Reading Cycling Club press report, week ending 4 April 2010

Easter racing news.

Road Racing

Reading CC's veteran road racer Wayne Thomas had a busy Easter with 120
miles of racing in three events.

On Good Friday it was the Castle Combe motor racing circuit for a 56km
race along with 90 other 3rd cat riders including teammates Steve Bale
and John Snead. Having arrived to foul wet and windy weather the race
itself was blessed with a dry weather window. The race got off to a
ferocious start which caught out a number of riders in the opening lap -
and subsequent attrition reduced the peloton to barely 50 riders at the
finish. Attack after attack was to follow with many short-lived breaks
pulled back by an aggressive peleton, with Bale and Snead contributing
at the head of affairs from time to time. On the final lap the pace was
kept high and with gaps appearing over the last 500 metres Thomas made
up ground to finish in the top 20 with Snead and Bale just behind. Bale
commented: "With the large field there was always enough strength in
the peloton to chase anything. I got in a couple of breaks but it just
takes a couple of non-workers and you're never going to get away."

Saturday saw the third and final event of the "Beyond Spring Series" at
the Hillingdon circuit. Another 54km event with some 70+ 2/3/4 cat
riders. where Wayne Thomas was joined by teammates John Snead, Trevor
Bradbury and Dave Harmsworth. Despite the very windy conditions there
were a number of early attacks, with Clive Nicholls , High Wycombe CC,
blowing everyone off his wheel and riding alone for over 75% of the race
to come home a very worthy winner. Bradbury showed his track experience
riding very comfortably and holding position in the large often packed
peloton, whilst Snead showed his usual combative self. All of Reading's
riders finished well in the lunch sprint, however due to a failure with
the camera system, actual placings are not known.

On Sunday, Wayne Thomas was once more in action as Reading CC's sole
representative on the Blackmore course (Essex) in an 80km LVRC road race
- the first of the season long Mstina competition. A peleton of 42
riders set off to a cold damp start, with Thomas leading through the
first few miles. Three riders broke away very early on lap one - indeed
it was almost unkown until well in to the race - and succeeded in
opening a gap of over 90 seconds by the finish, with ever strong Ray
Palin the winner. Thomas rode solidly at the head of the peleton for
much of the time and bridged three times to short lived breaks. In the
final sprint for the line, though finishing rapidly it was tough for
Thomas to get through, finishing approx 10th in the peloton - 14th
overall.

Time Trials

Rod MacFadyen opened his season with the Maidenhead hilly 30-mile
time-trial on a loop starting at Lane End and finishing at Frieth. Local
rider Tejvan Pettinger was a clear winner in 1.09:30. MacFadyen was 12th
of 18 finishers in 1.21:36. He notes, "having dodged potholes and
puddles all afternoon to my horror I rode straight over a small sharp
crater as I made a left turn for the last hill to the finish. Perhaps
tiredness made me less observant. The rear wheel impact flatted and I
had to get off the bike. As the finish line was just a few hundred
metres away I walked/jogged as best I could in cleated shoes and pushed
the bike over the line to record a time."

The first evening time trial of the season took place mid-week. Fastest
club rider on the night was Stephen Bale bringing some of his early
season form from road racing. Second was Stephen Millward and third by
only 5 seconds was Simon Notley. The fastest rider on the was AW Cycles
rider Simon Ernest with 22:47.

Torture 45 sportive
On a bright Easter morning 20 riders signed on for John Wann's hilly
tour of the Hambleden Valley. Wann reports: "First home were Trevor
Bradbury & Steve Bale, closely followed by Paul Elcock who had to
re-inflate his front tire a couple of times in the final 1km.
Particularly notable was Jason Pitt, who at 14 (and a bit) is, to my
knowledge, the youngest rider to ever complete the full course."

Sunday Clubrun
All groups leave Reading Market Place at 9am on Sundays

Roderick MacFadyen
Reading Cycling Club