Cycling: Jo Newstead fights off challenge of Sue Wood to win vets title
Jo Newstead (XRT/Elmy Cycles) leads the women's field - Credit: Archant
The destination of the Eastern Cyclo-Cross League Vet Women’s Championship was settled in the last race of the season in Snetterton parish.
Senior winner James Madgwick leads Lloyd Chapman. - Credit: Archant
Ipswich rider rider Jo Newstead (XRT/Elmy Cycles) had to score top vets points to leapfrog Sue Wood (Hadleigh MTB) to the top of the table.
Newstead led the race off the line and through the fiendishly slippery spiral laid out in a horse paddock at the World Horse Welfare rescue centre. Newstead was later overhauled by Junior Elspeth Grace (Welwyn Whs) but Grace is in a different class and the Elmy Cycles shop Manager came next and took the Vets Championship by 976 to Sue Wood’s 974. the race that also saw season’s best performances from Emma Pell (CC Ashwell) and Sarah Pateman (Ipswich BC).
Winding up the day, Senior Men James Madgwick and Lloyd Chapman matched each other, pedaling gingerly, from start to finish. “Gingerly” because a hard frost overnight followed by sunny day had resulted in a thin layer of slippery mud on hard ground underneath. One slip could decide the race.
Coming out of the final corner, with 200 metres to go, Chapman’s rear wheel slipped outwards. Not much, but enough to allow Madgwick get the power down first and the young QSW full-time racer won by a few metres, over a minute up on third-placed Liam Manser (Pedal Power Ipswich)
Steve De Boltz (Ipswich BC) in the paddock - Credit: Archant
Big spectator honeypot at the World Horse Welfare was the climb out of the water detention basin, which only the stars could get up without dismounting.
Arriving at the bottom while in the lead of the Vets 40-49 race Push-Sport’s Paul Groombridge demonstrated how easily back wheel control could be lost. He ended up facing the wrong way - to a loud cheer.
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Thereafter Groombridge and Robert Purcell (Neon Velo) shadowed each other to the finish where Purcell won the sprint, with Nick Cook (third) and Ant Birt (sixth) the top Ipswich BC finishers.
With little to cause impact punctures on the smooth paddocks, low tyre pressures proved the right choice for 50+ winner Jimmy Piper. Dave Copland (fifth) was top Ipswich rider and Mike Bowen (seventh) best from West Suffolk Wheelers)
Under 12s William Morrison (Colchester Rovers, left) and Alistair Oppen (CC Ashwell) - Credit: Archant
Oliver Stockwell (Welwyn Whs) was clear winner of the Youth event with Jack Parrish (IBC, 3rd) and Fred Gill (Chelmer CC, fifth) top local finishers.
The day was rounded off with the Eastern League League Prize Presentation and Annual General Meeting.
On Sunday the CC Sudbury Reliability Rides start from the Stevenson Centre, Great Cornard, CO10 0WD from 0845 to 0940. Choice of distances is 27 or 46 miles.
There is no need to belong to any club, but you do need a helmet. Further details on the CC Sudbury website.
RESULTS
ICENI VELO SNETTERTON CYCLO-CROSS - Winners and leading local riders: SENIORS/JUNIORS:1 James Madgwick (QSW/Ettix) 8 laps in 58:29, 2 L Chapman (Catford CC) +0:02, 3 L Manser (Pedal Power Ipswich) + 1:17, 7 C Hurst (VC Revolution) +3:53, 10 I Newby (Diss CC) +4:33; WOMEN: 1 Elspeth Grace (Junior,Welwyn Whs) 5 in 40:50, 2 J Newstead (XRT/Elmy Cycles 1st Vet) +1:48, 4 K Scotter (Iceni Velo) +2:34, 10 S Powell (BowlPhish).
EASTERN LEAGUE FINAL OVERALL:
SENIOR MEN: 1 Grant Martin (XRT/ELMY CYCLES) 988 points, 2 J Madgwick (QSW/Ettix) 950, J Birks (VC Londres) 906; SENIOR WOMEN: 1 Katie Scotter (Iceni Velo) 930, 2 S Powell (BowlPhish Racing) 909, 3 L Foley (Cambridge CC) 894; JUNIOR WOMEN: 1 Elspeth Grace (Welwyn Whs) 1000, 2 H Hoy (CT OnForm) 909, 3 C Hayes (Hub Velo) 798; VET WOMEN: 1 Jo Newstead (XRT/Elmy Cycles) 976, 2 S Wood (Hadleigh MTB) 974, 3 J Field (CC Ashwell) 964; VET MEN 40-49: 1 Robert Purcell (Neon Velo) 982, 2 M Mooney (Hub Velo) 953, 3 P Groombridge (Push Sport) 896; VET MEN 50+: 1 Jimmy Piper (MS Society) 1000, VET MEN 60+:1 Geoff Bores (Ford CC) 749,
YOUTH BOYS U16: 1 Oliver Stockwell (Welwyn Whs) 970
