Location: Gosling Sports Park, Welwyn
Event: 21 June 2013
Report: Peter Waghorn/Snowdon Sports
Early evening rain threatened to wipe out the latest Welwyn Track League meeting, however patience prevailed and by 7.45pm the track had dried out and racing got under way. Numbers were lower than normal due to the weather and the Youth Circuit event the following day which affected the youth numbers.
The opening senior 10-lap events were won by John McClelland in the A League and Brian Evans in the B group. The 10-lap Hare and Hounds pitted the B group men chasing three Ladies – Keira McVitty, Bethany Hayward and Alison Lilley - who were given a 250 metre start.
They trio worked well together and only Alison was reeled in with a lap to go – Bethany Hayward won the race followed in by Keira with Ken Roesner leading in the chasers.
Mark Smith was on form winning the A group Odds and Evens 10-lap Block Pursuit and the Points race.
As usual the closing 10-mile was a war of attrition , a blistering pace reducing the field to just seven riders in the closing laps – non sprinter Mike Broadwith attacked with two laps to go and opened up a useful lead, but as the bell sounded it was down to 70 metres.
Alex Minting sprinted clear of the chasers and went into the lead with 200 metresremaining and took a well-deserved win. Sadly Mike Broadwith’s efforts were denied as he crossed the line in fourth place.
The Youth events saw Mitchell Powell notch up two wins in the A group. The Youth B series was dominated by the Welwyn riders but there were some interesting battles and good racing in the fast expanding CDE group.
Lauren Higham who has benefited tactically from the three youth Omnium meetings, won the opening three-lap scratch race. Newcomer Louis Bilyard won the three-lap handicap by 100 metres and finished second to Lauren in the second handicap even after having his handicap reduced.
The closing four-lap handicap saw 10 riders come into the home straight together – Ben Griffin won by inches from Sophie Lewis, Louis Bilyard and Lauren.
A good evening’s racing – the full programme was completed despite the late start and the lights were turned off at 10pm.
Results:
Senior A
10 lap scr – John McClelland (Prestige) Kristian Woolf (Prestige) Mark Smith (Welwyn)
10 Lap Block Pursuit - Mark Smith (Welwyn) John McClelland (Prestige) Mike Broadwith (Arctic)
10 lap Points – Mark Smith (Welwyn) Mike Broadwith (Arctic) John McClelland (Prestige)
10 mile – Alex Minting (PM) Kristian Woolf (Prestige) John McClelland (Prestige)
Senior B
10 lap Scr – Brian Evans (Herts Whs) Ken Roesner (Wisbech) Julio Davis (Welwyn)
Devil – Brian Evans (Herts Whs) Keira McVitty (Buzz Cycles) Neil Lewis (North Road)
10 lap Hare & Hounds – Bethany Hayward (Scott Contessa) Keira McVitty (Buzz Cycles) Ken Roesner (Wisbech)
Youth A
10 lap Scr – Mitchell Powell (Team Terminator) Dan Maynard (Welwyn) Glen Dossett (Welwyn)
Devil – Mitchell Powell (Team Terminator) Dan Maynard (Welwyn) Connor Woodford (Willesden)
Points – Glen Dossett (Welwyn ) Mitchell Powell (Team Terminator) Dan Maynard (Welwyn)
Youth B
5 lap Scr – Will Raymond , Michael Parry, Tom Durkin (all Welwyn)
Devil – Michael Parry, Will Raymond, Toby Miles (all Welwyn)
Points – Michael Parry, Tom Durkin, Will Raymond, (all Welwyn)
5 lap ABC Handicap – Ethan Vernon, Rebecca Maynard, Millie Gage (all Welwyn)
Youth CDE
3 lap Scr – Lauren Higham (Welwyn) Sam Asker (West Suffolk) Joe Kiely (Welwyn)
3 lap H’Cap A– Louis Bilyard (Lee Valley) Sam Gage (Welwyn) Sophie Saberton (St Ives)
3 lap h’Cap B– Lauren Higham (Welwyn) Louis Bilyard (Lee Valley) Joe Keily (Welwyn)
4 lap H’cap – Ben Griffin (Welwyn) Sophie Lewis (CC Ashwell) Louis Bilyard (Lee Valley)
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.
