Follow britishcycling.org.uk on   

Reading Track League June 14

Story posted June 22, by Guy Swarbrick (guy@swarbrick.com)
 
With many of the regular race officials on holiday and many of the regular riders put off by the prospect of rain showers – which never arrived – there was a slightly strange atmosphere at the latest round of the Reading Track League. The stand-in officials – ably assisted by selection of regulars – marshalled a relatively small field through what turned out to be a full and exciting evening’s racing.

The rain may have stayed away, but the racing wasn’t helped by a blustery Northerly wind that made it feel more like a February training session. Despite that, Newbury RC’s Ian Greenstreet (AW Cycles), Stephen Bradbury and Reading CC’s Nick English set the tone for the evening, breaking away to take control – and the points – in the opening Scratch race. It was Bradbury who won the sprint for the line, with Greenstreet second and English third. Young Joe Holloway of VC10 was the first Senior B home, ahead of William Macke (Palmer Park Velo) and Sam Grant (Beyond MBC) while Natalie Hill (Hillingdon Slipstreamers) lead Sarra Boyd (Mildenhall CC) and Jayne Paine (Willesden CC) home in the Ladies race.

It was Bradbury’s team mate Matt Gittings that dominated the Senior A Points Race, taking 15 of the available 20 points, with Bradbury second with 10. Newbury RC’s Donal Linehan bagged 3 points, which was enough to secure the final points scoring position. In the Bs, Macke was similarly dominant, again taking 15 points, with things a little closer behind - Holloway in 2nd, 7 points down on Macke and Frazier Carr of Palmer Park Velo 3rd, a further 2 points back.

In one of the shortest Unknown Distance races anyone could remember, Bradbury and English’s early break was rewarded with the bell coming before the bunch had a chance to react. The AW Cycles rider took his second win of the evening from English with Charlie Fawke (One Life Development Squad) leading the bunch home, with Grant taking the B honours from George Withers and his Palmer Park Velo team mate Macke.

The Keirin once again saw the Endurance riders on top with guest rider James Lowsley-Williams of Agiskoviner.com, Greenstreet, Gittings, Harry Strudley of Palmer Park Velo and Linehan contesting the A final after sprinters Eddy Soberalski (Sports-coaching.com) and John Williams (Team Terminator) missed out in the heats and Williams’ team mate - sprinter-turned-endurance rider Cam Swarbrick - failed to start after pulling his wheel over on the line.

In the final it was Gittings again dominant with Greenstreet close behind and Linehan taking the balance of the points. In the B Final it was Holloway again, ahead of Macke and Carr with Boyd taking the Ladies Final from Hill and Paine. The combination of a small field and biting wind resulted in the AW Cycles 20k Endurance being blown apart early on with a group of four – Greenstreet, Abraham, English and Lowsley-Williams – working well together to lap what passed, by that time, for the bunch.

With a lap to go, Greenstreet upped the pace and stayed at the head of the group to take the win from Abraham and English. The B field was spread around the velodrome at that point but it was Grant who made it home first, ahead of Withers and Macke with Hill leading Paine and Boyd home in the Ladies standings. Impressively, given the conditions, three riders finished in the Sonim Under 14-Under 16 20k competition, Jason Pitt taking the win from his Palmer Park Velo team mates Jamil Gaida and Daniel Lansley.

Results

Senior A
10 Lap Scratch
1 Stephen BRADBURY AW Cycles
2 Ian GREENSTREET Newbury RC
3 Nick ENGLISH Reading CC

Unknown Distance
1 Stephen BRADBURY AW Cycles
2 Nick ENGLISH Reading CC
3 Charlie FAWKE One Life Development Squad

Points
1 Matt GITTINGS AW Cycles 15 points
2 Stephen BRADBURY AW Cycles 10
3 Donal LINEHAN Newbury RC 3

Keirin
1 Matt GITTINGS AW Cycles
2 Ian GREENSTREET Newbury RC
3 Donal LINEHAN Newbury RC

AW Cycles 20k Endurance
1 Ian GREENSTREET Newbury RC
2 Nick ABRAHAM BC Private Member
3 Nick ENGLISH Reading CC

Senior B
10 Lap Scratch
1 Joe HOLLOWAY VC10
2 William MACKE Palmer Park Velo
3 Sam GRANT Beyond MBC

Unknown Distance
1 Sam GRANT Beyond MBC
2 George WITHERS Palmer Park Velo
3 William MACKE Palmer Park Velo

Points
1 William MACKE Palmer Park Velo 15 points
2 Joe HOLLOWAY VC10 8
3 Frazier CARR Palmer Park Velo 6

Keirin
1 Joe HOLLOWAY VC10
2 William MACKE Palmer Park Velo
3 Frazier CARR Palmer Park Velo

AW Cycles 20k Endurance
1 William MACKE Palmer Park Velo
2 Joe HOLLOWAY VC10
3 Jun AISHIMA Reading CC

Ladies
10 Lap Scratch
1 Natalie HILL Hillingdon Slipstreamers
2 Sarra BOYD Mildenhall CC
3 Jayne PAINE Willesden CC

Unknown Distance
1 Sarra BOYD Mildenhall CC
2 Natalie HILL Hillingdon Slipstreamers
3 Jayne PAINE Willesden CC

Keirin
1 Sarra BOYD Mildenhall CC
2 Natalie HILL Hillingdon Slipstreamers
3 Jayne PAINE Willesden CC

AW Cycles 20k Endurance
1 Natalie HILL Hillingdon Slipstreamers
2 Jayne PAINE Willesden CC
3 Sarra BOYD Mildenhall CC

Youth
Sonim Under 14-Under 16 20k Endurance
1 Jason PITT Palmer Park Velo
2 Jamil GAIDA Palmer Park Velo
3 Daniel LANSLEY Palmer Park Velo