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Report: Retford Wheelers Thoresby Races - Race 3

Event: 24th April 2011
Promoted by: Retford and District Wheelers
Event HQ: Thoresby Estate, Nottinghamshire
Report: John Cullaigh
Results

Thoresby Park is a gem of a venue for a closed road circuit and the last of this short series of three races witnessed some excellent racing in all categories. The circuit is 1.1 miles in length and inscribes a rather triangular figure eight in which there are two tight right hand bends on the out-of-sight section and a sharp right hander at the bottom of the 90 metre uphill finishing straight. All competitors soon appreciated that sprint finishes would be difficult so most of the action took place 400 metres out. The weather was dry, cool at first and warmed up nicely, making conditions good to go for riders and spectators alike.

Categories C, D and E raced together on the smaller section of the figure eight and were in view of the very appreciative crowd for their full circuit. Predictably it was the C's who provided the pace and a lead group of seven riders including Scott Hookway (Sherwood Pines Cycles), Jacob Feetham (Wakefield Junior Tri), Bailey Waters (Plan B Racing), Bailey Wilmot (Derby Mercury RC), Jack Ford (Holme Valley Wheelers), Mason Hollyman (Kirklees Cycling Academy), Tiras Waterman (Kirklees Cycling Academy) and Adam Egner (Witham Wheelers CC) soon established a strong lead and the front position changed regularly as riders came to terms with the uphill section, choosing the top section as the place to launch attacks. At the finish it was Hookway who was strongest and got the win from Feetham, who edged Waters into third.

In the C girls Felicity Gledhill (Planet X) and Hermione Cullaigh (Holme Valley Wheelers) paced themselves very intelligently and for most of the race worked together very well. Two laps from home Gledhill launched an attack on the top section and got away to take the win. Elliot Waters (Plan B Racing) had an excellent race and led his category almost from the start. His disciplined riding brought him a very well deserved win from Kerrigan Robb (Witham Wheelers CC), who also had an excellent ride and finished very strongly in front of Thomas Ford (Holme Valley Wheelers). Close on their heels were Henry Hollyman (Kirklees Cycling Academy) and Ethan Wilmot (Derby Mercury RC) who also kept their heads around the course. This was Hollyman's second race of the season after recovering from injuries sustained in a car accident earlier in the year. Very well done Henry!

The C girls category saw three very measured and determined performances from Sunnivah Waterman (Kirklees Cycling Academy) who took first place and Piper Radford in 2nd (Sherwood Pines) and Tegan Hookway (Sherwood Pines) 3rd. The E category provided some exciting performances with Elphina Waterman (Kirklees Cycling Academy) taking first place in the girls and Jake Kennedy riding a super race to edge the win from debut rider Soljay Waterman (Kirklees Cycling Academy) in the boys.

The pace in the U14 category B race was fast from the off and a lead group of six male and female riders quickly established an unassailable lead - or so it looked. But Ollie Peckover (Nottingham Clarion), leading the chase group for the early laps, had different ideas. Across four laps he single-handedly bridged a gap of 200 metres to join the lead group for the final three laps. However, the effort obviously took its toll and he was unable to finish in the placing. Nonetheless this was probably the valiant ride of the day, particularly as he had been involved in a pile up on the Scunthorpe track less than 24 hours earlier. Meanwhile Joey Walker (RST) led the group home  with a flourish of a sprint up the final 90 to cap an excellent ride. Karl Bailey and Tom Weeds got 2nd and 3rd respectively. In the same lead group Grace Garner got the win in the girls from Charlotte Broughton (Leicester) and Abby-Mae Parkinson (Aire Valley) who both rode very strong and disciplined races.

The U16 A category race had 31 riders and overtaking had to be thought through and was mainly limited to the out-of-sight section of the circuit. The peloton stayed together for almost two laps before riders began to be dropped and it wasn't until the final three laps that the lead group was whittled down to nine riders - Kristian Woolf (Kings Cliffe Flyers) - Leon Gledhill (Planet X) - Kieron Tennyson, Joe Kirkham (VC Long Eaton), James Shaw (Heanor Clarion CC), Peter Cocker (Witham Wheelers CC), Gabriel Cullaigh (Holme Valley Wheelers), Jack King (Langdale Lightweights RT) and Callum Rogers (Scunthorpe Polytechnic CC). All looked capable of winning this race but as they emerged from the last out-of-sight straight Woolf looked every inch the strongest as he took the last two right hand bends with an excellent line to take a well deserved win. Though he made some ground on the winner, Gledhill remained in second and Tennyson finished a very close third. Kiera McVitty (Kings Cliffe Flyers) delivered an excellent ride to finish first girl home in this fast race, with Emily Nelson (Halesowen A & CC) 2nd and Hannah Blount (Derby Mercury CC) 3rd.

