Location: Durham University Cricket Club, Durham
Event: 20 January 2013
Report: Snowdon Sports
After finishing on the podium seven times this season, Stuart Wearmouth (MTS Cyclesport) finally secured a victory in round 14 of the Cyclo-Cross North East Rat Race Series at Durham University Cricket Club on Sunday.
The 35-year-old from Bishop Auckland hit the front around mid-way through the race, and crossed the line 45 seconds clear of his nearest rival, Matt Kipling (Velo 29), while third spot went to Noel Clough (Fietsen Tempo).
Clough was the early leader of the race as Wearmouth had a bad start, unshipping his chain and dropping down to about tenth. But the MTS rider battled back to take the win.
“I only rode about three or four rounds last year because we’ve had a little girl, so it’s nice to be back riding a bit more this season,” said Wearmouth afterwards.
“There was about two inches of snow all the way around, but most of it was compacted so it didn’t cause too many problems. You didn’t need to change bikes, so it wasn’t too bad.
“It was a fairly technical course, in that there were a lot of twisty, tight corners and there were a couple of run ups and steps, but it wasn’t overly technical.
“I got a bad start and dropped my chain on the start, so it wasn’t until midway that I took the lead and started to pull away from the others. I thought that Noel Clough was going to win as he was going well, but he faded a bit.”
In other categories, Richard Noble (Tyne and Wear Fire Service) won the supporting race for veterans, women and juniors, crossing the line just four seconds ahead of Blackhawk Bikes rider James Anderson.
First junior was James Edmond (Ferryhill Wheelers) who was third overall and 14 seconds behind Noble, while the best of the women was Nicola Davies (Beacon Wheelers), 46 seconds ahead of her team-mate Lucy Donnelly.
And in the youth race, promising under-14 rider Mark Donovan (Beacon Wheelers) took the win by 43 seconds ahead of MTS Cyclesport’s Thomas Mein, who is also an under-14 rider. First Under-16 and third overall was Miles Worner (Teesdale CRC), who was another 23 seconds behind Mein.
Results:
Seniors:
1 Stuart Wearmouth (MTS Cyclesport) 57:40
2 Matt Kipling (Velo 29) @ 45sec
3 Noel Clough (Fietsen Tempo) @ 47sec
4 Morgan Donnelly (Beacon Wheelers) @ 52sec
5 Steven Ward (MTS Cyclesport) @ 1:47
6 Keith Murray (Team Scott) @ 2:47
7 Colin Ash (Blackhawk Bikes) @ 3:20
8 Tony Glover (Derwentside CC) @ 3:56
9 Malcolm Lewis (MTS Cyclesport) @ 4:04
10 Charles Fletcher (Cairngorm CC) @ 5:11
Veterans/Women/Juniors:
1 Richard Noble (Tyne and Wear Fire Service) 36:37
2 James Anderson (Blackhawk Bikes) @ 4sec
3 James Edmond (Ferryhill Wheelers) @ 14sec
4 John Mein (Derwentside CC) @ 38sec
5 Luke Parkin (Hetton Hawks)
6 W Nicholson (York Cycleworks)
7 Cliff Featherstone (MTS Cyclesport)
8 Mick Aspey (Northumbria PCC)
9 Elliot Davison (Cestria Cycles)
10 Rob Smith (Derwentside CC)
Juniors: James Edmond. Women: Nicola Davies (Beacon Wheelers).
Youth:
1 Mark Donovan (Beacon Wheelers) 30:42
2 Thomas Mein (MTS Cyclesport) at 43sec
3 Miles Worner (Teesdale CRC) @ 1:06
Please credit www.britishcycling.org.uk and link back if you use any of our race results.
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.
