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Imperial Winter Series – Hillingdon

Saturday 5th February 2011 | Race 11 | Race report and photos by Imperial Racing Team
(More race photos available at http://picasaweb.google.com/ImperialRacingTeam)

Another really trying days racing for all, the riders faced a gusting wind which made it very difficult riding (and judging!) with the racing splitting into small groups of riders.

The 4th cat race was no exception, breaking into 2 groups, with a lead group of 14 contesting the sprint - 1st place Joshua Swords (VC Meudon), 2nd place Henry Catchpole and in 3rd place Joe Clark (High Wycombe CC). The WyndyMilla 4th cat. prize is awarded to 12th place finisher Max Brown (Didcot Phoenix), he can look forward to a WyndyMilla ‘go faster’ cycle fitting at their Manor Farm Cycle Centre in Seale.

The 3rd cat race saw a brilliant display of aggressive riding by Jamie Pine (Le Col), Rory Townsend (Prestige VC) and Jai Watson (Dulwich Paragon CC) who broke away after 20km and worked together so well they were never likely to be caught, even with the likes of Vaughan Luff (De Ver) and Rudie Marais working extremely hard at the front of the main group.

With 2km to go Townsend made an attack which carried him well clear, a very courageous move which looked like a winning one but due to the gusting wind he was unfortunately caught by Pine with a full on devastating sprint helped by the tail wind. This must please Pine as this is his 2nd win of the series. The Maxifuel prize is awarded to 21st place finisher Gavin Morton (Charlotteville CC); he receives a Maxifuel pack comprising rucksack with Viperactive energy fuel and gels, bottles and T-shirt.

The E/1/2/3 race saw 44 line up. From the start Jake Martin (pendragon-lecol-colnago) again showed his enthusiasm for attacking racing, his awesome effort allowing him to ride alone for much of the race. Both Jerome Walters (Sigma Sport) and Bill Butterworth (Team Quest) rode off the front to try and close him down but to no avail and he held the gap at 50 seconds until finally a group pulled away including Steve Golla (Sigma Sport), Alexander King (Cyclefit Racing Team), Tom Smith (Felt Colbornes), Vince Halpern (AWCycles), Lewis Atkins (Twenty 3C Orbea), Mark Baines (Spirit Racing) and Dante Carpenter (Astra Racing); Jerome Walters joined them several laps later. Martin was finally caught but obviously had the strength to stay with the group.

The rest of the field were blown into a number of struggling groups with little hope of catching the front with the wind being so strong. However, they battled on, particularly the two GB MSTina RT riders Jason Edwards and Ashley Holding with Tony Gibb back from recent surgery and Butterworth in the 2nd group on the road sweeping up all the dropped riders. Both Walters and Golla were clearly thinking ahead to the road season doing massive turns on the front and although technically wasteful it was good training and made the rest of the lead group dig deep to hang in.

With 2 km to go Jake Martin put in another massive effort which took everyone by surprise but they clawed their way back to his wheel, seemingly a spent force for the final sprint. Against expectations, however, he jumped again with 150m to go and it looked like he had done enough, but as with Cavendish in Milan-San Remo, Tom Smith persisted to the line to win by half a wheel; the difference was 1/100th of a second!

Lewis Atkins finished close behind, his 3rd place securing him the win in the overall series. Worth a mention in the lead group was 1st year junior Dante Carpenter who looks a complete bike rider, Halpern who has been persistent throughout the series, newcomer Baines and finally an injured Golla back from a training accident in Wales last weekend.

