TLI Moreton Series Finale 05/08/2010

After a week’s break, the final round of the Moreton series got underway yesterday with a full field. Not wanting to suggest that cyclists are all massive skinflints but the free entry and refreshments might have had something to do with it. A similarly large turnout of WAGS and other family members made for a good atmosphere, as well as hoovering up any surplus cake afterwards.

After a minute’s silence in rememberance of Peter Tindley – a member of organising club CC Weymouth – the racing got underway, with the 25 strong ‘scratch’ group dominating proceedings. Within eight laps, they had caught the front of the field and then continued on, splitting the field.

Charles Rees of Raleigh RT won the bunch sprint ahead of Stu Bowers of Hargroves Cycles, Andrew Boyd of CC Weymouth and Roland Tilley of Ride Cycleworks. Coming in fifth was Jay Eastwood of VC St Raphael, nursing a sore shoulder from his crash last month. Also in the bunch was Richard Horton, swapping his 20 year old Chas Roberts for a single speed. Be warned, he now has a modern carbon fibre bike with gears and everything waiting in the wings.

After the racing, there was a prize giving for the league.

Jay Eastwood won overall – his string of seven victories sealing the deal.

Barry Clewett of CC Weymouth (here with Eamonn Deane, right) scored the same as Jay through consistency, with a top five position in nearly every race that he entered.

Roland Tilley made second place his own this series, in between riding a full program of Wessex League and MTB races. The man clearly does not believe in rest days.

A full list of league results can be found here.

Moreton will be back next year, although in what format no one is entirely sure. Organiser Pete has hinted at retirement and, hopefully for all concerned, someone else will take charge. So it just leaves us to thank everybody involved and remind you that Pete is organising a race on 15th August around the Worgret course. Entries are welcomed. Contact him at petersailmakers@talktalk.net.

Moreton Series Grand Finale

After a one week break to have the village hall’s floor polished, Moreton makes its return this Thursday for one final blast.

This is the last event of the series and entry will be free – as will the ample refreshments and afterwards there will be a prize giving. Overall results are as follows:

1. Jay Eastwood                                           VC Raphael                                        55  Points    
2. Barry Clewett                                            CC Weymouth                                    55  Points    
3.Roland Tilley                                             Ride Cycle Works UK                         53  Points  
4.Andrew Boyd                                             CC Weymouth                                    53  Points 
5.Stuart Bowers                                           Hargrove Cycles                                 44  Points 
6.John Wickham                                          CC Weymouth                                    30  Points 
7.Steve Groome                                           Bournemouth Jubilee Whlrs            30  Points 
8.Nick Best                                                    Bournemouth Jubilee Whlrs           30  Points 
9.Shaun Amor                                              UK Biking NET                                   19  Points 
10 Charles Rees                                        Raleigh RT                                           19  Points 
 11.Kim Abbott                                             Offcamber                                             19 Points
  12.Paul Hopkins                                       Merida UK                                             19 Points
 13.Steve Dring                                           Team Echelon SPUK                          13  Points
14. Anthony Birbeck                                    Bournemouth Arrow/Collingwood    13  Points
15.Sean Conway                                         Bournemouth Arrow Colllingwood   11  Points
16.Martin Peters                                          CC Weymouth                                      11  Points
17.Ruichard Davidson                               Poole Whlrs                                           10  Points
18.Julian Thacker                                       CC Weymouth                                       10  Points
19.Paul Goodison                                       CC Weymouth                                        9  Points
20.Gregg Shrosbree                                   Ride Cycle Works UK                            9  Points                                
21.Iain Johnson                                          Bournemouth Jubilee Whlrs                 8  Points
22.John Hayes                                            Ride Cycle Works UK                             8 Points
23.Steve Gordon                                         Dorset  Rough Riders                           8  Points
24.James Horton                                        Primera                                                   8  Points
25.Denny French                                        Bournemouth Jubilee Whlrs                7  Points
26.Simon Pettifer                                        NA                                                             7 Points
27Robert Lubada                                       Bournemouyh Arrow/Collingwood      7  Points

(Just a quick disclaimer – this is the Moreton series, which is not part of the Wessex League, which has a classification all of its own).

