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ROAD RACE RESULTS 2003

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BEDFORD HARRIERS HALF MARATHON - SUNDAY 14TH DEC 2003

 

Richard Somerset, Club President Andy Lancaster and Club Treasurer Sheena Lancaster competed in the Bedford Harriers half marathon at Great Barford near Sandy. On a lumpy course and in cool and distinctly windy conditions Richard, taking part in his first ever half marathon finished in a respectable time of 1:37:59, coming 238th out of 977 finishers. Andy despite two weeks without running due to illness completed the distance in 1:39:57 for 279th place. Sheena broke her personal best by two minutes with a time of 2:07:25 for 860th place.

 

FAIRLANDS VALLEY SPARTANS - STEVENAGE 5k SERIES - RACE 2 - Wed 3rd Dec

 

Hayden Groves competed in the second (of three) Fairlands Valley running race around the cycle lanes of Stevenage. He finished 17th out of a field of 267 in a time of 17:25, an improvement of 19 seconds from the previous race. The winner was Robert Palmer in 16.02.

For link to Fairland Valley Spartans website click here

 

FAIRLANDS VALLEY SPARTANS - STEVENAGE 5k SERIES - RACE 1 - Wed 19th NOV

 

Hayden Groves competed in the Fairlands Valley running race around the cycle lanes of Stevenage. He finished 19th out of a field of 246 in a time of 17:44. The winner was Robert Palmer in 15:48.

For link to Fairland Valley Spartans website click here

 

HERTS WHEELERS RR - 2/3 CAT 108km - SUNDAY 28TH SEP - LONDON COLNEY (ERRL)

 

The Hertfordshire Wheelers were hoping to use the Buntingford circuit for their annual road race. However at the eleventh hour the Hertfordshire Police changed their mind about the location so that the race was transferred to the London Colney/South Mimms circuit in south Herts This circuit was last used fifteen years ago. Tony Bradford was the representative for the North Road. Despite the uncertainty for the time and place of the race, there was a good turn out for the 'Last Chance Points Grabber'. After seven laps, totaling 64 miles, Jason White (J. D. Cycles) won the five-man sprint to the finish, despite trailing with 100 metres to go, in a time of 2:38:01. The next group of three riders followed thirty seconds behind. The following group of seven riders, which included Tony, came in 52 seconds behind the leading group, Tony came fifteenth, getting a point for his licence.

 

GLENDENE RR - 2/3 CAT 110km - SUNDAY 14TH SEP - DEBDEN (ERRL)

 

North Road Cycling Club’s Roadmen Tony Bradford and Hayden Groves rode in the Glendene CC Bike Trax 110 kilometres Road Race, another event in the Essex Road Race League on the Debden circuit. It was a good day for Hayden, making up for the disappointment of last week; he gained enough points for his First Category. After not racing for two and half years, he restarted this season as a third category ride, moving up to Second Category in May. He becomes the North Road Cycling Road Race Champion for 2003. The race started with an early break of eight riders, which included Hayden. They managed to gain a two minute lead over the chasing bunch. With two laps to go, the bunch started to creep up and reduce the time deficit. Five of the leading eight riders then put the hammer down. In a close five-man sprint, despite suffering from cramp, Hayden came in fourth in 2:52:56, with a chasing group 1 minute 12 seconds down. Tony came just behind the third chasing group, unfortunately missing the early breaks. The winner was Roger Bryant (Blue Sky Cycles/Fitness Solutions).

EASTERLEY RR - 2/3 CAT 68m - SUNDAY 7TH SEP - LITTLEBURY GREEN (ERRL)

 

Hayden Groves - 17th

 

CHELMER RR - SUNDAY 23rd AUG - 102km - ERRL - 2/3/4

 

Richard Somerset and Hayden Groves competed in hot conditions in the Chelmer RR on the Leaden Roding circuit near Chelmsford. The pace was high from the start (25mph av) due to a combination of quality riders and a flattish course that made it hard for a break to become established. Hayden and Richard stayed in the wheels until with one lap to go Hayden attacked to catch a small breakaway that had formed off the front. Unfortunately due to the wind he was unsuccessful; however the break was soon caught and a bunch sprint ensued. Hayden and Richard both managed to reach the front with 1k to go and in the dash for the line Hayden came 3rd and Richard 6th. This result for Richard was enough for him to gain his 2nd category licence. This is especially crucial with Richard's wedding and honeymoon taking place in a few weeks time.

 

SHAFTESBURY RR - SUNDAY 20th July - 133km - ERRL - 1/2/3/4

 

North Road Cycling Club roadmen, Tony Bradford, Hayden Groves and Richard Somerset rode in the Shaftesbury Cycling Club 133 kilometre Road Race for 1/2/3/4/W category riders in the Essex Road Race League. The race started from Wendon Ambo, taking in Littlebury, Great Chesterford, Ickleton and Elmdon. Eleven riders made an early break which caught the field knapping. On the first lap, Hayden had a back wheel puncture and after a wheel change he managed to get back to the bunch.  The eleven riders stayed away gaining over a four minute lead. The last lap saw Tim Bayley (Arctic RC/Shorter Cycles) and Michael Merralls (APIBikes.com) getting away and Bayley took the win in a close 2-man sprint. Hayden managed 16th place with Tony finishing just before the peloton (23rd) and Richard in the bunch (38th).  

