William Mapus-Smith (Clwb Beicio Egni) won the second round of the Trinity Park Wednesday evening races, from Sam Toy (Velo Schils) and the previous weeks winner Fabian Horrocks (Team Vision).
In grey, windy conditions Mapus-Smith, just free of exams and back at his Suffolk home from university in Anglesey, Wales – and probably an “unknown Third Cat” to current Suffolk roadmen - succeeded in opening a 12 second gap on Toy and the rest of the field in the 23 lap, hour-long race.
Rebecca Johnson (Aprire/HSS) took the women’s race from local rival Gemma Melton (Pedal Power Ipswich) after a tactical last lap that took three minutes twelve seconds of cat-and-mouse riding , compared to their best effort of 2:43.
Thomas Long of Rapha CC broke away with two laps to go in the race for Fourth Cats to win by five seconds from Stuart French (DAP CC). Third placed John Lillingstone summed up the race:
“The pace was up and down due to the wind and everyone trying to stay out of it, including me”
The picnic baskets were out for the Plomesgate CC Grass Track Meeting where racing took place before a backdrop of cornfields – and on a grass oval of two halves – a headwind climb to the finish and a corresponding downwind dive that could temp an over exuberant entry into the bottom bend.
Chelmsford sprint expert Mitch Powell won the shortest race, 500 metre, as well as the Unknown Distance – where a quick reaction certainly helps when the one-lap-to-go bell sounds.
Harley Gregory (West Suffolk Whs) was top Under 12 , while Laurence Lisher (Green Arrow) and Harley Pell (CC Ashwell) took Senior honours.
Regular visitor Martin Smith (Chesterfield Coureurs) won the curtain-raiser Devil-Take-the-Hindmost. A shortage of entrants in the open-to-all freewheel category saw Smith’s seven-year old son Arthur matched against your correspondent. Remarkably, considering the 67 year age-gap, the two almost dead-heated, the one being, we expect, well before his prime and the other even further after it.
In weekend road races there was a welcome return to winning form by Stowmarket rider Gavin Moore (Pro Cycle Hire) who escaped from the field in the Regional B Peterborough CC race with Paul Pardoe of the promoting club. As they worked to get away from the field Moore took his turn at the front – and found himself alone.
Winner of the higher-ranking National B race was Catford CC’s Alex Dalton who won an eleven-up sprint from Tommy Power (Stradaport) and Tom Fitzpatrick - now Unattached
Sole Bay Cycle Sport rider Denis Hurren (24:10) was top woman in the Norwich ABC 10 covering the Redenhall-Bungay and back Waveney Valley course in 24:10 on a day when crosswind conditions meant it was never going to be fast.
The value of careful checking of timekeeper’s recording sheets has been highlighted when the time of men’s winner Matthew Senter (VeloVelocity) was revised to 20:14, meaning he is not only winner but new course record holder. Senter’s VeloVelocity teammate Daniel Bloy was second in 20:41. Third spot went to young Wickham Market roadman Lyster Romero (20:43).
Veterans had a close battle with 56 year-old Bob Watson (21:28) beating his standard as a 56-year-old by 5:46 to win the prize from Chris Nudds (age 68) whose 23:18 yielded a “plus” of 5:24, just ahead of 84-year-old Len Benton (26:00) plus 5:17
There was a crosswind in the Eastern Counties CA 25 on the Larling-Wymondham course where Lyster Romero stepped up to second spot with 53:33. Top place, on a day of swirling crosswinds went to Rob Young (Team Vision, 51:23.
Romero represents the East Region in the National Junior Series Hatherleigh Road race in Devon at the weekend.
Jason Bouttell (VeloVelocity) was fastest in the VTTA-promoted 10 at Six Mile Bottom on Thursday evening – clocking a remarkable 18:44. Top veteran was Peter Lawrence (Team Bottrill, 19:25)
RESULTS: Norwich ABC 10, Wortwell: 1 Matthew Senter (VeloVelocity) 20:26 (now 20:14), 2 Daniel Bloy (VeloVelocity) 20:41, 3 Lyster Romero (Wigmore CC) 20:53, 4 Robert Watson (Team Bottrill) 21:28, 5 Stuart Fairweather (VeloVelocity) 21:35, 6 Ben Keeley (VeloVelocity) 21:58, 7 Damon Day (CC Sudbury) 22:02, 8 Simon Daw (Velo Schils) 22:06, 9 Paul Rooke (West Suffolk Whs) 22:13, Matt O’Brien 22:18. Women: 1 Denise Hurren (Sole Bay) 24:10, 2 Rachel Holman (Tri-Anglia) 24:32, 3 Mandy Bunn (CC Sudbury) 25:00.
Eastern Counties CA 25, Larling: 1 Rob Young (Team Vision) 51:23, 2 Lyster Romero (Wigmore CC) 53:33, 3 Gary Wright (Peterborough CC) 54:01, 4 A Grant (Cambridge CC) 54:09, 5 M Reynolds (Cambridge CC) 54:20, 6 R Carrington (West Suffolk Wheelers) 54:21.
Peterborough CC Road Race: National B: 1 Alex Dalton (Catford/Banks), 2 Tommy Power (Strada Sport), 3 Tom Fitzpatrick (Unattached), 4 Chris McNamara (Sigma Sport), 5 Henry Latimer (Sigma Sport) 6 Kit Gilham (Unattached), 7 Roy Chamberlain (Corley Cycles), 8 Ross Fawcett (Pedal Power Ipswich), 9 David Ogg (Godfrey Bikewear), 10 Oliver Barbieri (Spirit Tifosi RT).
Regional 3/4 :1 Gavin Moore (Pro Cycle Hire), 2 Paul Pardoe (Peterborough CC), 3 Tiago Fougo (Strada-Sport), 4 Joshua Wallis (Velo One), 5 Matthew Senter (Peterborough CC), 6 David Norman (MI).
Suffolk Cycle Race Series (Rd 2 June 28) E/1/2/3: 1 William Mapus-Smith (Clwb Beicio Egni), 2 S Toy (Velio Schils) +00:13 secs, 3 F Horrocks (Team Vision), 4 W Drury (PCH), 5 L Manser (Pedal Power Ipswich), 6 M Webster (Catford CC/Banks) , 7 K Jarvis (CT OnForm), 8 C Wright (Strada Sport), 9 M Day (TPH Racing), 10 D Allen (Velo Schils). Women: 1 Rebecca Johnson (Aprire/HSS), 2 G Melton (Pedal Power Ipswich), 3 T Griffiths (Ipswich BC). Fourths: 1 Thomas Long (Rapha CC), 2 S French (DAP CC) + 00:05 secs, 3 J Lillingstone (Ipswich BMX). Youth – U16: Freddie Grover (Fast Test), U14: Lewis Brinkhoff (Kesgrave Panthers), U12: Jodie Taylor (Team Terminator), U19: Molly Cutmore (TPH Racing)
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