Unfortunately the next two events we had planned to run at Barnsfield Heath – WXCRL QinetiQ Evening Circuit 2010 (2/2) on Tuesday 27th July and WXCRL QinetiQ Saturday Circuit 2010 (5/5) on Saturday 31st July – have been cancelled. This was not because of the lack or entries but because the circuit will not be available to hire at those times, one of those things I’m afraid.
I was thinking about running a road race to replace the Saturday event but I just haven’t got the time to get it all sorted plus I know some riders have already made alternative plans.
Our next event is the WXCRL Dorset Tour 2010, the biggy, so keep an eye out for more race info coming soon through our newsletter, Facebook and of course here on Wessexvelo.
So here we are, its July, the sun is shining, the Tour’s on the telly and we’ve got a load of races for you to ride. Isn’t that nice of us?
First up comes the WXCRL Horton Road Race around, um, Horton on Saturday July 10th. Not a hugely imaginative title but hey, it does what it says on the tin. This is an 80km regional A event for riders up to second cat status, starting at 10.30am out of Woodlands village hall which is about a mile to the west of Verwood: basically, you get through the town, into the country and its the turning on your left. A proper map is here.
A week the following Sunday comes The Summer Road Race, also for riders up to 2nd Cat and running over 105km over the same course as used in the Poole Wheelers RR last weekend. There used to be a race on this course called the Vek Holt although nowadays we’d have to call it the Ned Hieuwsblat, which doesn’t really work (there’s Wessex League points if you get that one). This is the one with the three-climbs-in-one, running from Furzehill to Higher Row and finishing on the apparently not all that steep little climb (thanks Mark!). This is climbed seven times and will therefore involve hammering it over a cattle grid 14 times. Which should be fun. It starts at 10.30 with the sign on at Holt village hall.
A little over a week later comes our second evening race at Barnsfield Heath, to which we implore you to turn up and ride. Seriously. This is use it or loose it time but its not just about us – there are a ton of different configurations to use and in one circuit you can have a section as tricky as an inner city crit and others as wide and fast as an open road. Its also a great place to try out racing for the first time without having to worry about on coming traffic and parked cars. The race will be started in different groups, with fourth cats (that’ll be you if you’re a newb) staring first, then thirds, then the quick guys. Enter here. The racing starts at 7pm.
And we’ve managed to squeeze another one in before the month is out, also at Barnsfield Heath, on Saturday 31st July. There are two races, one a regional B for riders up to 3rd cat (3/4, women, juniors, people who’ve been watching the tour all month and fancy a go at this bike racing thing) starts at 10 am. The second, a national B for Elites and anybody else who thinks they’re worthy, starts at midday.
And after that there’s a few weeks off for everybody before its time for the DORSET TOUR.
Results for last Tuesday’s WXCRL QinetiQ Evening Circuit 1/2 are now on online on Entryweb and for the first time in WXCRL history I couldn’t 100% decide who the winner was. In the end Dad and I settled for Jason Eastwood (VC St Raphael) by a cigarette paper ahead of Stuart Bowers (Hargroves Cycles). What do you think?
These two snapshots are from the race video, which you can see below.
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.
Barnsfield: if Carlsberg made traffic free cycling venues then they’d probably look exactly like Barnsfield Heath. Three miles of tarmac with a variety of different circuits available, one of which we will be using this Tuesday the 22nd of June. The tricky bit is that we need a full field to turn up just to break even but, hey, with a venue like Barnsfield, why wouldn’t anyone NOT want to enter?
Its and hour long race, starting at 7.15pm on Tuesday evening. The field is started in groups depending on ability, which is a great way for first time racers to have a go – you’re guarenteed a good few laps before the really fast boys (and girls) catch you up. Experienced racers are well catered for, too. Everybody, really. Its gonna be a lovely warm evening, there’s nothing on the telly. Go on, you know you want to.
