National Trophy Series leader Paul Oldham was crowned the North of England Champion at ThornesPark in Wakefield on Sunday - and his victory was one of two for Hope Factory Racing riders as the Regional Championships were staged across the country.
Oldham’s team-mate Dave Collins won the Midlands Championships at Dudley, securing a reasonably comfortable margin of almost two minutes over Zepnat Racing Team rival Phil Dixon while Empella Cyclo-Cross.com rider Ben Eedy was another minute behind in third.
In Wakefield Oldham crossed the line just 30 seconds clear, but in a tough field he did well to hold off Halfords Bikehut rival Ian Bibby, while MTS Cyclesport’s Stuart Wearmouth was another 30 seconds off the pace in third spot.
It was a lean day for Yorkshire riders on their own patch in the senior race, with Tim Baldwin (Paul Milnes-Bradford Olympic RT) the first White Rose rider in eighth place, although they did enjoy some successes in other categories.
Promising junior Tom Moses (Team Wallis CHH) won the supporting race for veterans, women and juniors, while JD Cycles rider Chris Young, the former British National Champion from Keighley, was first veteran and second overall, holding off Yorkshire compatriot Noel Clough (Fietsen Tempo) into third.
Crosstrax rider Adela Carter from Otley was best of the women, underlining the form which has seen her win all but two rounds of the Yorkshire Points Series.
Midlands Championship a wet one as Dave Collins wins
Collins’ victory in the Midlands Championship came at a rain-soaked course at BaggeridgeCountryPark near Dudley, and with a big entry the organisers had real headaches placing many of the hundreds of riders.
Not all the results were available as we wrote this round-up, however CC Giro’s Perry Bowater was confirmed as winner of the junior event after beating Team Echelon’s Joe Page, while Mid-Shropshire Wheelers’ Luke Grivell-Mellor was third.
And in the women’s race, the experienced Louise Day (Team Fat Birds) took victory from Wolverhampton Wheelers’ Lauren Creamer.
Jamie Newall wins combined Eastern and South-Eastern champs
Jamie Newall (VC Meudon) won the combined Eastern and South-Eastern regional cyclo-cross championships at Ipswich, repeating his 2007 win when the championship was at Fakenham.
After a blistering first lap he had a 16-second lead on a six-strong group and steadily extended this to the finish.
The course, based at Foxhall speedway stadium, mixed slippery off-camber woodland tracks with long grass sections exposed to the wind.
Early in the race Dan Duguid (Sigma Sport), David Nichols and 2008 champion Darren Barclay (both Arctic Premier RT) led the chase. But then Nathan Miller (Lotto-Interbike) took up the challenge with Michael Raven (Extreme Sports Therapy).
As Miller blew, Barclay recovered and when Raven briefly went off course on the last lap Barclay seized second place by just two seconds.
Fourth-placed Miller nevertheless took maximum points in the tenth round of the East Anglian Daily Times League, which was incorporated in the senior race.
Kevin Knox (Dulwich Paragon) won the Veteran’s Championship, with Douglas Fox (Crawley Wheelers) best Over 50.
Hugo Robinson was the local hero, the Ipswich BC rider decisively winning the Youth Championship after a keenly awaited battle with Josh Hannan from Norwich team Extreme Sports Therapy. Arctic Premier RT had two champions in Joanne McRae (Women) and Alec Briggs (Juniors).
Stuart Bowers takes South of England crown
The South of England Championships was won by Hargroves Cycles’ ace Stuart Bowers, who crossed the line at Southampton Leisure Centre more than three minutes ahead of his nearest rival, Wessex League title hopeful Adrian Lansley (Pedal On).
As well as the title race, the event incorporated the ninth and tenth rounds of the South West and the Wessex Cyclo-Cross Leagues respectively.
Bowers’ young team-mate Luke Gray was crowned as junior champion at the event, while Jonathan Dibben settled for second in the youth race on a good day for Hargroves, with Team Keyne’s Daniel Murphy taking the youth crown.
Kenta Gallagher victorious in Scotland
In-form young Scott UK rider Kenta Gallagher recovered from a forced pit stop to take the Scottish Championship at RiversidePark in Glenrothes on Sunday.
A junior rider, Gallagher led for the first two laps before he was forced to change his rear wheel, letting rival Craig Hardie (Hardie Bikes) take over at the front.
But he regained his lead within a lap of rejoining the race, and went on to win by around a minute.
Hardie had to settle for third, with Endura Racing rival Davie Lines taking second after similarly recovering from a mechanical problem early in the race.
Hardie nearly missed out on a podium finish altogether with Dan Whitehead (unattached) and Paul Newnham (Edinburgh RC) pushing him, but Hardie held out.
Lee Williams wins Welsh title for Wiggle
Team Wiggle’s Lee Williams won the Welsh title race at Crickhowell by almost a minute from Welsh League rival Anthony O’Boyle (Torq Kona), while the RAF CC’s Daniel Lewis was third, another 49 seconds off the pace at Cwrt y Gollen Army Training Camp.
Results
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