Thursday 26 July 2012
Craig Zadoroznyj Photos:
The last in a series of six races was held around Kirby Misperton, but the first year of many more North Yorkshire Evening Road Races are to come after the end of a hugely successful cycle races held to the North, South and East of York.
Round 6 saw just short of 50 riders starting from Ashfield Country Manor taking an anticlockwise route through to Great Barugh and Little Habton 5 times totalling 35miles on a warm night with little wind. Each lap took 15minutes, 3 minutes quicker compared to the windy evening the last time the race was held on this route.
With the inevitable relatively easy first lap for the riders to acclimatise themselves with the course at race speeds, avoiding potholes and finding the best position to be in at those difficult corners, the racing commenced “proper” on the second lap where individual riders span off the front of the peloton. These gaps were soon pulled back as a bunch of riders will always ride faster than ones or twos.
It was on the penultimate and last lap where the speed was cranked up a notch and riders who were trying their hardest to stay on the back of the ever increasing bunch were split from the pack, left to ride back to HQ alone. The peloton now resembled a snake because of the speed of the Rock Racing team on the front stringing out the riders.
The final climb to the finish line was hard for all riders, but for those who retained a little zing in their legs for the mad gallop to cross the line first accelerated away. There was only a tyres width between first place Lewis Jackson (Cottingham Coureurs RT) and Stephen Henson (Rock Racing). Third place was Daniel Shorman (Crosstrax)
1. Lewis Jackson (Cottingham Coureurs RT)
2. Stephen Henson (Rock Racing)
3. Daniel Shorman (Crosstrax)
4. Neil Hendry (Dirtwheels Cycles)
5. David Henson (Rock Racing)
6.Paul McDonald (Slipstream Race Team)
7. Stephen Coates (We love mountains)
8. Thomas Randall (Rock Racing)
9. John Askew (Active Copiers)
10. Gregory Hicks (Big Bear Bikes)
Overall league prizes have been calculated using points issued by British Cycling, first prize overall going to Lewis Jackson (44 Points) who’s win on Thursday allowed him to pip Rock Racings Christopher Fothergill (37 points). Daniel Shoreman took third with 29 points.
The best team was sewn up on the fifth race and not really a surprise to anyone that Rock Racing took away the trophy.
A big thankyou must go to all the volunteers, drivers, medics, officials, Community Traffic Management and especially the riders.
This league of events can only get better for 2013!
