
Results:
1 Colin Ash Black Hawk Bikes sen 00:48:57
2 Keith Murray Team Scott sen 00:49:06
3 Alan Nixon Black Hawk Bikes sen 00:50:41
4 Scott Gerrard Cestria Cycles RT sen 00:51:02
5 Vince Potter Black Hawk Bikes sen 00:51:32
6 Richard Noble Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue V40 00:51:40
7 Jon Caisley Northumbria Police CC sen 00:52:50
8 Ian Jefferson Infinity Cycles Durham V40 00:53:06
9 Steven Wilson MTS V50 00:53:25
10 Stephen Brazier MTS V40 00:53:59
11 Andy Moss Adept Precision CC V40 00:54:12
12 Trevor Schofield Hambleton RC sen 00:54:13
13 Ray Honour Infinity Cycles V40 00:54:15
14 Ian Robson MTS V50 00:54:50
15 Richard Atkinson Hambleton RC V40 00:55:18
16 Andy May Stockton Whs CC V40 00:55:25
17 Martin Worner Teesdale CRC V40 00:55:36
18 Paul Whitehill Infinity Cycles V40 00:55:41
19 Richard Cowling Black Hawk Bikes V40 00:55:53
20 Tom Harcourt Black Hawk Bikes sen 00:56:02
21 Mark Mather Westbrook Cycles Team SCOTT V40 00:56:03
22 Colin James Beacon Whs V40 00:56:13
23 Mark Reed Tyneside Vagabonds sen 00:57:03
24 Gary Worton Stockton Whs CC V40 00:57:19
25 Lee Emerson Ininity Cycles sen 00:57:54
26 Dave Charman Black Hawk Bikes sen 00:58:15
27 Michael Harcourt Black Hawk Bikes sen 00:58:31
28 Laurence Seviour Unattached sen 00:59:15
29 Paul Steadman Unattached V40 at 1 lap
30 Andy Cosgrove Teesdale CRC V40 at 1 lap
31 Keith Haywood Unattached V40 at 1 lap
32 Paul Young Unattached V40 at 1 lap
33 David Linsley Tyne & Wear Fire & Rescue V40 at 1 lap
34 Gary Lawson Sun Tri V50 at 1 lap
35 Clive Upton Hambleton RC sen at 1 lap
36 Kevin Dowson Hetton Hawkes V50 at 1 lap
37 Morven Brown Dales Cycles L at 1 lap
38 Stuart Gordon Stockton Whs CC V50 at 1 lap
39 Nev Martin Infitty Cycles Durham V50 at 1 lap
40 Dave McLean Hetton Hawks V60 at 1 lap
41 Bev Blakeman Infitty Cycles Durham L at 1 lap
Rob Liddell Ferryhill Whs sen at 2 laps
Mick Aspey NPCC V40 at 3 laps
Andy Edmond FHW V40 at 4 laps
Youth:
1 Stephen Lee Hetton Hawks U16 00:33:51.50
2 Matthew Worton Hetton Hawks U16 00:33:52.65
3 James Edmond Ferryhill Wheelers U16 00:35:13.85
4 Thomas Mein MTS Cycle Sport U14 00:35:47.60
5 Joe Mann Derwent Whs U16 00:36:33.05
6 Jake Dobson Newcastle Phoenix U14 00:36:43.65
7 Elliot Davidson Hetton Hawks U16 00:37:20.20
8 Fin Robertson Hetton Hawks U14 00:37:25.65
9 Miles Worner Teesdale CRC U14 00:37:40.40
10 Thomas Hordon Newcastle Phoenix U16 00:40:17.50
11 Joe Howard Cleveland Whs U14 00:41:03.80
12 Mark Donovan Beacon Wheelers U14 00:41:58.00
13 Henrietta Colborne Beacon Wheelers U14 00:42:28.10
14 Feargus Scherczer Derwent Whs U14 at 1 lap
15 Rhianna Stoves Hetton Hawks U14 at 1 lap
16 Jamie Miller Derwentside U16 at 1 lap
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.
