Eastern Region Road Race Championships

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Sunday, May 23rd by Mark Cozens (www.mphotography.co.uk)

Hot, windless, and longer than anticipated was the general opinion at the finish of today’s 119 mile Eastern Region Road Race Championships on roads around the village of Ashon just outside of Saffron Walden. With the Orbea –For Goodness Shakes team entering nine of the 60 rider field, it was a brave individual who would bet against them, although defending champion Joe Skipper (Team Zappi’s), Stephen Adams (Sigma Sport Specialized Cycling Team) and Andrew Hastings (Finchley RT) were the riders expected to give them a run for their money.

The action started as the flag was dropped, with Tristam Emptage (North Road CC) deciding to liven things up immediately. Dan Kogan (Orbea-For Goodness Shakes), sticking to the team’s plan to cover the early moves, went with him, along with Vince Devine (Finchley RT). Getting towards the end of the first of seven laps, the three had a lead of some 30 seconds with a group of eight riders chasing having broken clear from the main pack.

These eight, including Ian Franklin (Crest CC) and Mike Smith (XRT-Elmy Cycles), caught up with the original three to make a lead group of eleven riders.  Meanwhile behind, Andy Lyons and Ben Thompson (both Orbea-For Goodness Shakes) managed to shake off all but Dominic Schils (Wielerteam Van Eyck Sport Wambeek) as they set off in pursuit with the main bunch now around a minute behind.

By midway through the race, Lyons, Thompson and Schils had bridged across to the lead group whilst behind, caught out by the early moves, David McLean (Frezza Pasta Montegrappa), Skipper, Stephen Adams, Marcel Six (Orbea-For Goodness Shakes) and Hastings started a serious chase and looked set to catch the lead group until the momentum went with McLean’s crank coming undone.

Up front, it was the Orbea-For Goodness Shakes riders making the pace, with Lyons, Kogan, Thompson, James Whatling and Ben Thompson controlling things. Matt Ewings was the unfortunate victim of a crash of which he remembers nothing – one minute he was on his bike, the next on the floor. Speaking with him in the headquarters after the race, he suffered a fairly big bang to the head as well as cuts and bruises with advice to have his sore shoulder checked out at the hospital.

Back to the race and the chasing group of five were now down to two groups of two with McLean out. Skipper and Six were almost within spitting distance of the leaders whilst Hastings and Adams were drifting backwards. With two to go, Kogan had a good dig off the front as Schils chased with Lyons on his wheel and this effort splintered the front group with seven riders remaining in front.

At the bell, Lyons had joined Kogan and the final lap became a two-up time trial with Lyons securing the win in the final sprint from Kogan. Schils led the remnants of the front group in for third. Lyons has now won this championship in his teens, his 20’s, his 30’s and now his 40’s and “can retire a happy man now “cause I’m not going to have that form for many years, so I was chuffed today.”

On his team he said “young Dan rode superbly”. The team are “just a top bunch of lads... everyone gets on really well, everyone’s willing to ride for one another and it’s just a lovely environment to ride in. We were always going to do it today, we would have been really disappointed if we hadn’t.”

Result

1. Andy Lyons, Orbea - For Goodness Shakes 4 hrs 29 mins 50 secs
2. Daniel Kogan, Orbea - For Goodness Shakes @ 5 secs
3. Dominic Schils, Wielerteam Van Eyck Sport Wambeek @ 2 mins 21 secs
4. James Whatling, Orbea - For Goodness Shakes
5. Ben Thompson, Orbea - For Goodness Shakes
6. Vince Divine, Finchley Racing Team
7. Paul Fielding, St Ives CC @ 2 mins 39 secs
8. Marcel Six, Orbea - For Goodness Shakes @ 3 mins 30 secs
9. Adam Norris, Orbea - For Goodness Shakes @ 3 mins 36 secs
10. David Nichols, Wielerteam Van Eyck Sport Wambeek
11. Michael Auger, VC Norwich @ 3 mins 38 secs
12. Graham Galvin, East London Velo
13. Sean Kilroy, Glade CC
14. Andrew Sanders, Inverse Racing Uk/Bikefood
15. Basil Moss, Cambridge CC
16. Roger Maidment, East London Velo
17. Trevor Burke, Finchley Racing Team
18. Stephen Adams, Sigma Sport Specialized Cycling Team
19. William Hedden, Glade CC
20. Joe Skipper, Team Zappi's
21. David Langlands, Fenland Clarion CC
22. James Sale, Eagle RC
23. Mark Holt, Cambridge University CC
24. Dean Shannon, Orbea - For Goodness Shakes @ 3 mins 42 secs
25. Eric Gowland, Cambridge CC
26. Russell Ford, Glade CC @ 3 mins 44 secs
27. Andrew Hastings, Finchely Racing Team
28. David Weir, www.Cyclingbargains.com-Infinis RT @ 3 mins 47 secs
29. Philip Hersey, Eagle RC @ 3 mins 48 secs
30. Kristian Downs, Orbea - For Goodness Shakes