Location: Croft Circuit, North Yorkshire
Event: 18 February 2012
Report: Snowdon Sports
John Cann led a one-two for Infinity Cycles in the fourth round of the Velo29 Winter Series at the Croft Motor Racing Circuit in North Yorkshire on Saturday.
The 47-year-old from Gosforth near Newcastle pipped 33-year-old team-mate Andy Beattie to the win, while Middlesbrough teenager Harry Tanfield (Wallis Cycles) took third spot.
The race was actually only the second round to be run after the cancellation of rounds two and three because of the weather.
The supporting fourth cat race was won by 15-year-old Struan McInnes, the RST Racing rider from Penistone, who beat Dirt Wheels Cycles 22-year-old Samuel Bennett. Otley-based Bennett took second spot just ahead of Wilson Wheels’ Paul Rymer.
After the disappointment of cancelling Round 3 due to ice on the circuit, Velo29 Events were back with some sunshine, dry conditions and despite a stiff breeze, a good temperature for the final round of the 2012 Velo29 Winter Series.
130 riders took part across the 2 events, a record for the Winter Series and possibly North East Racing!
The 4th Cat/ Go-race event got under way on time with a field of 75 riders split across 2 groups. The Go-Race riders were given 1 minute handicap. It was a sizeable group of around 15, great to see so many new people taking to Racing.The huge Fourth Cat group, working well together caught them quite quickly and the lap times over the nine-lap race were pretty impressive for the time of year.
Black Hawk rider David Charman, looking lean and on form took the 5 lap prime, sprinting quite comfortable ahead of the big bunch.
Various attempts to get away were made but the race was decided by a bunch sprint. In fact, the top 10 were so close we had to spend quite some time checking the photo finish to be sure of the correct order!
In the end it was Struan McInnes of RST racing who brought home the bunch ahead of Samuel Bennett and Paul Rymer in third place. Velo29 events regular Ruari Grant just pipped Sunderland Clarion rider Stuart Neilson for fourth.
We really hope the new riders who have joined the Sport this Winter stick at it and find their feet in the Sport. We’ve meet some great people and seen some impressive racing from loads of new faces. It’s a huge part of what Velo29 Events are about.
Immediately after the prize presentation, the E/1/2/3/4 race was under way, no time to rest for the Fourth Cats doing both races! We split the field into three groups, Fourth Cats, Third Cats and the everyone else. There were no Elite riders and only four First Cats so it seemed a little harsh to set them off alone. Things will be different at the North East Trophy!
Despite the rising wind, which usually slows the less experienced riders the Third Cat group was making an impressive pace! Once they caught the Fourth Cat group, a very sneaky move of three riders realised the scratch group were making little progress and nipped off the front.
The gap grew rapidly and in fact, despite dropping in numbers as the race went on it was finally John Cann of Infinity Cycles, instigator of this bold move who smoothly pedalled home in 1st place ahead of Team Mate, Andy Beattie.
Ex Velo29 rider, Harry Tanfield brought the Peleton home in 3rd place ahead of Will Haynes, now with Black Hawk Bikes. Ever present Levi Moody, despite spending much of the race in small breaks still had energy left for 5th place.
The participation in this years’ Winter Series has been tremendous and we are very grateful to all the riders, some who have travelled miles to take part in the Velo29 Events. We were gutted to cancel a round and even our brave attempts to chip the ice with a spade were not going to allow us to race!
The 25th Feb is the North East Trophy, one of the biggest events in the North. We really hope you join us for this, as a rider or spectator. We have some of the best riders in the Nation coming to race on the Croft Circuit, it will be a wonderful event.
Results:
E1234 Handicap:
1 John Cann (Infinity Cycles)
2 Andy Beattie (Infinity Cycles)
3 Harry Tanfield (Wallis Cycles)
4 William Haynes (Black Hawk Bikes)
5 Levi Moody (Pedalsport CC)
6 Tom Arnstein (Equipe Velo Ecosse)
7 Andrew Miles (Durham University CC)
8 Paul Rymer (Wilson Wheels)
9 Mark Perry (Dirt Wheels)
10 Matt Rossiter (Durham University CC)
4th Cat:
1 Struan McInnes (RST Racing Team)
2 Samuel Bennett (Dirt Wheels Cycles)
3 Paul Rymer (Wilson Wheels)
4 Ruari Grant (Durham University CC)
5 Stuart Neilson (Sunderland CC)
6 Andrew Wasteney (RVO Racing)
7 James Peacock (unattached)
8 Calvin Campbell (unattached)
9 Paul Drop (Wilson Wheels)
10 Rob Shields (Gosforth RC)
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.