The circuit is easily found: If you’re coming from Bournemouth, take the turning off the A338 for Hurn (Bournemouth International) airport, then turn right at the roundabout, then imediately left and its about half a mile. If you’re coming from the A31 its, take the turning imediately after (or before if you’re coming from the west) Ringwood towards Matchams, follow that road down a couple of miles and its just past the ski center.
Enter here. That’s not a direction, that’s an order. Do it. Do it NOW!
Today’s race at Barnsfield took a different twist from recent races held on this fantastic traffic free venue. The course designer (Don) had manage to include some of the little used roads within the course, there was even an Alpe-d’Huez style switchback climb. (No really!). The morning was warm and the sun even managed to make an appearance from behind the clouds.
The 3/4 race got the morning underway once the riders had been taken around the new course layout in a convoy style neutralised lap. Right from the start of the 90 min 7 lap race there was an attack from Justin Radford (Python RT) and Robert Cranstone (Royal Navy and Royal Marine CA), these two riders were soon joined by Eamonn Deane (Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers). These three were joined on lap 3 by Andrew Boyd (CC Weymouth) and Tim Wildschut (Sotonia CC). On the forth lap Robert slipped back into the bunch but James Darcy got across the gap before it was ramped up by the leaders. These five riders now working well together managed to pull out a gap of 40secs from the chasing bunch.
Without the bunch making any inroads into the leaders the five managed to stay away and it was these five that would contest the sprint finish. The finish line had been moved further up the course from the usual point, this meant that it wasn’t on the top of a short climb but on a flat section a couple of hundred meters on, this meant that riders had to keep going once they crested the climb.
As the five got over the rise it was Tim that managed to pull out a gap from Justin with Andrew third. These five riders were all given the same time but we had to wait for a further 42secs until the bunch arrived to take the remaining points on offer.
The field for the E/1/2 race was a very strong one. All the big hitters from the South had turned up to support the venue (there is room for more). Thirty riders set of on the first lap behind the course car but unlike the 3/4 race this was the first completive lap of ten.
With so many class riders making up this field it did take four laps before we managed to see some action. The usual suspects managed to get to the front and when the break came there were nine riders that attacked and soon they had a gap. The next couple of laps saw these nine away and a time gap was going up as each mile passed.
The nine riders included Mark Perry, Ben Luckwell, Ian Rees and Grant Bayton (Wilier/BigMaggys.com/Prendas Ciclismo) Stuart Bowers (Hargroves Cycles/Trant/Next/Scott/ Harry Bulstrode, Andy Bryson (DHC-RACING.CO.UK), Ian Legg (Felt/Colbournes Racing) and Nicolas Hutchings CS Grupetto.
These nine pulled a gap of nearly a minute out of the bunch and that’s how it stayed until with three laps to go Ben Luckwell punctured and took a lap out only to be followed on the next lap by Stuart Bowers who also punctured.
As the group rode towards the bell it was the Wilier boys who on the previous lap had done the damage as three of them rode through the line with Nicolas a couple of seconds down, and the remainder of the bunch were about twenty seconds further down.
Mark Perry took the win as the three leaders crossed the line in formation.
1st Mark Perry Wilier/BigMaggys.com/Prendas Ciclismo
2nd Ben Luckwell Wilier/BigMaggys.com/Prendas Ciclismo
3rd Grant Bayton Wilier/BigMaggys.com/Prendas Ciclismo
4th Nicolas Hutchings CS Grrupetto
5th Ian Rees Wilier/BigMaggys.com/Prendas Ciclismo
After the race many riders said how much they enjoyed the new circuit layout and found the racing experience an enjoyable one. This venue is fantastic and should be attracting much larger fields. The venue is virtually [is totally, Mark] traffic free and safe and secure for all abilities
The next race at Barnsfield is on Tuesday 22nd June with the next Saturday race not until July 31st. You can pre-enter events via the website at www.entryweb.co.uk.
