Cycling: East Lancs Report

East Lancs Road Team at Colne

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The weekend began early for the East Lancs road team on Thursday last week at the weekly series of races at Colne.

Paul Ashworth and Matt Jackson rode in the 3/4 Cat race comprising 22 laps of the closed road circuit and they showed up well throughout with Jackson having a lone break in the last five laps, but unlucky for him he was caught by the bunch with one lap to go and he had to settle for a finishing place in the pack.

However, both riders then entered the E/1/2/3 cat race with Oliver Huszar and Ben Trippier which comprised 35 laps of the circuit.

All four riders in the team figured prominently throughout with Ben having an early break which lasted three laps, then Jackson forging a solo break for a couple of laps, but the bunch weren’t for letting any go until the last third of the race when Ben escaped with three other strong riders to gain a 30 second advantage which the bunch were never going to pull back.

Jackson and Huszar worked a great team move to bridge the gap which allowed Huszar to join the break making it a five man break with two East Lancs riders in it.

On the last lap and going into the final bend, Trippier went for a long sprint and no one reacted so he created a useful gap with 200 metres to go which he held to the finish to win the race and Huszar’s strong sprint ensured he secured second place to make it a one two for the East Lancs.

The previous day there was a series of races around Ilkley town centre and the club’s promising youth rider Jack Millar took part. In a good quality field Millar got stuck gaining great experience in massed start circuit racing which requires top class cornering and fast group riding skills. He stuck with the bunch as long as possible until the cornering, climbing and sprinting took its toll and he finished exhausted but satisfied with another great performance at this level.

On Saturday, the club organised its 25-mile time trial.

The event took place on the J2/1 course in Cheshire. A capacity field of 130 riders rode the course which broadly circles the Jodrell Bank telescope.

The weather conditions didn’t seem that bad at first but the leg down the A50 from Knutsford was a block headwind which many riders suffered on trying to maintain any sort of speed.

The Club’s participants and times were as follows; Ben Trippier, fastest in 56:59mins; Paul Ashworth, 1:00:08 ; Dave Bentley, 1:14:02 with a 10 minutes late start; Dave Trippier, 1:06;10mins; Dave Ireland, 1:08:38; Mike Coulter, 1:12:08; Niamh Coulter riding her first 25 m TT, 1:25:07; Karen Bailey, 1:11:37; Roy Nield, 1:01:06; Jack Millar, 1:06:29 mins; Matt Jackson riding his first 25m TT in an excellent time of 59:35 mins; and finally the unlucky Shaun Leonard who punctured having made a rapid start but didn’t finish.

The event was won by Mark Turnbull riding for TORQ Performance in 51 minutes.

On Sunday the social rides were almost entirely cut short by incessant rain but it allowed most riders to join in the Club’s annual Summer BBQ. There was a big turnout of members and friends who were able to discuss the seasons highlights so far whilst putting back a few calories at the same time.