by Col » Mon May 18, 2009 3:32 pm
I am somewhat behind in reporting on here so 1st the previous weeks race at Thorney Island, which Alan entered, but was still in Majorca! The race was in the Thorney Island Military base so security was in evidence, on arrival two young lads totting Machine guns meant I was on my best behaviour as I was checked in! The RAF previously used Thorney Island and the race took place around the airfield, so very flat and windy.
The race was 13 laps and started slowly until the end of the 1st lap and the attacks went in quick succession. It wasn’t until Phil Bull and Malcolm Whitehead joined up in front that I had to stop following the wheels and jump up to them myself, which was after a somewhat harder effort than I would have liked.
Sticking to their back wheels with no intention of going through until I had recovered, luckily they carried on working. It took me a lap before I could contribute to the pace and all hell was let loose in the chasing bunch which was disintegrating and what was left joined us.
A few more laps and various attacks, which left me in the back group with three others, so again a big effort and I just made it back to the front again. Another lap of trying to recover then Malcolm Whitehead took off and no one chased, at first I had a few pulls, but Phil Bull seemed to be working for him and not coming through.
Various individual attacks before Ray Robinson started barking army orders and we started working together again, pulling Malcolm back to within a few hundred metres before the start of the last lap. The inevitable missing of turns between the seven of us chasing and Phil Bull attacking meant I had to chase him down and the others chased us, then no one wanting to come through.
Malcolm’s lead grew again as we started thinking of the sprint coming into the last 500m Phil Bull was in TT mode and I was lying about 4th or 5th back not wanting to get out of the 30mph + slip stream to early, as there was a cross headwind up the finish straight finally the sprint opened just before the yellow flag and I went for it just as Bob Moore in front did as well. I came up to his back wheel and went for the outside he was drifting across to the other side of the track, but I was still coming around him so tight on the line it needed a photo. I nearly wiped out the judge; I think that’s why he got the verdict!
Still good as the points now put me within one of the overall lead.
1 59 Whitehead Malcolm
2 56 Moore Bob
3 50 Bateman Colin ACC 2c
4 65 Palin Ray
5 62 Allen Paul
6 66 Robinson Ray
7 67 Stubbens Tony
8 53 Bull Phil
9 69 Williams David
10 68 Thomas Wayne
11 51 Bird Paul
12 55 Grant Andy
13 54 Deen Mick
14 58 Stratford Martin
Mstina SE Series 2009 Points Chart
1 Phil BULL VC Elan/Harry Perry Cycles
2 Colin BATEMAN ACC 2c Festival RC
eq 3 Jerry BROMYARD RNRMCA
eq 3 David CHURCHILL Bigfoot Bike Club
eq 5 Malcolm WHITEHEAD Kingsnorth Int Wheelers
eq 5 Bob MOORE Ciclisti Vecchi - Amtec
7 Martin HULBERT VC Meudon
8 Mick DEEN Redmon CC
9 Paul BIRD East London Velo
eq 10 Mick LANE Kent Cycles RT
eq 10 Les LIDDIARD Team Endura-Thule-24/7-MI Racing
12 Nigel WOOD Dulwich Paragon CC
13 Andy GRANT Ciclisti Vecchi - Amtec
14 Richard KEMP Redbridge CC
eq 15 Colin MONK Bishop Stortford C.C.
eq 15 Martin STRATFORD Defence Academy
eq 17 John HALL Verulam CC
eq 17 Chris READ San Fairy Ann CC
19 Steve BARNSLEY Ciclisti Vecchi - Amtec
eq 20 Steve SMITH Redbridge CC
eq 20 Steve WHARTON Finchley RT
eq 22 Keith GROSS Glendene CC - Biketrax
eq 22 Stephen MINTER Gateway Cycling
eq 22 Phil JAKSZTA Team Quest
eq 22 Vincent DAVISON Victoria CC/Ciclos Uno/Prolite
eq 22 Graham SIMMS Stratford CC
eq 22 John SANCHEZ-BISSON DHCyclesport.co.uk - Colnago
eq 22 John WILLIS Bayeux Landscapes CC
eq 22 Patrice GOUGHAM Finchley RT
eq 22 Stephen STANBROOK Glendene CC - Biketrax
Last edited by
Col on Thu May 28, 2009 5:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.