James Madgwick rounded off his cyclo-cross season in style, leading from start to finish in the final Senior Men’s race at Milton near Cambridge, writes Fergus Muir.
Madgwick blasted into the lead straight from the whistle. In his pre-race recce he had spotted slippery tree roots in the very first single track sector and he resolved that no one was going to have the chance to fall off in front of him there in the first-lap scramble.
Once the field had spread out a bit, Madgwick backed off - until he spotted Cam Hurst (XRT/Elmy) closing from behind. Hurst, from Colchester, got to within 11 seconds at half distance but slowed over the last two laps to finish third.
Sandwiched between Hurst and Madgwick was Ipswich rider Jack Parrish who put in a characteristically mercurial ride to win the Junior Prize.
Further down the result, former Eastern Junior star Melvinda Basra finished his comeback season with his highest position while Fred Gill (Team OnForm) equalled his best.
The racing at Milton Country Park was organised by Cambridge Junior CC and young riders were much in evidence – there were no less than 49 starters in the race for Under 10s for instance.
The course used by all the youth and adult categories made much use of the steep climbs and drops on the earth bunds shielding the park from the noise of the A14 road. Pedal Power Ipswich rider Gemma Melton described how whipping the back wheel round on the summit corners was a key technique on these.
Jimmy Piper of the Suffolk-based Renvale team completed his unbeaten run in the Vets 50-Plus. Approaching the finish he even had time to back off, and refrain from lapping the Senior Women’s leaders who thus had one more lap to settle the Women’s race.
“Glad you two got to duke it out for another lap” he wrote later on Facebook.
Elspeth Grace (Welwyn Whs) won the ensuing battle, beating Gemma Melton who had already made certain of the women’s League Championship. Ahead of both was the race winner and Junior Champion Lauren Higham (LIV AWOL).
After Melton the next Suffolk finishers were Laura Brown (West Suffolk Wheelers, sixth) and Jo Newstead (XRT/Elmy) who was seventh and leading lady veteran.
West Suffolk Wheeler Paul Watson looked to be on the way to second V50, behind the all-conquering Piper, but Richard Muchmore, steadily overhauled Watson – especially on those short sharp climbs, leaving Watson third.
Steve Gibson, a visitor from the London League dominated the Vets40-plus where Glenn Davey overhauled Ian Newby and eked out a seven second advantage to take fifth place – out of 60.
Alex Dale needed just one good result to complete his set of ten qualifying rides and clinch the Youth Championship. He set to with a will. “Alex wanted it” said Daniel Hall (Colchester Rovers) who was duelling with Charlie Johnson just behind.
And Dale got it- the race win by 19 seconds from Yani Djelil and the League Championship with Johnson and Hall completing the top three.
Djelil (Team Darenth) is Under 14 Champion, with Harley Gregory (West Suffolk Whs) taking the bronze medal.
Nearly 50 members and Friends of the Wolsey Road Club and CTC Suffolk gathered at Fynn Valley Golf Club for their 56th Joint Annual Prize Giving and Lunch.
The CTC Suffolk awards featured among others father and daughter Julian and Sarah Long and husband and wife Mike and Judy Scott.
Most of the racing club’s prize-winners present, including Club Champion Rob Peever. The Novice and Hillclimb winner was the Wolsey’s youngest rider Ethan Cawston.
First ever winner of the new Sportive Trophy was Vivienne Woodgate. Patrick Charlton took four awards – the 25 mile Championship, 10 mile Championship, Newman Memorial trophy and the Fixed Wheel Trophy.
The awards were all presented by Amy Pritchard, winner of the Pat Pepper Cup in the Wolsey RC Open 25.
EASTERN CYCLO-CROSS LEAGUE - FINAL OVERALL MEDAL WINNERS
SENIOR WOMEN: 1 Gemma Melton (Pedal Power Ipswich), 2 Alison Hogg (Push Sport), 3 Laura Brown (West Suffolk Wheelers).
JUNIOR WOMEN: 1 Lauren Higham (LIV AWOL), 2 Harley Pell (LIV AWOL), 3 Ellie-May Pledger (Lee Valley Youth CC).
VETERAN WOMEN: 1 Jo Newstead (XRT/Elmy cycles), 2 Sarah Thomas (Colchester Rovers), 3 Laura Lawson (Romford RC).
SENIOR MEN: 1 James Madgwick (Bloodwise), 2 Kieran Jarvis (OnForm), 3 Cameron Hurst (XRT/Elmy).
JUNIOR: 1 Jack Parrish (Team Vision), 2 Max Bolton (Lee Valley Youth), 3 Angus Toms (Iceni Velo).
VET 40-49 MEN: 1 Matthew Webber (Forest Side Riders), 2 Ben Lewis (Forest Side), 3 Shaun Aldous (Renvale RT).
VET 50-PLUS MEN: 1 Jimmy Piper (Renvale RT), 2 Richard Muchmore (Renvale RT), 3 Dave Copland (Ipswich BC).
U16 BOYS: 1 Alex Dale (LVYCC), 2 Charlie Johnson (Stowmarket & District CC), 3 Daniel Hall (Colchester Rovers).
U14 BOYS: 1 Yani Djelil (Team Darenth), 2 Mark Lightfoot (CC Ashwell), 3 Harley Gregory (West Suffolk Wheelers).
U16 GIRLS: 1 Bethany Barnett (LIV AWOL), 2 Martha Lebentz (Hadleigh CC), 3 Mollie Bilner (Stow & Dist).
U14 GIRLS: 1 Florence Barnett (LIV AWOL), 2 Abigail Miller (WXC), 3 Mia Rutterford (Iceni Velo).
U12 BOYS; 1 Finlay Woodliffe (Welwyn Whs), 2 Oskar Everett (Stow & Dist), 3 Henry Hobbs (LVYCC).
U12 GIRLS: 1 Emily Miller (Cambridge Junior CC), 2 Orla Kenna (St Ives CC), 3 Abigail Biggs (LVYCC).
U10 BOYS: 1 George Collins (Colchester Rovers), 2 Billy Tomlinson (LVYCC), 3 Isaac Starmer (Colchester Rovers).
U10 GIRLS: 1 Isabel Beale (LVYCC), 2 Abbey Thompson (Suffolk Youth Team), 3 Emily Dodsworth (Maldon & District).
U8 BOYS: 1 Logan Ayers (CCA), 2 James Clarke ( Colchester Rovers), 3 Cedric Tomlinson (LVYCC).
U8 GIRLS: 1 Charlotte Bradshaw (Cambridge JCC, 2 Eva Thompson (Suffolk YT).
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