 

IKE SAUL RR (Cambridge CC) - 2/3 CAT 110km - SUNDAY 13TH JULY - CAMBS (ERRL)

 

North Road CC roadmen Tony Bradford and Hayden Groves were back in action, riding in The Ike Saul Memorial 110 kilometre Road Race. With 70 starters starting from Bourn, Cambridgeshire the conditions were like the Tour de France, very hot, well into the eighties.

After an impromptu stop and a four mile chase to regain contact, Hayden got into a chasing move of six with 16 miles to go that swept all of the original break apart from three, who stayed away. Hayden took the uphill sprint for fourth place coming in about 25 seconds down on the winner Glen Stanford (Eastern Region Velo/Bianchi UK). Tony just missed out in the points and finished in the top half of the bunch.

REDGRAVE RR 3/3 CAT 56km - SAT 12TH JULY - REDGRAVE, SUFFOLK

 

Andy Lancaster and Richard Somerset rode in the Redgrave 56 km Road Race for 3 and 4 cat riders in Suffolk. It was run on a very tight 5.8 mile circuit and with 33 starters. After two miles Andy and Richard turned into a lane with debris in the centre and Richard spectacularly punctured and locked his rear wheel, narrowly escaped a crash. Andy finished in the middle of the bunch.

 

NORTH ROAD RACE - 1/2/3 CATEGORIES - SUNDAY 6TH JULY - WHITWELL, HERTS

 

The promoting club's own rider Hayden Groves was denied the win when roadman sprinter David Baker (PCA-Ciclos Uno) snatched the honours in the North Road CC road race over seven laps of a circuit at Whitwell, Hertfordshire.

     Baker gained the verdict from Groves and Martin Badell (CC Luton) as these three came 20 seconds clear of a chasing group of five riders.

    Ben Price (Team PCA) launched the initial attack, David Staff bridging the gap and the pair stayed together for two laps with Staff taking the first prime.

    Simon Howes (Sigma Sport) got across to the two leaders on the next lap but they were pulled back by the bunch and the decisive split came when Badell broke away on his own, with Groves and Baker in pursuit. The trio had a maximum lead of 1-15 on the main group, with Badell taking the   second prime, but they were gradually pegged back as the field split.   

 

1. David Baker     Ciclos Uno/PCA

2. Hayden Groves     North Road CC

3. Martin Baddell     CC Luton

4. Simon Oliver     Unattached

5. Matthew Palmer     Verulam CC

6. Vince Divine     CC Luton

7. David Staff     Anglia Velo

8. Luke Kubicki     Rockingham Forest

9. Simon Howes     Sigma Sport Pro Cycle Shop

10. Tony Bradford     North Road CC

11. Ben Nicholson     Eastern Region Velo

12. Jez Cox     Team Synergy

13. Ben Price     PCA/Orbea bikes

14. Costa Pierides     Team Sport & Publicity

15. Jake Lockley     CC Luton

 

IXWORTH CRITERIUMS - SUNDAY JUNE 29

 

Boyd Nicholas, North Road tricyclist rode in the recent Ixworth Criteriums. The course was quite tight around the village centre with a fast down hill straight and a very tight hairpin bend at the bottom. This bend had the added “excitement” of an adverse camber and a poor surface that made it especially challenging to stay on the trike. Boyd managed to get in a lead group of four which dwindled to three after about five minutes, and enjoyed tight racing for the rest of the race with the lead swapping a few times. He was on the front for one lap and hanging on as best as he could for most of the time. The experience of the other two riders in the group showed (Sid Charlton – the national champion and Roger Akers, last year’s champion) as they pulled away from Boyd by a length or two on each corner and Boyd had to work hard to catch them on the straight before losing ground again on the next corner. On the bell Charlton pulled off the front, Boyd attacked and managed to overtake Akers to gain second, only to have him cut inside Boyd at the hairpin and stay there to the finish. 

Final Results as follows after 10 minutes and 5 laps:

 

1. Sid Charlton (Private BC Member)

2. Roger Akers (Welwyn Wheelers)

3. Boyd Nicholas (North Road CC)

 

SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 2003 - EAGLE ROAD CLUB 3/4 - UGLEY - 101km

 

North Road Cycling Club’s Richard Somerset rode in the Eagle Road Club 101 km Road Race in the Essex Road Race League for 3/4/J category riders, starting from Quendon and taking in Newport, Clavering, and Rickling Green. Just before the start of the race there was a heavy downpour that stopped just in time for the start. This made the first two laps relatively slow until the ground dried and the pace increased. It was quite a negative race with few attacks and those who made the effort not allowed to stay away for long. Richard attacked once but was quickly caught. He opted to wait for the sprint where he placed himself near the front well before the finish and managed to take fourth place, just missing out on third position by a few inches. This equals Richard’s best position achieved in the North Road Club road race early this month.

