WXCRL Bournemouth Arrow Road Race 12-09-09

Ross Adams takes a four-man group to win.

The sun made a very welcome return to the penultimate round of the Wessex League 2009 series, with blue skies, cornfields and crickets chirruping in the hedgerows making for a quite continental atmosphere. There was even a tractor cutting hedgerows within the first km of the race that the field of over 40 riders negotiated without suffering a single puncture, which has to stand as some sort of record.

Safely around, the field settled into a jumpy first couple of laps, with a strong tailwind on the main road making for lots of attempted breakaways. None succeeded until the end of the second lap, at the turning off the main road by the Horton Inn and the short, shallow climb towards Horton village. Ross Adams of Red Kite/Torq went first and was soon joined by Jamie Howard of Exeter Wheelers and between them they opened a gap. Roland Tilley of Ride Team jumped across, followed by Richard Eastham of Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers.

“I knew Ross was a strong rider, and remembered Jamie from the Dorset Tour.” Said Roland Tilley. Richard Eastham agreed: “I saw the two riders go and knew they were both very strong, then when Rolly got across I knew this was a break I had to be in. As soon as I went, the bunch seemed to stop chasing, so I got across to the break and shouted at them to keep it going.” They did, working together and pulling out a two minute gap. All agreed that, up till the last lap, each rider worked as a team, sharing the load equally. “The weirdest thing was that we seemed to be doing our little stint in the same place each lap.” Ross Adams and Jamie Howard joked afterwards. “You’d do your turn on the front and pull off at the same bit of roadkill as last lap.” With a four minute gap by the half way point, their lead seemed secure and the bunch seemed content for them to get away.

“It was quite a negative race.” Said Adrian Kirby of Chippenham and District Wheelers who, amongst others, did attempt to get some sort of a chase going. “The break went up the road and everyone just rode round and waited for the race to finish.” This they did, with eight laps of the 11km circuit and under a hot sun.

With a lap to go, the break now had a five minute lead and some were suffering more than others:

“I was bluffing for the last lap.” Said Richard Eastham. “And was just holding on but Ross put a dig in up the hill and I just couldn’t follow.” He was dropped while the remaining three started racing for themselves. Tilley tried to get away on the main road just before the final turn but was brought back just before the three slowed down for the tight final corner. “I wasn’t confidant of my sprint.” Said Ross Adams. “I’d had a crash about a month ago and this was only my second race back since then.” Not that seemed to slow him, for he crossed the line just ahead of Jamie Howard. “I’d got a gap out of the last corner but Ross got round me.” Said Howard. “It was a well deserved win, though, he was clearly the strongest rider.” Roland Tilley was a little further back: “I was third in line at the start of the sprint, which was a good place to be but I just didn’t have it the legs.” Richard Eastham came in fourth, a minute down, with the bunch a further four minutes behind him.

The sprint for fifth was hotly contested: David Young of Fareham Wheelers broke away in the final lap but was dragged back within sight of the line, with James Jones of Didcot Phoenix getting fifth place and Barry Clewett of Bournemouth Arrow getting sixth in his own club’s road race. Full results here. Aching legs and salt-caked faces pointed to a hard-fought race over several hours, with praise given to the flowing course – not to mention the weather, although that’s nothing to do with us!

Next Sunday sees the autumn road race, based out of Holt a few miles to the south and run over similar roads but with added hills, and finishing off the Wessex League 2009 program of events. Obviously, we can’t guarantee good weather for this one but we can provide good racing.

All photos Graham Robins for LOADS more just click on the link.

Preview: WXCRL Bournemouth Arrow Road Race (12th Sept)

Autumn is on it’s way but that’s a good thing, as it brings a whole host of weekend races. If you’re in need of a last, desperate points grab to move up a category, if you’re riding into form for the winter track or cross season or if you just plain want to race your bike around a bit, then we have two races in the next fortnight.

The first, this coming Saturday, is organised by the Bournemouth Arrow Cycling Club have organised a nice 88km burn around the popular Woodlands circuit near Verwood. This, as well as being in keeping with the Wessex League’s policy of making all their circuit’s really pretty, is a nice, flowing route with only one real hill. It’s also fairly easy to get to. No really: if you’re coming from Southampton way, take either the B3083 north after Ringwood, continue through Verwood then turn left in to Woodlands, or take the next junction through Ashley Heath, Three Legged Cross and turn right before the village of Horton. Coming from Salisbury, take the B3081 towards Cranborne, then turn right toward Wimborne and you’ll be on the circuit in a few km’s. If that doesn’t work then drive around till you find a cyclist and follow them. Unless its a club run, obviously.

The race starts at 10.30, entry closes in 3 days enter on line here, EOL is available but £5 extra. The weather reports say fine, though they always do, don’t they? And, better still, there’s another race the following Sunday, which we’ll preview in good time. See ya there.