WXCRL QinetiQ Evening Circuit 22/06/10

Jason Eastwood of VC St Raphael and Stu Bowers of Hagroves Cycles had race organisers scratching their heads after a virtual dead heat at the first of the Barnsfield evening circuits. Coming out of the bunch after an hour and fifteen minute’s racing, there was “a gnat’s cock” between them and both then claimed the win for themselves.

Under blue skies on a warm evening, a total of 37 riders gave the footie a miss to sign on for the hour long race around a very ‘technical’ circuit. A series of switchbacks through the go-kart section had riders riding picking their way round a tight, mixed surface hairpin and into a downhill, decreasing radius turn that opened out back onto the ultra quick main circuit. The smell of hot brake blocks was thick in the air, the track testing the riders bike handling ability as well as their legs as, with the race split in to three groups, the E/1/2s would have to use both as they made back their deficit.

The race started at 7.15, with the 4ths and 3rds being given a head start and, before the first lap was complete, a couple of chancers had gone off the front of the third cats group: Mark Hardwicke of Bournemouth Arrow and Simon Pettifer attacked up the hill, while Mark’s Bournemouth Arrow clubmates shut down their group.

With the elites group thundering up behind, no one in the thirds group seemed too bothered and, by the fourth lap, twenty five minutes into the race, they had been caught. The breakaway, that had now been joined by Shaun Amor of UK Biking and Bob Ford of Bournemouth Arrow from the fourth cat group, was swallowed up not long after.

So the field remained for the next three laps, shedding riders out the back at a heavy rate while occasionally firing a few out the front. None survived for long – Barnsfield’s unique 360 degree headwind put paid to most until a lap and a half to go. Merida UK team mates Paul Hopkins and Greg Shrosbree made their attempt up the hill – the attacker’s launch pad of choice on this circuit – and had themselves a fair gap by the start of the last lap.

“We thought we had it.” Said Greg Shroosbree afterwards. “We got onto the finishing straight and were still clear but they had really shut it down in the last few corners.”

As the field came into sight of the finish line, the bunch was together, filling the road. Stuart Bowers of Hargroves Cycles and Jason Eastwood of Velo Club St Raphael pulled away from the bunch and crossed the line so close together that neither the people taking numbers, nor Graham Robins’ photographs, nor the video camera could tell who was first. At the time of going to press, the money is on Stu but it will take an exhaustive frame-by-frame analysis of the finish to say with any certainty.

The same goes for the rest of the finishers and, due to the entryweb site having a few technical issues [Fixed now, we had a Russian robot attacking the site, really I’m not joking! – Mark] at the minute we can’t give you a top ten either! Basically, as soon as Mark’s gone through the whole site sorting out whatever’s wrong, he’ll have to go through the finish line photos. And all this with a day job.

Until then, you can look at Graham’s photos and decide for yourself and it just remains to remind you that the Poole Wheelers Road Race is this Sunday, starting at 10am out of Holt village hall. Its a real climber’s circuit, with a 30mph descent over a cattle grid to keep everybody on their toes. Hopefully Entryweb should be back on line soon and, if all else fails, entry is available on the line.

Moreton 24th June Cancelled

There will be no racing this Thursday at Moreton. As the man himself says:

“Following a knee operation last friday I am unable to put on this Thursday’s race. I hope to be back the following week. Please let everyone know  about this. Thanks,

Peter Washington”