After last week’s unseasonably warm opener, normal March weather made its return on Saturday, with a cold, steady, rain and 15mph wind lingering through both races. A total of 58 riders braved the weather, obviously needing the miles in their legs, with 42 starting the regional B event for 3rds, 4ths and Juniors. Running over 90 minutes on a course that cut back into the center of the circuit, the route turned up a sharp little hill that proved perfect for breakaways. Four eventually succeeded, with Philip Adkins of Strada Cycles, Iain Stanton of Bath CC and junior riders Steven James of Pedalon.co.uk and Gregg Shrosbee of Merida UK pulling a gap of over 3o seconds on the bunch. Notable in the breakaway was Ian Stanton, riding only his second ever road race after having only been riding for three months. After getting himself a bike throught the Cycle To Work scheme, he joined Bath Cycle Club and will, there is little doubt, go on to greater things.
As concerns this race, he was beaten into fourth place on the line, with junior rider Steve James of Pedalon.co.uk winning ahead of Philip Atkins and Greg Shrosbree. 32 seconds later, the bunch came in, led by Jason Duckworth of Tor 2000 ahead of Stuart Morton of Hargroves Cycles, James Cotty of Wheelbase.co.uk/cannondale and first ‘local’ rider, Steve Groome of Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers. Full results here.
The rain poured on relentlessy as 16 elite riders rode out for their National B race, also running over 90 minutes and also fought out at a ferocious pace despite – or perhaps because of – the weather. With 2 laps to go, four riders succesfully broke from the group, before the wind wrought havoc on the bunch with most of the top 10 crossing the line alone.
Harry Bulstrode of DH Cyclesport took the win, six seconds ahead of Steve Dring of Team Echelon-Spuik, followed into third by James Smith of Probikekit.com with Stu Bowers of Hargroves Cycles rolling in fourth, eight seconds later. Full results are here.
Now, with everybody up to race speed, next Sunday the 28th sees the first ‘proper’ race of the season, the Verwood Road Race, all 80km of it kicking off at 10.30 from The Hub in the center of Verwood. Enter here, read the very imformative preview here. Sadly, we can’t make any guarentees about the weather but we’re all grown ups here and a little weather never hurt anybody. And if the race looks a little hot, feel free to volenteer as a race marshal and receive league points as well as the heart warming feeling of doing something for the good of others.
Don’t forget that after the race there is a prize giving presentation for the 2009 season, though you should already have worked out whether this effects you or not.
After a long and particularly harsh winter, that had seen a great many events cancelled due to adverse conditions, the first event of the 2010 Wessex league got underway on a wonderfully bright and sunny spring morning. Some brave riders shed their outer layers and exposed their knees to the sunlight for the first time this year, while all showed a strong desire to blow the winter cobwebs away.
38 riders took the start of the opening 3rds/4ths Regional B event, run over 90 minutes anti clockwise around the circuit, with a ‘chicane’ through the kart track and the finish “the easy way up the hill”. Not that the riders were prepared to make the racing easy, with attacks a plenty from the beginning, many led by Eamon Deane of Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers who had entered both this race and the elite race immediately afterwards, obstensibly to “get the miles in” although also possibly as an attempt to rack up some early points up for the overall standings! Also making a good few attacks was his clubmate Dave Pickering although neither he nor any other rider managed to stay away.
So, the bunch stayed together until the final lap where, at the bottom of the circuit Pickering made a final attempt, succeeding in establishing a gap and holding it up the hill to the finish line. Although a renowned tester on the local roads, this was his first win in a mass start event and by all accounts he was quite happy with this fact.
Behind came the bunch, led in by James Ebdon of SP Systems/Wightlink ahead of James Cotty of Wheelbase.co.uk and Steve Moss of Bournemouth Arrow. Full results here, as well as a whole gallery of photos here courtsey of Graham Robins.
