Ludgershall Winter Series R4
Location: Ludgershall, Wiltshire
Event: 4 February 2012
Report: Snowdon Sports
Primal Europe rider Tom Stockdale continued his preparations for the season with victory in the fourth round of the Ludgershall Winter Series in Wiltshire on Saturday.
Stockdale, 19 and from Cheltenham, rode the event primarily as preparation for next weekend’s Perfs Pedal Race, and took the victory ahead of round three winner James Wilson (Supernova Cycles) who he beat by just a third of a wheel in a two-up sprint.
The pair had lapped the whole field after breaking clear on the third lap of the race, while VC St Raphael’s Jamie Streather won the bunch gallop for third spot, in another tight finish with seven riders challenging for the final podium spot.
What they said
“We had been attacking early on in the race, but after about three laps I broke away on my own,” said Stockdale after the race. “Quite soon afterwards James [Wilson] came up to me and we just pulled away steadily and with about five laps to go we lapped the bunch.
“As we headed for the final lap he was leading me out and as he won last week I didn’t fancy my chances, but he swung over on the last corner to let me come through so I just went for it and got a gap which I held to the line. It was very close though!
“This was the first round of the series I’ve ridden and it was mainly in preparation for the Perfs next week, which I’ve entered. After that, it’s the Severn Bridge Road Race and then we’re into the season for real then!”
In the bunch, behind third-placed Streather was Stockdale’s team-mate Sam Hayes, while Bristol Road Club’s Nick Noble took fifth, the 46-year-old Bristolian having won the 3/4 cat race earlier.
3/4 Category Race
Noble crossed the line around four seconds clear of the chasers after a brave attack with two laps to go, while I Team CC junior Andy Shackel took second spot, the 16-year-old from Portsmouth holding off Poole Wheelers’ Jordan Wade.
It had been an active race throughout with lots of breaks, but nothing managed to stay away for more than a couple of circuits before being pulled back.
Deacon Cutterham (Bristol RC) and David Hobbs (Corinium CC) were most active, with Hobbs establishing a lead of around ten seconds five laps before the finish. But he was chased down, and that’s when Noble made his move for victory.
Results:
E/1/2/3:
1 Tom Stockdale Primal Europe powered by Rutrainingtoday.co.uk
2 James Wilson Supernovacycles.co.uk
3 Jamie Streather VC St Rapha‰l/Waite Contracts /Hewitt Cycles
4 Sam Hayes Primal Europe
5 Nick Noble Bristol Road Club
6 John Russell Strada Cycles
7 Paul Derrick Strada Cycles
8 Mark Ottaway Wyndamilla / Maxifuel
9 Jason Streather VC St Rapha‰l/Waite Contracts /Hewitt Cycles
10 David Barnaville Felt Colbournes RT
11 Stuart Thompson Andover Wheelers
12 James Cartridge Cadence Cannondale
13 David Young Fareham Wheelers Cycling Club
14 Michael Scott Peter Hansford Racing
15 Paul Carson Cult Racing
16 Patrick Martin Wyndamilla - UK Youth
17 Matthew Conner Banjo Cycles
18 Daniel Stephens Sotonia CC
3/4:
1 Nick Noble Bristol Road Club
2 Andy Shackel VC St Raphael/Waite Contracts /Hewitt Cycles
3 Jordan Wade Poole Wheelers Cycling Club
4 Simon Barnes Chippenham & District Wheelers Cycling Club
5 Chris Mattocks Army Cycling Union
6 Nigel Pratt Andover Wheelers
7 Carsten Duke Army Cycling Union
8 Gary Hill BC PM
9 Paul Jones Army Cycling Union
10 Jan Labrooy Andover Wheelers
11 Michael Young Cadence RT
12 Chris Hutchings BC PM - South
13 Will Hunt Army Cycling Union
14 Lewis Gray Evesham &N District Wheelers
15 Mark Shepherd Banjo Cycles
16 Jeremy Lambert Sotonia CC
17 David Hooper MJS Racing
18 David Hobbs Corinium CC
19 Hugo Walters New Forest CC
20 Deacon Cutterham Army Cycling Union
21 Simon Parton Kingston Wheelers
Women: Hannah Drewett (unattached).
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.
