Crits Rd 2, ESCA 50 and racing round-up
The second of Lewes Wanderers’ series of three Criterium road races took place on the evening of Thursday 13th June. There was a slightly depleted field, perhaps in part due to the threat of further downpours, but as it was there was barely a spot from the sky and the brisk breeze was generally in the riders’ favour.
The gently rolling Laughton course with its two long straights isn’t conducive to breakaways, but just for once there was one. The half-dozen riders weren’t allowed to get far away and were reeled in before the finish, but they did mop up the trio of intermediate Prime sprints between them.
Bizarrely the first three over the line in the first of those were in identical order to the opening sprint the week before. Carl Farrell (Sussex Revolution Velo Club) beating Steve Kane (ASL) and James Bullen (URDT). Bullen took the spoils the next time around, ahead of the ASL pair of Steve Kane and Chris Filewood, while Kane got the better of Bullen on lap 4 followed by Paul Tomlinson (SRVC).
Sadly there was a big crash on The Broyle on the last lap with 20 riders coming down. The race ambulance was on hand to tend to those seriously injured, but two more had to be called for as five competitors required hospital treatment. The British Cycling commissaires neutralized the race to allow those who were affected, but willing and able to continue to do so and thus at least 27 of the 46 starters finished. Lewes Wanderer Joe Benians was one of the lucky ones to stay upright even if he had nothing left to left to give and rolled across the line behind the bunch.
Filewood led home Bem Tappenden (trainSharp) in Round 1, but for this round Tappenden just edged out Filewood and his ASL team-mate Matthew Butt with Tomlinson in fourth. The third place Filewood took at the second Prime gives him a three point advantage over Tappenden going into the final round on Thursday 20th with Tomlinson and Bullen still with an outside chance of overall victory.
Not far down the A22 Michael Valks and Paul Hanratty were among thirteen riders taking part in the latest of Eastbourne Rovers summer time-trials. Michael covered the 10-mile course in 24 minutes and 41 seconds to secure 5th place, while Paul was 10th in 27:50.
Nick Dwyer by Emma Gearing
Lewes Wanderer Nick Dwyer was up in Hertfordshire on the A41 near Tring on the afternoon of Saturday 15th June for a Hemel Hempstead CC 10-mile time trial. Such was the standard and quality of the opposition that Nick’s phenomenal time of 19 minutes and 20 seconds, which was only 3 seconds outside of his own club record was only good enough for joint 23rd place out of the 134 finishers.
Nick had somehow recovered both from that effort and the, minor disappointment to be one of five Wanderers to take part in the East Sussex Cycling Association 50-mile event the following morning. Not only that, but despite having to stop to re-engage his chain he stormed round the A22-centred course in 1 hour, 49 minutes and 58 seconds to finish 2nd.
Fastest in the 45-49 year old males category, and 6th overall, was Brett Davis in 1:56:00, while Peter Baker was quickest in the 60-64 age group and 20th in 2:07:49. Gavin Richards was just ahead in 16th with 2:04:16 and Vince Busk was 28th out of 35 in a time of 2:14:46.
