RACE REPORT
Hog Hill Winter Series 27th December 2008
Several hours before the first race was due to start conditions were frosty but as race time approached the circuit had thawed and the surface was drying out with the aid of the very cold brisk east wind.
Race 1; 4th cat ; Regional C+ Race Time; 40 minutes 11 Laps
Just twenty one 4th cat riders on the line for this one, once under way no 36, Nigel Stephens (Rapha Condor) led the way opening up a small gap. His lead had grown to 28 seconds over chasers Dan Corby (Finchley RT) and Tim Butt (MAD CC) by the end of lap 3. By the end of lap 6, Stephens had doubled his lead to 57 seconds over loan chaser corby. Lapping consistently the lead grew, and by the end (11th lap) Stephens crossed the line 1min 28sec clear of 2nd placed rider Corby with 3rd going to Butt.
Race 2; 3rd -4th Regional B Race Time; 1 hour 16 Laps
Nineteen riders for this one, and again an attack from the start saw two East London Velo riders away, 109 followed closely by 130, David Barnes. At the end of lap 2 Barnes led the way with the bunch at 13 seconds. Impressive riding saw his lead over the chasers grow on each lap, and by lap 11 his lead was 1.07. The bunch did manage to reduce this lead by the finish (16th lap) to 50 seconds when no 135, Nick Calverey (Finchley RT) won the sprint for 2nd place just ahead of Michael Corke, (London Dynamo) but it was Barnes that took the win.
Race 2; Women Race Time; 1 hour 15 Laps
Starting 45 seconds behind the men’s race, the four ladies stayed together until the final lap when No 52, Ruth Middleton, (VC Londres) put in a big effort at the bell to open up a small gap. Lyndall Newton-Earley gave chase to no avail finishing 3 seconds behind Middleton. Anna Grundy (East London Velo) at 10 sec, Elizabeth Chittenden (Eagle RC) at 15 sec was 3rd, and Chittenden 4th.
Race 3; E, 1,2,3, National B Race Time; 1 hour 16 Laps
A steady start to this race with Mark Perry, (Dulwich Paragon) leading the way for the first 3 laps. On lap 4 Emma Trott, (Halfords Bikehut) had lost contact on the steep climb up to the finish but worked hard on the decent to get back on only to lose contact again on the very next time up the climb to the finish.
By lap 12 three riders led the way, No 72 Philip Murrell, (Finsbury Park CC), Perry and team mate Cosmo Kendros, (Dulwich Paragon) with No 158, Simon Bateson, East London Velo at 21 sec.
At the bell the three leaders were only 9 seconds ahead of Bateson who was giving his all. As the riders climbed the hill the final time to the chequered flag it was a four man sprint. Kendros crossed the line 1st followed closely by Murrell 2nd, Perry 3rd with Bateson crossing the line a very tired 4th.
Regional C+
1 Nigel Stephens Rapha Condor
2 Dan Corby Finchley RT
3 Tim Butt MAD
4 Phil Cloke SFA CC
5 Glen Carr Met Police
6 Keith Gross Glendene CC
7 James Conway Met Police
8 Matthew Harper London Phoenix
9 Martin Orpen Interbike CC
10 Michael Wright Dulwich Paragon
Regional B
1 David Barnes East London Velo/EE
2 Nick Calverey Finchley RT
3 Michael Corke London Dynamo
4 James Sale Eagle RC
5 Scott Bentley Dulwich Paragon
6 Rob Windsor East London Velo/EE
7 Rob Jeffrey London Dynamo
8 Darren Cainey East London Velo/EE
9 Christopher Baldwin Eagle RC
10 Samuel Fry Glendene CC
11 Dermot Kearly Mosquito Bikes
Women Only
1 Ruth Middleton Velo Club Londres
2 Lyndall Newton-Earley Finchley RC
3 Anna Grundy East London Velo/EE
4 Elizabeth Chittenden Eagle RC
National B
1 Cosmo Kendros Dulwich Paragon
2 Philip Murrell Finsurby Park CC
3 Mark Perry Dulwich Paragon
4 Simon Bateson East London Velo/EE
5 Ed Graefe East London Velo/EE
6 Emma Trott Halfords Bikehut
