Venue: Palmer Park Velodrome
Event: 14 May 2012
Report: Guy Swarbrick
Reading’s Matt Gittings, riding for AW Cycles, dominated last year’s Reading Track League, despite a season cut short by his cycling scholarship at Marian University in Indianapolis. April’s awful weather meant that he hadn’t missed much of the early part of this season prior to his return from the USA.
It was almost as though he hadn’t been away at all as he cruised on to the home straight at the head of the field in the opening VIA International 10 Laps Scratch – that is, until team mate Stephen Bradbury from Charvil hauled himself out of the saddle and surged past with 30m to go. Gittings hung on for second with British Cycling private member Nick Abraham taking the remaining championship point. Simon Drewett of Mid Oxon Racing Team continued his good form from the first couple of rounds, taking the Senior B race ahead of Trevor Bradbury and Jason Pitt of AW Cycles.
That pattern continued in the Devil take the Hindmost with Gittings eliminated early on and Bradbury Junior taking the Senior A victory from Abraham and Palmer Park Velo’s Max Stedman – while Drewett again held off Pitt and Paul Davidoff of Team Terminator to take the Senior B race.
Davidoff was in fine form in the 500m Sprint, dominating his heat and the final to push Drewett in to second place with Reading CC’s Jun Aishima taking third. In the As a very tight final saw Marlon Moncrieffe of Oakwood Racers lead them on to the home straight with Gittings coming round him off turn four. Cameron Howard of Spirit Racing – third as they entered the straight – reversed the order, pipping Gittings on the line to take the win.
A group of four riders had broken away as the bell went in the Unknown Distance race and it was Ian Greenstreet of Newbury RC that proved the strongest, holding off Martyn Harris of Banjo Cycles and Stephen Bradbury to take the penultimate race of the evening. Trevor Bradbury was the first of the Bs with David Ivory of Reading CC second and Pitt third.
Despite both being in fine form, it looked as though the Bradburys were going to be denied a Son-Father/Senior A-Senior B double victory as they lined up for the final event – the AW Cycles 20k Endurance race.
In the end, a fast paced race quickly whittled the pack down to nine riders – seven Senior As and two Senior Bs – with both Bradbury’s present in the group. There were no serious attempts to break away from the bunch and on the line Stephen did his part, winning from Harris and Greenstreet. Tucked in behind them was Trevor to take the Senior B win from Pitt and Aishima – the only finisher not in the main group at the conclusion.
Results
Senior A
VIA International 10 Lap Scratch
1 Stephen BRADBURY AW Cycles
2 Matt GITTINGS AW Cycles
3 Nick ABRAHAM BC Private Member
Devil
1 Stephen BRADBURY AW Cycles
2 Nick ABRAHAM BC Private Member
3 Max STEDMAN Palmer Park Velo
500m Sprint
1 Cameron HOWARD Sprint Racing
2 Matt GITTINGS AW Cycles
3 Marlon MONCRIEFFE Oakwood Racers Cycling Team
Unknown Distance
1 Ian GREENSTREET Newbury RC
2 Martyn HARRIS Banjo Cycles
3 Stephen BRADBURY AW Cycles
AW Cycles 20k Endurance
1 Stephen BRADBURY AW Cycles
2 Martyn HARRIS Banjo Cycles
3 Ian GREENSTREET Newbury RC
Senior B
VIA International 10 Lap Scratch
1 Simon DREWETT Mid Oxon Racing Team
2 Trevor BRADBURY AW Cycles
3 Jason PITT AW Cycles
Devil
1 Simon DREWETT Mid Oxon Racing Team
2 Jason PITT AW Cycles
3 Paul DAVIDOFF Team Terminator
500m Sprint
1 Paul DAVIDOFF Team Terminator
2 Simon DREWETT Mid Oxon Racing Team
3 Jun AISHIMA Reading CC
Unknown Distance
1 Trevor BRADBURY AW Cycles
2 David IVORY Reading CC
3 Jason PITT AW Cycles
AW Cycles 20k Endurance
1 Trevor BRADBURY AW Cycles
2 Jason PITT AW Cycles
3 Jun AISHIMA Reading CC
