Location: Rainford, Merseyside
Event: 30 June 2013
Report: Snowdon Sports
Third in the race two years ago, John Rigby (Champion System/Maxgear/Base) stepped up to win St Helens CRC’s 50-mile Ron O’Brien Memorial road race over 25 laps of the Pimbo circuit on Merseyside.
The Skelmersdale 28-year-old chased down veteran campaigner David Williams (Kuota-Spinergy-GSG) at the death to finish a handful of lengths clear with Steve Fidler (Dave Hinde RT) taking the sprint for third place from the rest of an eleven-man leading group.
The action began on the opening lap with Michael Rawson (Kuota-Spinergy-GSG) and Steve Stoneman (Bott Cycle Team) going off the front, but the bunch recognised the danger they represented and brought the field back together within the next couple of laps.
It stayed like that beyond the halfway mark before nine riders – Rigby, Williams, Ryan Pike (High On Bikes), Tom Bracegirdle (Biketreks Racing Academy), James Claydon (Bill Nickson Cycles RT), Richard Wilkinson (4 Star Racing), Stoneman and Ribble Valley CRC pair Lee Carter and John Clegg) – went clear and, working well together, stretched their lead out to two minutes.
The response eventually came from Rawson and Fidler who bridged the gap on their own, making contact with three laps to go, to make it nine at the front.
Williams, 47, attacked on the final lap but Rigby launched a counter and rode straight past his rival to secure the win.
Results:
1 John Rigby Champion System/Maxgear/Base 3rd
2 David Williams Kuota - Spinergy - GSG 2nd
3 Steven Fidler Dave Hinde Racing Team 2nd
4 Michael Rawson Kuota - Spinergy - GSG 2nd
5 Ryan Pike High On Bikes 2nd
6 Tom Bracegirdle Biketreks Racing Academy 2nd
7 James Claydon Bill Nickson Cycles RT 2nd
8 Richard Wilkinson 4 Star Racing 0
9 Lee Carter Ribble Valley CRC 2nd
10 John Clegg Ribble Valley CRC 3rd
11 Stephen Stoneman Bott Cycle Team 2nd
12 Anthony Greenhalgh Wheelbase Altura MGD 2nd
13 Samuel Jackson Overplay.net Racing Team 2nd
14 Shaun Pearson Ribble Valley CRC 2nd
15 Jordan Rigby Team Wallis CHH Racing Team 0
16 Roy Holmes Bott Cycle Team 2nd
17 Martyn Gordon Champion System/Maxgear/Base 3rd
18 Alastair Young Gosforth RC 3rd
19 Austin Aldred Bella In Sella 2nd
20 Karl Freeman Team Wheelguru 2nd
21 Edward Blum Seamons CC 3rd
22 Ian Cowan Solihull CC 3rd
23 Dean Hitchings 0 3rd
24 Giles Bett Dave Hinde Racing Team 3rd
25 Jeff Vernon Birkenhead North End CC 2nd
26 Darran Acton Team Leapfrog 3rd
27 Adam Townson H Middleton CC J
28 Kristian Zentek Team Leapfrog 2nd
29 Adam Newall Horwich CC - 4 Season Cycles 3rd
30 Simon Arundel Liverpool Mercury (Dolan) CC 3rd
31 Chris Gambles Horwich CC - 4 Season Cycles 0
32 Robert Lockhart Cyclesport International RT 2nd
33 Ian Kendall Liverpool Century RC 3rd
34 Mark Leyland St Helens CRC/D.Sparrow Plumbing & Heating Services 4th
35 Martin Podmore Ribble Valley CRC 4th
36 Richard Flynn GMP Racing/McAuley Financial 3rd
37 Karl Owen Manchester Whlrs Club 4th
38 Steven Simpson U/A 3rd
39 Joshua Vincent Bott Cycle Team 2nd
40 David Bolton St Helens CRC/D. Sparrow Plumbing & Heating Services
41 Joe Bennett Warrington RC 3rd
42 Robert Shirley PM 0
43 Mark Astles Dave Hinde Racing Team 4th
44 Joshua Townson Dirtwheels Cycles 2nd
45 James Meadows Liverpool Mercury (Dolan) CC 4th
46 David Grindley North Cheshire Clarion 0
47 Andrew Wright Bott Cycle Team 3rd
48 Paul Woodrow 4 Star Racing 3rd
49 Louise Murray Ribble Valley CRC 3rd
50 Adam Blakeley Team Leapfrog 3rd
51 Andrew Martin 0 3rd
52 John Guy High On Bikes 3rd
53 Adam Sant St Helens CRC/D.Sparrow Plumbing & Heating Services 3rd
54 Paul Cookson Graham Weigh Racing 3rd
55 Wayne Greenhalgh Champion System/Maxgear/Base 3rd
56 Darren Young Bill Nickson Cycles RT 0
57 Simon Vazquez Chorlton Velo 0
58 Leigh Cowell Kuota - Spinergy - GSG 0
59 Robert Palmer Kuota - Spinergy - GSG 2nd
60 Adam Britton Champion System/Maxgear/Base 3rd
61 John Crook Liverpool Mercury (Dolan) CC 0
62 Nigel Kershaw Kuota - Spinergy - GSG 4th
63 Aled Roberts 4 Star Racing 3rd
64 Michael Rothwell Manchester Whlrs Club 3rd
65 Ryan Forster 4 star Racing 0
66 Christian Ellis Team Wheelguru 3rd
67 John Findley Bill Nickson Cycles RT 0
68 James Warren Bill Nickson Cycles RT 0 @ 1lap
69 Alan Heath Unattached 4th @2laps
Please credit www.britishcycling.org.uk and link back if you use any of our race results.
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.
