It was a really warm evening on and off the track at week four of the Brooks Cycles Track League at the Lyme Valley Velodrome, Newcastle, Staffs. With temperatures in the mid 20's it was a great night for outdoor track racing. The A Class endurance events were dominated by Ryan Whatmough, Shepherds Cycles, who is already opening up a gap in the overall league, as he won the 10 lap scratch, devil and 10 mile scratch as well as being a member of the winning Team Pursuit team. The 10 mile event was run off at a cracking pace with a overall time of 20 mins 52 seconds. The pace of the race did not drop throughout the event with the 30 starters lined out from the off. With 6 laps to go Ryan Whatmough attacked with Andy Leigh, Velocity RT joining him. They worked together with Ryan putting in another attack with 300m to go to take the win with Andy just getting caught by the bunch on the line.
The Sprint events saw British Cycling ODP Rider Matt Rotherham, Sportcity Velo compete and he showed he his class as he won the 2 -up time trial with his brother Tom and also win the keiren final. He was also a member of the winning Team sprint Team with Joel Partington, Sportcity Velo and Steve Cronshaw Brooks Cycles. The keirem final was a blanket finish with Phil Houlton, Brooks Cycles running Matt very close for the win in second place.
The B Class events saw a good turnout of 17 riders compete. Neil Cummins returned to the league for the first time this year and he won the opening 8 lap scratch in fine style. Bernard Swinnerton, Lyme RC won the Course de primes and Youth A rider Paige Millward, Lyme RC producing a superb last lap to catch Bernard Swinnerton on the line to take the victory in the devil. The final 10 mile event saw Steve Hall, Lyme RC hold off what was left of the B riders to take a well deserved win.
In the Youth events Sallie Birchall,Lyme RC won two events in the devil and the 6 lap scratch. Sallie is now looking at moving up to the B Class events next week. The other individual win came from James Duncalf, Lyme RC who held on to win the 1 km block handicap from Bradley Hill, Lyme RC and Megan Williams, Lyme RC. One pleasing aspect to these three riders is that all were riding the Freewheelers League last year and have now moved up to the main league and are holding their own against more experienced riders.
Three new registered for the Freewheelers League this week taking this years registered riders up to an impressive 42. There were some very keenly contested races over all three groups with Group 1 riders recording some impressive times in the 200m time trial race which is always the first race of the night. Across the three groups the top points scorers were as foolows;
Group 1 Olivia Braybrooke Eastlands Velo 6 Points
Group 2 Edward Mulroy Congleton CC 6 Points
Group 3 Olly Davis Lyme RC 7 Points
Freewheelers Results
Group 1
Race 1
1st James Brayford Lyme RC
2nd Alex Coates Lyme RC
3rd Harvey Myatt Newcastle Tri Club
Race 2
1st Ambrose Morris Lyme RC
2nd Olivia Braybrooke Eastlands Velo
3rd Brandon McMillan Lyme RC
Race 3
1st Brandon McMillan
2nd Sam Hall Lyme RC
3rd Ambrose Morris
Race 4
1st Olivia Braybrooke
2nd Harvey Myatt
3rd James Brayford
Group 2
Race 1
1st Aaron Mansell Lyme RC
2nd Joe Boulton Lyme RC
3rd Sophie Bassett Lyme RC
Race 2
1st Thomas Hughes
2nd Edwards Mulroy Congleton CC
3rd Natasha Sandbach
Race 3
1st Harry Brayford Lyme RC
2nd Sophie Bassett
3rd Natasha Sandbach
Race 4
1st Edward Mulroy
2nd Natasha Sandbach
3rd Harry Brayford
Group 3
Race 1
1st Evie Davis Lyme RC
2nd Jessica Hughes
3rd Cameron O'Neil Lyme RC
Race 2
1st Cameron O'Neil
2ndq Evie Davis
3rd Olly Davis Lyme RC
Race 3
1st Olly Davis
2nd Nicholas Sandbach
3rd James Turner Lyme RC
Race 4
1st Olly Davis
2nd Cameron O'Neil
3rd Evie Davis
Main League
Youth Block Handicap
1st James Duncalf Lyme RC
2nd Bradley Hill Lyme RC
3rd Megan Williams Lyme RC
A Class Endurance 10 lap Scratch
1st Ryan Whatmough Shepherds Cycles
2nd Paul Whatmough Shepherds Cycles
3rd James Notley Planet X
A Class Sprinters 2- Up Time Trial
1st Matt Rotherham and Thomas Rotherham Sportcity Velo
2nd Steve Cronshaw and Phil Houlton Brooks Cycles
Sean Mayer and Barney Swinnerton Swinnerton Cycles
B Class 8 lap Scratch
1st Neil Cummins PM
2nd Bernard Swinnerton Lyme RC
3rd Sam Birchall Velocity RT
Youth Devil
1st Sallie Birchall Lyme RC
2nd Joe Swinnerton Lyme RC
3rd Ashleigh Williams Lyme RC
A Class Endurance Team Pursuit
1st Ryan Whatmough
Paul Whatmough
James Notley
Jack Payne Sportcity Velo
Alex Simmons Swinnerton Cycles
A Class Team Sprint
1st Joel Partington Sportcity Velo
Steve Cronshaw Brooks Cycles
Matt Rotherham
B Class Devil
1st Paige Millward Lyme RC
2nd Bernard Swinnerton
3rd Sam Birchall
Youth Team Sprint
1st Olivia Braybrooke
James Duncalf Lyme RC
Liam Zwetschnikow Lyme RC
James Brayford Lyme RC
Joe Swinnerton
A Class Endurance Devil
1st Ryan Whatmough
2nd Paul Whatmough
3rd Alex Simmons
Keiren League Final
1st Matt Rotherham
2nd Phil Houlton
3rd Thomas Rotherham
4th Barney Swinnerton
5th Joel Partington
6th Steve Cromshaw
B Class Course De Primes
1st Bernard Swinnerton
2nd Steve Hall Lyme RC
3rd Jack Fearon Weaver Valley CC
Youth Scratch
1st Sallie Birchall
2nd Ashleigh Williams
3rd James Brayford
10 Mile Scratch
1st Ryan Whatmough
2nd Thomas Rotherham
3rd Paul Whatmough
B Class
1st Steve Hall
2nd Conner Fearon
3rd Sam Birchall