 

SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 2003 - EASTERN DIVISION RR

 

On Sunday North Road Cycling Club roadman, Hayden Groves rode in the Eastern Division 85-mile Road Race Championships at Hengrave, Suffolk. It was a very fast race, averaging about 27 miles per hour. At the finish the race was split into a lot of groups and in a four-man sprint, Adrian Bird (Arctic-Shorter Rochford RT) taking the championship and gold medal. Grant Bayton (Angliasport) took the silver and Richard Cartland (Team Synergy/Cycleweb) taking the bronze medal with Bayton teammate Mat Watch just missing out. The old North London Division took two of the medals. Despite Hayden sustaining a broken spoke in his back wheel at the beginning of the second of nine laps, he still managed to finish in the bunch

 

NORTH ROAD SUMMER 78 KM ROAD RACE 3/4 Cats (ERRL) - SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 2003

 

On Sunday, Hayden Groves and Richard Somerset had a good day in the North Road Cycling Club’s Summer 78 km Road Race in the Essex Road Race League starting from Debden, taking in Debden Cross, Debden Green and Thaxted.

A full field of 60 riders, the race stayed together, with only a few breaks, which was started by Hayden, but these did not last long as the chasing bunch caught the breaks. It all happened on the last lap at Thaxted, when Hayden and Richard broke away strongly and determined, and working well together, woke the bunch up and were joined by Gregory Gaiger and Ross Clarke, both from Verulam Cycling Club, Malcolm Fawcett (London Phoenix) and a private member Mark Careless , making a useful group of six riders. They managed to get a 35 second lead and in the six-man bunch sprint, Hayden took the honours and his second win for 2003 with Richard gaining his best ever position, fourth.

Photo - Hayden Groves wins club road race 

More photo's club road race: 1   2   3   4   5   6   7

All photo's courtesy of Paul Brown, Verulam CC

 

REDBRIDGE CC 106 KM ROAD RACE (ERRL) - SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2003
 

North Road’s duo Hayden Groves and Richard Somerset rode in the Redbridge CC 106 km Road Race in another Essex Road Race League event, seven laps of the circuit around Matching Tye, Sheering and part of Harlow. Brian Fleming and another rider broke way quite early on, the other rider could not keep up with Fleming and dropped back to the bunch. With about two miles to go, Tony Woodcock jumped from the bunch to join Fleming, eight other riders, including Hayden decided to chase, but unsuccessfully, with Fleming winning with a clear margin over Woodcock. Hayden in a tight 10-man bunch sprint came 5th and 7th overall. Unfortunately for Richard, he punctured just outside Sheering and had to retire from the race.

 

SOUTHEND WHEELERS CC ANDREWS TROPHY 106 KM ROAD RACE (ERRL) - SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2003


On the morning of the Grass Track Meeting, North Road’s Tony Bradford and Hayden Groves rode in the tough Southend Wheelers Andrews Trophy 106 km Road Race, another event in the Essex Road Race League for 1/2/3/4 cat riders, eight and half laps round the East Hanningfield circuit. The race started with two riders breaking away, then chased by five others, coming past the lap board for the second time, it was time for Hayden to break away from the bunch, with one other rider, this was followed by an attack by former North Road riders, Dave Staff and Shaun Aldous to make a handy group of 11 riders. These eleven riders stayed away taking a 2:50 lead over a chasing group of three. In the last lap, two riders broke away and Brian Fleming took the trophy in a two-man sprint. In a uphill seven-man sprint Hayden came second and fifth overall. Tony finished in the bunch.

 

LEA VALLEY CYCLING CLUB 140 KILOMETRE ROAD RACE - SUNDAY, MAY 11, 2003

 

Hayden Groves was promoted to second category status following his 12th place in the 140 kilometre Lea Valley Cycling Club Road Race at Woodham Walter.

Hayden was in the chasing group of seven riders and finished second in the uphill sprint. The winner was Mick Gray (API bikes.com).

 

SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2003 - EASTERN COUNTIES CYCLING ASSOCIATION - 84 KM ROAD RACE

 

Hayden Groves and Richard Somerset were competing in the Eastern Counties Cycling Association 84 kilometre Road Race for 3rd/4th/J, around The Rodings, in Essex.

After 20 miles Hayden escaped with four others, and narrowly missed the first prime. Three miles later these five riders were caught. With one and half laps to go, five riders escaped taking a 45 second lead, a group of seven riders gave chase with 12 miles to go. Hayden and one other left the chasing group to make contact. Group of three initially went with one kilometre to go. Riding his second road race this  season, Hayden took the up hill sprint and with a clear lead, won, gaining more points towards his second category licence.

Richard rode a strong first race of the season, finishing well up in the bunch.

 

ESSEX ROADS RR - ERRL - SUN 30th MARCH

 

Course: East Hanningfield near Chelmsford - Category: 3/4

Hayden Groves came 4th in his first road race for 2½ years.