TLI Moreton Series 22/07/2010

After his run of five winning races at Moreton, Jay Eastwood was an unfortunate abscentee from the series he has made his own this season. Involved in the crash at the last Wessex League round, the Summer Road Race, he is reportedly resting up with a possible injury to his shoulder.

This is all heard on the cycling grapevine, so don’t quote us or anything but here’s hoping for a speedy recovery and a swift return to racing for the VC Raphael rider.

For everybody else, life had got a  tiny little bit easier and the finishing order reflected the usual deal at Moreton but with everybody scoring one place above their usual finishing position. The red, scratch, group caught the front of the race as the 47 rider field crossed the line at the start of the last lap and CC Weymouth’s Jens Voigt lookalike Barry Clewett took the bunch gallop. Stu Bowers of Hargroves Cycles got second and Andrew Boyd of CC Weymouth third. Two newcomers came in next in the shape of Charles Rees of Raleigh RT and Yvan Mohasse of Union Cycliste Aurillacoise (apologies if either the rider or the club name is wrong). Sixth was Roland Tilley of RideUK, (probably kicking himself as he usually finishes 2nd behind Jay) ahead of Steve Groome of Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers, John Wickham of CC Weymouth and Paul Hopkins and Greg Shrosbree of Merida UK.

Next week, there will be no racing due to the HQ having its floor polished or something, however the final round of the series will be on 5th August. Entry will be free and there will be a prize giving afterwards.

TLI Moreton Series 08/07/10

1 Jay Eastwood  VC St Raphael

2 Andy Boyd  CC Weymouth

3 Barry Clewet  CC Weymouth

4 Roland Tilley  Ridebikeuk

5 James Horton  Primera

6 John Wickham CC Weymouth

7 Will Stephenson Bournemouth Arrow

8 Martin Peters CC Weymouth

9 Nick Best Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers

57 riders, including one Belgian, one Dutchman and Trevor Fenwick, who technically counts as French these days.

TLI Moreton Series 01/07/2010

With a large part of the field away at the mountain bike nationals, this Thursday’s race was likely to be a little different from the usual. It still ended in a bunch sprint but with Shaun Amor of UK Biking taking the win, with no one less surprised than him!

31 riders took the start, including MTBer Liz Gilmour of Primera Sport, riding her first road race and thoroughly enjoying it by all accounts. On paper, things were looking good for VC St Raphael’s Jay Eastwood but, with only seven riders in the ‘red’ scratch group, they had a lot of work to do to make up their deficit.

They got to with in a minute and a half but the, slower, blue and green groups had smelt blood and were working hard together. With a lap to go, it became apparent that they would stay clear and the twenty rider group all started thinking that they could get a result. Richard Davidson of Poole Wheelers went for a long one but was dragged back by Shaun Amor, who caught him on the line to win. Third was Paul Goodison of CC Weymouth ahead of Iain Johnson of Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers, Anthony Birbeck of Bournemouth Arrow and Steve Gordon of Dorset Rough Riders. Nick Best of Bournemouth Jubilee got seventh, John Harris of Dorset Rough Riders eighth and Dave Hicks of Bournemouth Jubilee was ninth.

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”

TLI Moreton Series Rnd 5 17/06/2010

Jay Eastwood took his third consecutive win in the Moreton series from a bunch sprint on a pleasently warm evening at the leafy south Dorset circuit. With riders now settled into the series – newbies and old hands alike now with some race miles in their legs – the field was largely polarised into two groups, with more than twenty one in the scratch ‘red’ group and eighteen in the, easier, ‘green’ group. The greens worked hard, sharing the workload, but the reds worked harder, catching them with four laps to go.

