UK cycling round-up: Unlucky start for Premier Calendar

The Premier Calendar Road Race Series got off to an inauspicious start when the first round, the Bikeline Two-Day in North Wales, was abandoned after police revoked the race licence.

As the second stage was reaching its conclusion, officers stepped in to stop the race, citing safety concerns. With no road closures in place, the event was relying on public goodwill and marshalls to ensure safe passage. Police acted after reports of riders crossing the white line and having to dodge oncoming traffic.

The opening 1.6km prologue time trial had been won by defending series champion Russell Downing (Candi TV-Pinarello RT), who took a three-second advantage into the opening 56km road stage.

But the race was ended in confusion, and whether prize money or points will be awarded remains to be seen.

Impressive time trial performances

While road racing had a bad weekend, time trialling continued to see some impressive results in events across the country.

Pete Tadros (In Gear-Quickvit RT) took a chainsaw to the old course record in East Sussex CA’s 15.6-mile event at Bodle St Green.

Tadros clocked 36min 3sec to beat Mike Coyle’s 2006 record of 37min 27sec by a whopping 1min 24sec. It was good enough for victory on the day by about two-and-a-half minutes, with promising junior rider Felix English (Team Corridori) taking second with 38min 31sec, while Eastbourne Rovers CC’s Iain Brogden was third, another 1min 40sec off the pace.

Despite not having any other riders in the top 10, Tadros’s time was good enough to ensure In Gear-Quickvit also took the team prize. Lewes Wanders placed riders fifth, eighth and ninth, but were still too slow by about a minute-and-a-half.

As well as winning first prize, Tadros also scooped the bonus prize for the fastest climb of Agony Hill, a one-mile-long drag about a third of the way into the course which he completed in an impressive 2min 52.78sec.

Kiddell takes win in Somerset

Cavalier CC’s David Kiddell turned in an impressive performance to win the Gillingham and District Wheelers Hardriders 19-mile event at Bruton, Somerset, on Saturday.

His time of 44min 25sec was more than a minute faster than his nearest rival, and while many riders clocked good times on a warm and still day, Kiddell looked in a different class.

Veteran Chris Madge (Leisure Lakes RT) was second with 45min 43sec, while Rob Lyne (Giant CC) took third spot to prove he has no ill-effects following last weekend’s crash in the Chippenham and District Wheelers event.

Wright head and shoulders above the rest in Yorkshire

Jimmy Wright was head and shoulders above anyone else in the Circuit of Ingleborough in North Yorkshire on Saturday, clocking 1hr 5min 17sec to secure victory by more than two minutes.

Unlike many events across the country, the Pendle Forest CC hilly promotion saw a strong headwind on the way to the finish, but it was dry, and Wright’s time was 2min 11sec faster than his nearest rival, Lancashire Road Club’s Adrian Lawrence.

Lees leads South Fork Racing to victory in Devon

South Fork Racing dominated the Round the Houses 32-mile event, staged by North Devon Wheelers on a course based on Bishop’s Tawton in Devon.

Mark Lees took victory for the team, clocking 1hr 16min 14sec, and with Ellis Pannell third and Steve Sage eighth, they secured the team prize to boot – but it was mightily close.

The Guerciotti-JJ Coach trio of Julian Lennings, Karl Hodson and Stephen Simcock took second, fifth and sixth respectively, and were just 20 seconds slower than their rivals over the course which took the riders out on the A377 to South Molton, Barnstaple and back.

Lubin continues impressive form in Cambridgeshire

Elsewhere, Dean Lubin (PCA Ciclos Uno) won the Lea Valley CC 25 at Sawston in Cambridgeshire to keep his form impressive.

The winner of the Maldon and District CC hilly in Essex a fortnight ago, Lubin was 31 seconds faster than runner-up Richard O’Rourke (Flitch Crono), while in the two-up event Paul Smith (PCA Ciclos Uno) and Hugh Vivian (Finsbury Park CC) won with 55min 28sec.

Doyle tops podium in Scotland

In Scotland, Dooley’s CRT rider Arthur Doyle won the Corrieri Classic 10-mile event at Cambusbarron, the Kinross 36-year-old clocking 20min 21sec to push Jim Cusick (Glasgow Couriers) into second by 43 seconds.

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