If the circuit looked packed with 31 riders in the U 16's, then the 4th and 3rd cat event looked like Grand Central Station with 40 riders, all keen to get near the front in the first lap. Again the peloton stayed together well for the first few laps but eventually a lead group of 17 riders established a good lead. First home in the 3rd Cats was Ben Green with a very strong finish from Tom Smith and Ross Baile who, despite being restricted to his Junior gears, rode a superb race bridging a 150 metre gap between the leaders and the chase group in the final five laps. Mike Hutton got the win in the 4th Cats, from Scott Wilson and Oliver Nuttall.

Many, many thanks to Graeme Waters and his very able band of volunteers from Retford & District Wheelers for their excellent marshalling and administration throughout the event. Thanks also to the race commissaries.

Results

YOUTH C

1 Scott HOOKWAY Sherwood Pine Coop Motor Group C
2 Jacob FEETHAM Wakefield Tri Club C
3 Bailey WATERS Plan B Racing C
4 Bailey WILMOT Derby Mercury C
5 Jack FORD HVW C
6 Mason HOLLYMAN KCA C
7 Tirus WATERMAN KCA C
8 Adam EGNER Witham Wheelers C
9 Elliot WATERS Plan B Racing D
10 Kerigan ROBB Witham Wheelers D
11 Felicity GLEDHILL Planet X C Female @1 lap
12 Hermione CALLHAIGH HVW C Female
13 Sunnivah WATERMAN KCA D Female
14 Thomas FORD HVW D
15 Henry HOLLYMAN KCA D
16 Ethan WILMOT Derby Mercury D
17 Piper RADFORD Sherwood Pines Coop Motor Group D Female @2 laps
18 Tegan HOOKWAY Sherwood Pines Coop Motor Group D Female
19 Elphina WATERMAN KCA E Female
20 Jake KENNEDY VC Lincoln E
21 Solja WATERMAN KCA E

The Youth C Regional Championship Results are as follows;

Gold Scott HOOKWAY Champion
Silver Bailey WATERS
Bronze Bailey WILMOT

YOUTH B

1 Joey WALKER RST Racing Team Trigon
2 Gracie GARNER Leicestershire Road Club
3 Charlotte BROUGHTON Leicestershire Road Club
4 Karl BAILLE Witham Wheelers
5 Aby PARKINSON Aire Valley RT
6 Tom WEEDS Derby Mercury
7 Oliver PECKOVER Nottingham Clarion
8 Joshua WATERS Plan B Racing
9 Reece EGNER Witham Wheelers
10 Elliot DUDLEY Sherwood Pines Coop Motor Group
11 Seth WATERMAN KCA
12 Harry WHITE Dinnington Road Club
13 Tim JAMES Bourne WHEELERS
14 Max WILLIAMSON Lincs Squad
15 Jessica WILLETT Heanor Clarion
16 Louise BEEDHAM Lincsquad
17 Will WALSH Lincsquad

The Youth B Regional Championship Results are as follows;

Gold Gracie GARNER Champion

Gold Karl BAILLE Champion
Silver Tom WEEDS
Bronze Oliver PECKOVER

YOUTH A

1 Kristian WOOLF Kings Cliffe Flyers
2 Leon GLEDHILL Planet X
3 Kieron TENNYSON Private
4 Joe KIRKHAM VC Long Eaton
5 James SHAW Heanor Clarion
6 Peter COCKER
7 Gabriel CULLAIGH Holme Valley Wheelers
8 Jack KING Langdale Lightweights RT
9 Callum ROGERS Scunthorpe Poly
10 Harry CREW Derby Mercury
11 James PECKOVER Heanor Clarion
12 Luke MARKHAM Rugby Velo
13 Simon BEEDHAM Lincsquad
14 Jake HUBBARD
15 Matt WATERS Retford Wheelers
16 Kiera MCVITTY Kings Cliffe Flyers @ 1 lap
17 Will PERRITT Heanor Clarion
18 Harry BRUMDEY Witham Wheelers
19 Adam de Smit VC Lincoln
20 Torrin CANNINGS Lincsquad
21 Cameron REILLY Dinnington RC
22 Emily NELSON Halesowen
23 Hannah BLOUNT Derby Mercury
24 Saskia HOOK Heanor Clarion
25 Katie HUBBARD Welland Valley CC
26 Joshua DUNHAM Star Bikes
27 Cameron BIBBY Witham Wheelers
28 Sian BOTTELEY Bourne Wheelers
29 Paige COOPE Sherwood Pines Coop Motor Group

The Youth A Regional Championship results are as follows;

Gold Hannah BLOUNT Champion
Silver Saskia HOOK

Gold Kieran TENNYSON Champion
Silver Joe KIRKHAM
Bronze James SHAW

SENIOR

1 Ben GREEN Velo Club Lincoln 3rd
2 Dom SMITH We Love Mountains RT 3rd
3 Ross BAILLE Leicester Road Club 3rd
4 Mike HUTTON Sheffrec CC 4th
5 Scott WILSON Sheffrec CC 4th
6 Mark JACOBI Peak Road Club 3rd
7 Ben HALLWORTH Ilkely CC 3rd
8 Ronald MCWILLIAM VC Lincoln 3rd
9 Mark BOTTELY Bourne Wheelers 3rd
10 Oliver NUTHALL Nottingham Clarion 4th