Race 12 of 12 is on Saturday 12th February – 13:00 4th & 3rd cats, 14:15 E123 followed by the series presentation and riders lucky dip prizes. Sport & Publicity books and calendars will be on sale in the club room. For full details about the race go to www.imperialracingteam.com

RESULTS

E/1/2/3 race 11
1st  Tom Smith Felt Colbornes
2nd  Jake Martin pendragon-lecol-colnago
3rd  Lewis Atkins Twenty 3C  Orbea
4th  Jerone Walters Sigma Sport
5th  Vince Halpern Awcycles.co.uk
6th  Alexander King Cyclefit Racing Team
7th  Mark Baines Spirit Racing
8th  Dante Carpenter Astra racing
9th  Steve Golla Sigma Sport
10th  Jerzy Kuzminski London Phoenix
11th  David Swan Asfra racing
12th  Josh Maynard Welwyn Wheelers
13th  Ashley Holding GB MSTina RT
14th  Ishmael Burdeau Agiskoviner
15th  Martin Garratt London Dynamo
16th  Rob Fletcher VC 10
17th  Bill Butterworth Tm Quest
18th  Henry Furniss WyndyMilla/MaxiFuel
19th  Nick Abraham private member
20th  Tom Gallacher Welwyn Wheelers
21st  Mark Edwards Thames Velo
22nd  Jason Edwards GB MSTina RT
23rd  Tony Lock EdWardes
24th  Ajelo Ghristides Ermis Hellas
25th  Stephen Cambell Twickenham CC
26th  Nick Calverey Finchley RT
27th  James Leach Onelife Fuga RT
28th  James Dunsbir London Dynamo
29th  George Farrell Welwyn Wheelers
30th  Steve Jackson Rollapaluza
31st  Ralph Keeler Cambridge CC
32nd  Geoff Powell High Wycombe CC
33rd  Tom Bowering Astra racing
34th  Neil Heffernan Inverse Racing/Cyclaim
35th  Wayne Thomas Reading CC

3rd cat
1st  Jamie Pine Le Col
2nd  Rory Tounsend Prestige VC
3rd  Jai Watson Dulwich Paragon CC
4th  Andrew Ghagan VC Elan
5th  Rob Griffiths London Phoenix CC
6th  Chris Wood WyndyMilla
7th  Rudie Marais Team Archer
8th  Jacek Reder private member
9th  James Walker High Wycombe
10th  William Macke AWCycles
11th  Jack Edwards San Fairy Ann CC
12th  Vaughan Luff De Ver
13th  Peter Dixon Willesden CC
14th  Phil Adams Ashwell CC
15th  Tom Moore Progressive Cycle Coaching Dev Sq
16th  Joe Holloway VC 10
17th  Adam Elderfield quest thebike shop
18th  Greg Barber Charlotteville CC
19th  Richard Stanton Arbis/Roy Pink Cycles RT
20th  Harry Strudley Palmer Park / AWcycles
21st  Gavin Morton Charlotteville CC
22nd  Martin Porter Thames Velo
23rd  Monica DaPolenza Awcycle.co.uk
23rd  Mike Anderson VC St. Raphael
23rd  Steve Sibley Inverse RT/Cyclaim
23rd  Paul Steadman Reading CC
23rd  Tom Holmes private member

4th cat
1st  Joshua Swords VC Meudon
2nd  Henry Catchpole private member
3rd  Joe Clark High Wycombe CC
4th  James Fletcher Inverse RT/Cyclaim
5th  Ben Smith Welwyn Wheelers
6th  Theo Hill London dynamo
7th  Sean Parr Welwyn Wheelers
8th  Phil Wege Inverse/Cyclaim
9th  Andrew Connington AndersElectronic/TMG
10th  Chris Rees Pearson Cycles
11th  Sean Pearson Dulwich Paragon
12th  Max Brown Didcot Phoenix
13th  Edmond Irwin London Fire Brigade
14th  Michael Vance Dulwich Paragon
15th  Daniel Skinner Twickenham CC
16th  Clem Halpin Twickenham CC
17th  Steve Walker Dulwich Paragon
18th  Simon Parton Kingston Wheelers
19th  Daniel Justin Dulwich Paragon
20th  Daniel Doncaster CC Ashwell
21st  Paul Buckley Thames Velo
21st  Alan Nixon Amersham RCC
21st  Peter Green Cycle Club Ashwell
21st  Karen Harding Charlotteville