Location: Gosling Sports Park, Welwyn
Event: 9 August 2013
Report: Peter Waghorn/Snowdon Sports
The latest round of the Welwyn Track League was boosted by a number of the Youth A riders, who rode Senior events as part of their preparations for the National Championships.
The senior riders were made to work hard at the fast pace of all the senior A events and John McClelland needed all his finishing power to win the opening 10-lap just inches ahead of Joe Fry and Louis Modell.
In the 10-lap Handicap the scratch group caught the leaders with 4 laps left and in another tight finish McClelland won by inches with Joe Fry and Louis Modell in a dead heat for second spot.
Mark Smith was in an early break away in the points race and established a good total in the early laps which he defended to the finish.
Julio David put in a well-timed last lap dash to take the Group B scratch from his Welwyn club-mates while Roger Woodford used his speed and track craft to win the Devil and Ben Smith edged out Roger to take the Block Pursuit.
There were close finishes in the small Youth A group with Mitchell Powell on good form. The massive Youth BC Group of 19 riders included a number of riders making their first experience of Track League racing.
Series leader Will Raymond took the first two events and the best race of the evening for this group was the 6-lap handicap, the scratch group never made contact and in the seven rider sprint finish Olivia Howard won by inches from Sophia Chastell and Tom Durkin.
Lauren Higham closed the gap on series leader Christian Manzi with two victories and is now just two points adrift with five weeks to go. Newcomer Oliver Stockwell won his first race in the 3-lap handicap and Sophie Saberton put in a sterling ride to take the closing 4 lap handicap.
The senior 10-mile to close the proceedings run at a fast pace made breakaways very hard to establish as the laps flew by – 15 riders remained in contention with 15 laps to go – Simon Best attacked just before the bell but was reeled in with 250m left. Joe Fry led into the home straight but John McClelland came over the top to win from Joe Fry, David Langland and Louis Modell.
Results:
Senior A
10 lap scr – John McClelland (Prestige) Joe Fry (RST) Louis Modell (East London Velo)
10 lap Block Handicap – John McClelland (Prestige) =2nd Louis Modell (ELV) & Joe Fry (RST)
10 lap Points – Mark Smith (Welwyn) Joe Fry (RST) Joe Clarke (Fenland Clarion)
10 mile – John McClelland (Prestige) Joe Fry (RST) David Langlands (Fenland Clarion)
Senior B
10 lap Scr – Julio Davis ,Ben Smith , Andy Brown (all Welwyn)
Devil – Roger Woodford (Willesden) Ben Smith (Welwyn) David Scott (Welwyn)
10 lap Odds & Evens Pursuit – Ben Smith (Welwyn) Roger Woodford (Willesden) Julian King (Welwyn)
Youth A
8 lap Scr – =1st Jordan Mooney (Welwyn) Mitchell Powell (Team Terminator) 3rd Connor Woodford (Willesden)
Devil – Mitchell Powell (Team Terminator) Connor Woodford (Willesden) Jordan Mooney (Welwyn)
8 lap Points – Mitchell Powell (Team Terminator) Carl Jolly (Hillingdon) Connor Woodford (Willesden)
6 Lap ABC Handicap – Carl Jolly (Hillingdon) Connor Woodford (Willesden) Mitchell Powell (Team Terminator)
Youth B
5 lap Scr – Will Raymond (Welwyn) Michael Parry (Welwyn) Theo Modell (East London Velo)
Devil – Will Raymond (Welwyn) Theo Modell (ELV) Michael Parry (Welwyn)
Points – Michael Parrry, Sophia Chastell , Toby Miles (all Welwyn)
6 Lap H’Cap – Olivia Howard, Sophia Chastell, Tom Durkin (all Welwyn)
Youth CDE
3 lap Scr – Lauren Higham (Welwyn) Owen Williams (Lee Valley)Sam Asker (West Suffolk)
3 lap H’Cap – Oliver Stockwell, Jenna Miles, Ewan Woodliffe (all Welwyn)
4 Lap Devil – Lauren Higham (Welwyn) Sam Asker (West Suffolk) Owen Williams (Lee valley)
4 lap H’cap – Sophie Saberton (St Ives) Imogen Chastell (Welwyn) James Dene (Welwyn)
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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.