For the next three laps, numerous attempts were made to get away by Rupert Silman, Joe Horton, Eamon Deane and others but all were dragged back and the race finished in a bunch gallop. Jay Eastwood of VC St Raphael won again, ahead of Barry Clewett and Andrew Boyd of CC Weymouth, with Stu Bowers of Hargoves Cycles fourth, Paul Hopkins of Merida UK fifth and Nick Best of Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers sixth.

TLI Moreton Series 10/06/2010

Forecast ‘heavy showers’ held off at Moreton this Thursday, although a strong tailwind on the main road made for a very fast race. Starting in four groups, it took the two fastest groups eight of the ten laps to make their handicap back. The race ended in the usual bunch sprint, despite an attempt by Stu Bowers to get away in the last km.  Jay Eastwood took his second consecutive win, once again edging out Roland Tilley.

1. Jay Eastwood     M2   VC Raphael
2. Roland Tilley       B     Ride Cycle Works UK
3. Barry Clewett      B     CC Weymouth
4.Jon Hayes           M2   Ride Cycle Works UK
5.Robert Labuda    JNR   Bournemouth Arrow
6.Steve Groome     M2    Bournemouth Jubilee Whlrs
7.Stuart Bowers     M1    Hargrove Cycles
8.Bob Koppenhol   A       Dorset Rough Riders

Moreton Kermis Series Rnd 3 03/06/2010

Another good turnout with 53 Riders coming to the line including 3 Ladies. Riders were set off in 5 handicap groups and Scratch Group caught the rest of the field with 2 laps to go.

A bunch of about 25 riders came to the final sprint Jay Eastwood(VC St Raphael) narrowly winning from Roland Tilley (Ride Cycle Works UK) with Andrew Boyd (CC Weymouth) third.

RESULT

1st Jay Eastwood       M2      VC Raphael
2nd Roland Tilley        B          Ride Cycle Works UK
3rd Andrew Boyd       M1       CC Weymouth
4th Barry Clewett        A         CC Weymouth
5th Simon Pettifer       M2     N/A
6th Steve Dring            M2      Team Echelon SP1UK
7th Julian Thacker     M2      CC Weymouth
8th Mark Hardwick     B         Bournemouth Arrow

Race report by Pete Washington (TLI Moreton Organiser)

Moreton Kermis Series Rnd 3 27/05/10

After dodging the tractors in the first week and sprinting on gravel in the second, the third round of the Moreton series ran free of major hazards. So it was a little ironic that it was this week that saw a major crash on the last lap. Putting some mileage in the theory that the more tricky you make a race the more sensibly everyone will ride, the crash was blamed on

‘idiotic riding’ by ‘idiots who can’t ride trying to win the race on the last corner’. So claimed Eamon Deane, after ending his race in a water filled ditch, having bounced off a tree and wrecked his front wheel.

Up until then, the race had gone well: over 40 riders signing-on on a bright, warm evening. There was a strong wind, making for a hard race, with the field coming together with four laps to go. The crash came after the last corner, turning off the main road and onto the newly laid surface of the finishing straight. Wheels touched and several riders were caught up in the carnage. Several picked their way through, with Charles Rees of Raleigh RT and Stu Bowers of Hargroves Cycles finishing in a virtual dead heat. After much studying of the photograph, the win was given to Charles Rees, with Kim Abbott of Off Camber third and Andrew Boyd of CC Weymouth fourth. Greg Shrosbee came fifth ahead of a brace of CC Weymouth riders: Ian Cardy sixth, Julian Thacker seventh and John Wickham eighth. Lewis Keightley and Martin Peters rounded out the top ten.

To finish with a couple more rants: Could all entrants please fill out an entry form, as Pete is getting fed up with checking riders numbers against an illegible scrawl on the signing-on sheet. If you want your name  and club up here in the results then make sure we can tell who you are. And, finally, keep to the left of the white line on the main road when turning into the last corner. Its bad enough having the bunch spread across the entire road but to see a solitary, dropped, rider take the ‘racing line’ in this way is just stupid.

That is all. See you Tuesday for the next Heath Road Race.