At midday came the National B event for E/1/2/3 riders, including the aforementioned Eamon Deane, with barely a few minutes to get his breath back. Intended for 90 minutes, the event had to be cut by several laps for time reasons and so the field of 15 riders rolled out for another fast paced event.
On the third lap, five riders broke away: Ross Adams of Red Kite Cycles, Duncan Sherwood of Hillingdon CC, Richard Eastham of Bournemouth Jubilee, Steve Dring of Team Echelon and Henry Newbury of Fareham Wheelers. They kept up a far pace, shedding Richard Eastham and Duncan Sherwood on the last lap, with the remaining three going for the line together with Steve Dring winning the sprint ahead of Henry Newbury and Ross Adams. The remaining riders were led in by Stu Bowers, finishing together 1m42 back and including Eamon Deane, who promptly totted up a few more miles by riding home. Full results here, photos here. Entry to next weeks race here. Same time, same place, same everything and, with a bit of luck, the weather will be even better. See you there.
The Wessex League is happy to announce the first races of the 2010 season:
Saturday 13th March 2010 at Barnsfield Heath full details here. There are two races, the Regional B level for 3rds, 4ths and juniors kicking off at 10am and lasting for 1hr 30 mins and the National B for elites, 1sts, 2nds, 3rds, and Juniors (1/2/3’s), starting at midday.
Both races are £16 via Entryweb with entries closing 12th March. Entry on the line (EOL) is available but costs an extra £5. The race is under British Cycling regulations. Day licences are available for an extra £10 for non-members and you will also be expected to register for the league. However there are a great many more races coming up so the cost spread over a full season is very reasonable and about what you’d spend on a decent inner tube. Thats was ONE decent inner tube.
Saturday 20th March 2010 at Barnsfield Heath full details here. This is much the same but a week later so instead of repeating ourselves, we’ll just thank QinetiQ for letting us use the facility and remind everyone to sign both in and out. This is also a nature reserve so please use the portaloos provided by us at great expense instead of trampling all over the newts. Failure to do so may result in us not being allowed to use this fantastic 3 mile circuit in future.
Similarly, gates open at 9.10 am and close at 2pm sharp and no animals or children are allowed. Not our rules we’re afraid. The entrance is up Matchams lane – follow signs for Matchams Raceway from the A31, then continue on for another 1km and it’s on the right just past the ski centre.
After the washout a fortnight ago, all eyes were fixed on the clouds for Tuesday’s final round of the Barnsfield evening series. A light, intermittent drizzle kept numbers down but what the field lacked in quantity it very much made up for in quality. Daniel Lloyd, of the Cervelo Test Team and now resident of Bournemouth signed on, as well as Luke Gray who was making his very welcome return to racing after suffering a fractured pelvis in a mountain bike race in Germany in June. Multiple Paralympic champion Darren Kenny also put in an appearance but did not ride.
A total of 30 riders took the start, split into three groups, with the E/1/2’s by far the largest (there is probably a connection between the fastest riders being the ones that don’t stay at home when its wet!). Riding on the perimeter track with little to slow them down, the field had come together by half distance and continued in this manner till the bell lap at 1 hour. Several breakaways attempts were made without success and, ultimately, Richard Horton of Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers pulled a significant gap on the last climb, riding his Dad’s classic lugged steel Chas Roberts frame across the line a good five seconds ahead of the chasing pack. Leading the bunch home was Mark Perry of Sportsbeans/Wilier, from Jason Eastwood of VC St Raphael and fourteen other riders (full results here). Daniel Lloyd pulled out, still suffering an injury from last week’s Tour of Denmark while many more besides wilted under the pace.
With the skies darkening it was clear to see why this is, sadly, the last of the evening races for this year, although there will be a further three weekend races at (hopefully!) Barnsfield Heath come September, not forgetting the Dorset Tour in just under a fortnight. With a bit of luck, the weather may have remembered that it’s still summer by then. Here’s hoping.
Wessexvelo 