Location: Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth, Hampshire
Event: 19 February 2012
Greg Mansell from UK Youth took the honours at the first race to be held this year at the outdoor track in Portsmouth, the Mountbatten Circuit Races on Sunday.
On a very cold day with a biting wind, a group of nine riders attacked of the front after ten minutes and got a lap which was the deciding break of the day.
The nine formed a breakaway shortly after the opening laps and they soon built a good lead. Three riders missed the attack and they soon ended up in no man’s land, just ahead the bunch but half a lap down on the leaders.
With the leaders now safely in the bunch it was easier for the members of the UK Youth team of three to control the front of the race. Throughout the remainder of the race several riders tried in vain to jump of the bunch but they were soon brought back in.
As the bunch - now all together apart from the two loan rider’s time trialling around together - crossed the line to the sound of the bell the speed increased.
The bunch now started to string out and it was Greg Mansell who crossed the line just ahead of Harry Bulstrode (Peter Hansford Cycles) and Chris McNamara (Pedal Heaven).
The morning started with a fourth cat event which stayed together for most of the race with Alistair McLean (Southdown Velo) winning a close bunch sprint.
The women’s race was contested over 25 minutes and was won by Ellie Gilham (VC St Raphael) who attacked Nikki Wheeler (Team Wiggle) with a lap to go. The third cat race was won by Matt Bone (I-Team).
Results:
E/1/2/3:
1 Greg Mansell (UK Youth)
2 Harry Bulstrode (Peter Hansford Cycles)
3 Chris McNamara (Pedal Heaven)
4 Rob McCarthy (Pedal Heaven)
5 Richard Tanguy (Team UK Youth)
3rd Cat:
1 Matt Bone (I-Team)
2 Christopher Sharrock (VC Meudon)
3 Paul Thatcher Brighton Mitre CC
Women:
1 Ellie Gilham (VC St Raphael)
2 Nikki Wheeler (Team Wiggle)
3 Lili McLean (Andover Wheelers)
4th Cat: 1 Alistair McLean (Southdown Velo).
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.
