Wessex Cyclocross League Round 11

Graham Robins

Wessex Cyclocross League Round 11 Sunday 23rd November 2014

Totton rider Andy Hargroves (Hargroves Cycles) led the latest race of the league from start to finish in the tricky conditions at the Thruxton Motor racing circuit to the West of Andover. The opening laps saw Andy being challenged by Dan Guest (Performance Cycles) but once the 22year old rider came to grips with the slippery conditions he eased away and set up a large lead, and winning the race by a clear 48secs.

 
Local bike shop Behind the Bikeshed laid up a course utilising one of the grass car parks on the approach to the race track with a lot of twists and turns as it wound its up and down the banking making the off camber descents tricky following heavy overnight rain which continued throughout the day. The course cut up during the earlier races providing the seniors with the worst of the conditions to cope with.
 
From the first whistle Hargroves came to the front along with Guest followed by Sam Allen (VC Nantes Atlantique) and last week’s winner Matt Macdonald (Hargroves Cycles) who then retired with problems. The chase was on behind as riders slipped and slithered their way around looking for some grip. Up at the front end and chasing well were Matt Hargroves (Hargroves Cycles), Chris Minter and Jamie Norfolk both riding for PedalOn.
 
Over the next few laps the race order remained the same with just the time gaps between riders changing. Guest was now 38secs down on the lead, followed by Minter at 57secs and Allen at 1min 05secs. There was more to come from Chris Minter as he soon started to reel in Dan Guest and soon the two of them were locked together with two laps to go.
 
Andy Hargroves remained smooth over the final lap avoiding the back markers and coasting to a comprehensive win, but the two chasers were locked together through the switch backs and as they approached the finish line Minter had enough to hold of Guest to secure run up spot.
 
Crispin Doyle (Hargroves Cycles) was the winner of the combined vet/women/junior race but he was made to work hard for it as Chris Rothwell (Ride 24/7) was with him for most of the race finishing just 3secs down at the finish.
 
Doyle and Rothwell soon built up a good lead with another Sean Williams (Cotswold Veldrijden) coming third just ahead of team mate junior Tom Sewell and Phil Bowley (Alton CC) rounding out the top five. Steve Davis (Hargroves Cycles) was the winner of the +50 category from Tim Costello (GS Vecchi) and Chris Hutchings (VC Venta) third.
 
Tamina Oliver carried on her fine form this season by winning her straight tenth race of the league wrapping up the women’s section last week with three rounds to go, she also leads the overall +50 and Women’s section of the league. Helen Pattinson (Solent Pirates) continued to improve as she finished second ahead of Wendy Wood.
 
Edward Gronbech (Oxford City RC) won the youth race leading from the front and never challenged. Charlie Cooper (Eden Veranda Racing) was second despite missing his grid call as he had to change wheels prior to the start, but once the race got underway Charlie soon scythed his way through the riders and was soon at the front of the chasers with Erin Baker, but with a lap to go Charlie dropped him in his pursuit of Edward.
 
Provisional Results
Seniors
1st Andrew Hargroves Hargroves Cycles
2nd Chris Minter PedalOn @48secs
3rd Dan Guest Performance Cycles @st
4th Sam Allen VC Nantes Atlantique @1min 24secs
5th Matt Hargroves Hargroves Cycles @2mins 10secs
6th Jamie Norfolk PedalOn @2mins 20secs
7th Joe Hickerton CC Charlotteville @3mins 04secs
8th Karl Norfolk PedalOn @3mins 20secs
9th Richard Lewis CC Basingstoke @4mins 20secs
10th James Cotty Eden Veranda Racing @4mins 39secs
 
Vets
1st Crispin Doyle Hargroves Cycles
2nd Chris Rothwell Ride 24/7 @3secs
3rd Sean Williams Cotswold Veldrijden @1mins 23secs
4th Tom Sewell Cotswold Veldrijden @1min 40secs
5th Phil Bowley Alton CC @2mins 15secs
 
Vet +50
1st Steve Davis Hargroves Cycles
2nd Tim Costello GS Vecchi
3rd Chris Hutchings VC Venta
 
Women
1st Tamina Oliver Cotswold Veldrijden
2nd Helen Pattinson Solent Pirates
3rd Wendy Wood
 
Wessex Cyclocross League
 
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