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Report: Reading Track League

Event: 18th April 2011
Promoted by: Reading Track Cycling League
Venue: Palmer Park Sports Stadium, Reading
Report and images: Guy Swarbrick
Photo Gallery
Report from previous round

The Dernies were out for the first time this season at Palmer Park. The A and B Derny Paced championships are run on different nights throughout the season; the Senior As had the honour of kicking things off - and the packed programme meant that the Bs had a relatively quiet night.

With the Dernies really filling out the programme, the VIA International 10 Lap Scratch races make way for an A and B Hare & Hounds and, this week, the As were really up for the chase - reeling in the Bs' half lap advantage just after half distance and settling in for the sprint finish.

Above: AW Cycles Gittings heads to victory in the Senior A and B Hare & Hounds

It was Matt Gittings of AW Cycles who led out the Sprint, with Ian Greenstreet of Newbury RC on his wheel, followed by Gittings' team mate Cam Swarbrick and Martyn Harris of Banjo Cycles. Gittings missed the opening round of the season following his ride in the Tour of Malta but had warmed up his track legs the day before at Herne Hill, taking the second round of the Sprint Omnium Series.

Gittings polished off the Sprint, with Swarbrick coming round Greenstreet in the closing stages to snatch second. It was Jason Pitt of Palmer Park Velo who took the B honours ahead of Rikki Pankhurst of AW Cycles and John Glaysher of a3 crg. Jayne Paine of Willesden CC was the only rider in the Ladies category this evening and scooped up the points in the Hare & Hounds, Unknown Distance and the AW Cycles 20k Endurance events.

Above: Macke in action in the third heat.

The Dernies were out next and the opening heat saw Gittings cruise through to the Finals, along with Harris. Nick English led Heat Two for most of the race with Sam Sturgeon of Team Terminator and Swarbrick 20 metres behind. Sturgeon surged ahead in the closing stages and passed English as Swarbrick's challenge succumbed to a stuttering motor. Will Macke of AW Cycles took the third heat, passing Greenstreet just past half distance and easing away to take a comfortable win.

Above: Palmer Park Velo's Jason Pitt leads the charge in the Senior B Points race.

To give the A riders a rest before their Derny Final, the B riders returned to track for a Points Race and it was Pankhurst that racked up the points to take the win ahead of James Pilgrim Morris of GS Henley and Mark Macleod - who took the Final points of the race with an audacious solo break.

Above: Gittings laps the field on his way to victory in the Derny Paced final

The story of the Derny Final was a familiar one following Gittings domination of the 2010 Championship. Once again the AW Cycles rider and his pacer George Gilbert utterly dominated the race, knocking out 40mph laps at will as they lapped the field. Second placed English third placed Sam Sturgeon both looked strong in the first half of the race, but they simply couldn't cpe with Gittings' ability to inject pace at will.

Above: Swarbrick wins the Unknown Distance race by the hair's breadth.

Another short but sweet Unknown Distance race saw Swarbrick and Pilgrim Morris off the front of the race at the bell. Swarbrick picked up the pace and distanced his fellow escapee but only just held off a hard charging Harris to seal the A win with Frazier Carr of AW Cycles picking up third place. Pankhurst again led the B riders' charge for the line, with Glaysher second and pacemaker Pilgrim Morris earning a point for his efforts in third place.

Above: Nick English leads in the 20k endurance

The story of the AW Cycles 20k Endurance was again the break that took a lap and secured the top three places - and again Harris was involved, although this week he didn't have to take the lap on his own - working with English and Gittings to cruise away, despite some early, frantic attempts to chase them down.

The race settled down after the lap was taken, with little happening until just over half a lap to go, when Gittings lit the afterburner and surged ahead of the bunch to take a comfortable win and secure his hat trick on the night. English again just pipped Greenstreet on the line, but it was Harris who took third place by virtue of the lap he took earlier.

Just behind the A riders, Pitt took an impressive second B win of the night ahead of Glaysher and Pankhurst - the only non-AW Cycles rider to win a Senior Men's event all evening.

RESULTS

Senior A

Hare & Hounds

1 Matt GITTINGS AW Cycles
2 Cam SWARBRICK AW Cycles
3 Ian GREENSTEET Newbury RC
Derny Motor Paced Final
1 Matt GITTINGS AW Cycles
2 Nick ENGLISH AW Cycles
3 Sam STURGEON Team Terminator

Unknown Distance

1 Cam SWARBRICK AW Cycles
2 Martyn HARRIS Banjo Cycles
3 Frazier CARR AW Cycles

AW Cycles 20k Endurance

1 Matt GITTINGS AW Cycles
2 Nick ENGLISH AW Cycles
3 Martyn HARRIS Banjo Cycles

Senior B

Hare & Hounds

1 Jason PITT Palmer Park Velo
2 Rikki PANKHURST AW Cycles
3 John GLAYSHER a3 crg

Points Race

1 Rikki PANKHURST AW Cycles
2 James PILGRIM MORRIS GS Henley
3 Mark MACLEOD BC Private Member

Unknown Distance

1 Rikki PANKHURST AW Cycles
2 John GLAYSHER a3 crg
3 James PILGRIM MORRIS GS Henley

AW Cycles 20k Endurance

1 Jason PITT Palmer Park Velo
2 John GLAYSHER a3 crg
3 Rikki PANKHURST

Women

Hare & Hounds

1 Jayne PAINE Willesden CC

Unknown Distance

1 Jayne PAINE Willesden CC

AW Cycles 20k Endurance

1 Jayne PAINE Willesden CC