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Location: Hanbury, Staffordshire
Event: 30 September 2012
Report: Snowdon Sports
Photos: Ray Stuart
Veteran campaigner Mike Jones (Paramount CRT) attacked halfway up the finishing climb of Hanbury Hill to secure his second win of the season in Derby Mercury RC’s 80-km West Midlands League finale at Hanbury.
The 45-year-old, from Shrewsbury, proved strongest from an experienced quartet of riders who broke clear with two laps remaining in the four and a half lap race and, working well together, opened up a maximum lead of a minute on the chasing bunch who were never able to get back on terms despite a gallant attempt by a three-man small group to bridge the gap.
Andrew Stuart (Nottingham Clarion) was the only one able to respond when Jones made his final move, but was unable to get round the leader and settled for second place ahead of veteran pair Andy Eagers (Derby Mercury RC) and Mike Harrison (Congleton CC).
Fifth place went to 18-year-old Sheffield junior Ashley Proctor (Sportscover Altura RT), who was 36 seconds down at the finish.
Early flurries came to nothing despite the damage done by a strong crosswind over the top of the Draycott Bank climb which caused splits in the field on every lap, with Eagers involved in an attack which almost succeeded a lap before the decisive break was made.
Result:
1 Mike Jones (Paramount CRT) 1-57-52
2 Andrew Stuart (Nottingham Clarion) at 1 sec
3 Andy Eagers (Derby Mercury RC) at 11 sec
4 Mike Harrison (Congleton CC) at 27 sec
5 Ashley Proctor (Sportscover Altura RT) at 36 sec
6 Rob Orr (Velo29) at 37 sec
7 Richard Binks (Clay Cross RT) same time
8 Tony Kiss (Rapid Performance Coaching RT) at 39 sec
9 Tom Neale (Spalding CC) same time
10 William Rudgard (Wolverhampton Wheelers) at 42 sec
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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.
