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Location: Knights Templar Sports Centre, Baldock, Hertfordshire
Event: 1 October 2011
Report: Snowdon Sports
Strong-finishing Andrew Nichols (PCA Ciclos Uno) took victory in the third round of the Eastern Cyclo-Cross League at Knights Templar Sports Centre near Baldock in Hertfordshire on Saturday.
Nichols, 21 and from Chelmsford, had been out front for most of the race alongside Team Corley Cycles' Greg Simcock, and the pair were working well together, taking turns at the front to ensure they kept clear of the chasing pack.
But with the finish looming, Nichols pulled away with apparent ease to record a solo victory, crossing the line 23 seconds ahead of Simcock, a 40-year-old from Cambridgeshire
A hot and dry day made a fast course even quicker, with dust getting thrown up even on the grassy areas.
Third spot in the senior race - and arguably the ride of the day - went to 41-year-old Londoner Kevin Knox of Vicious Velo. A mechanical problem at the start saw him in last place with rear brake problems, but he picked his way through the field with skill to take third spot, 56 seconds behind Nichols.
60-year-old Dave McMullen (Team GWR) won the veterans category with a strong display, the rider from Maidenhead in Berkshire holding off Ipswich BC's Tim Butler who had to settle for second once again, 1:58 off the pace.
As well as Nichols' victory in the senior race, PCA Ciclos Uno were also celebrating a good win in the youth race, where Sean Dunlea crossed the line alone, 1:39 ahead of second-placed Cameron Woolsey (CC Ashwell), with Tom Stead (Nice Tri St Neots) another minute off the pace.
But the Under-12s race was much closer, with Welwyn Wheelers' William Raymond holding off team-mate Tom Durkin by just seven seconds, with Diss and District's Sophie Holmes taking third overall, just 11 seconds behind Raymond.
Results:
Seniors:
1 Andrew Nicholas (PCA Ciclos Uno)54:57
2 Greg SImcock (Team Corley Cycles) @ 23sec
3 Kevin Knox (Vicious Velo) @ 56sec
4 Matt Thurston (Iceni Velo) @ 2:00
5 Martin Carter (unattached) @ 2:12
6 Hayden Wood (unattached) @ 2:24
7 Ben Nicholson (Iceni Velo) @ 2:50
8 Neil Simpson (London Phoenix) @ 3:02
9 Clive Harrison (Ford CC) @ 3:07
10 Ben Paton (Amis Velo) @ 3:20
Veterans/Women:
1 Dave McMullen (Team GWR) 38:18
2 Tim Butler (Ipswich BC) @ 1:58
3 Chris Ridley (Maldon & Dist CC) @ 2:51
4 Tony Wilkins (Mareterra Bike Team) @ 2:55
5 Colin Cracknell (Ipswich BC) @ 2:55
6 Philip Cooper (unattached) @ 3:14
7 Geoff Bores (Ford CC) @ 3:28
8 Martin Graves (Newmarket C&TC) @ 3:38
9 Chris Gooch (VC Revolution) @ 3:48
10 Lee Rowling (Chelmer CC) @ 4:08
Youth:
1 Sean Dunlea (PCA Ciclos Uno) 31:44
2 Cameron Woolsey (CC Ashwell) @ 1:39
3 Tom Stead (Nice Tri St Neots) @ 2:44
4 Archie Wishart (Welwyn Wheelers) @ 3:16
5 Theo Doncaster (CC Ashwell) @ 3:44
6 James Madgwick (Lee Valley YCC) @ 3:49
Under-12s:
1 William Raymond (Welwyn Wheelers) 14:46
2 Tom Durkin (Welwyn Wheelers) @ 7sec
3 Sophie Holmes (Diss & District CC) @ 11sec
4 Pierce Bacon (Ipswich BC) @ 16sec
5 Aaron Freeman (Chelmer CC) @ 17sec
6 Felix Mackie (Lee Valley YCC) @ 18sec
Girls: Sophie Holmes. Under-10s: Aaron Freeman.
British Cycling would like to thank the organising team, officials and everyone else who helped promote this event. Our sport could not exist without the hundreds of people, many of them unpaid volunteers, who put in many hours of hard work running events, activities and clubs.
