Southern Region BMX Summer Series

More than 300 riders were in action in round 11 of the south summer series. Hosted by the Bournemouth BMX Club at their Iford Track, a full days racing provided all the thrills and spills that this exciting branch of the sport can deliver.

Categories start with the 6yrs & under and go right up to the “old timers”, the Veterans! It looks like fun and it is but everybody had their race faces on and more than a few bit the dust.

The first aiders were kept busy but nearly all of the fallen remounted to cross the line, with greater applause than the victors. Remarkably the Bournemouth BMX Club is celebrating its 30 year anniversary and is still going strong.

Enthusiastic Chairman Geoff Routledge was presented with a commemorative plaque to mark his involvement with the club over the years.

“ Our first race was in July 1981, 368 riders, today’s turn out is good for a regional with only one race left in the series most people have already qualified for the British Champs. The track has changed a lot over the years. “We used to paint the tyres that surrounded the circuit, it’s changed a lot” “The Olympics has helped the sport, a little bit, a little bit, a lot of the adults that used to race have got families now and they get their kids involved. 60% of our membership is under 8. We have got a couple good British Cycling coaches, John Moor & Lewis Lacey and they take the sessions every Wednesday night, we get 20 to 30 riders.” “It gets them out of the house, get some exercise!

Grins Geoff, “And it teaches them to respect judgments and what people say, quite often a kid will come across the finish line and think he has won and he hasn’t and he bursts into tears. It teaches them to accept a sporting outcome. We egg’ em on as much as we can but also to accept decisions”

The British BMX Championships will be held in Cheddar, Somerset from Friday 23-Sunday 25 September.

East dorset cycling Association 15

Surrey visitor, Rupert Burbidge (Redhill CC) took 9 seconds off Ray Hughes course record on the Holes Bay-Bakers Arms course, to win this Bank Holiday affair. Gary Dighton and 67 year old Terry Icke (Poole Wheelers) salvaged some local pride with 2nd and 3rd respectively.

There was an end of summer air about the race, with some riders far from their best. Julia Shaw admitted to "having her mind on next weekend" referring to the British Time Trial Champs. Shaw still managed 7th place.

PROVISIONAL RESULT
1, R BURBIDGE (REDHILL CC) 31.10 (COURSE RECORD)
2, G DIGHTON (POOLE WH) 31.54
3, T ICKE (POOLE WH) 32.19
4, G HINXMAN (KETTERING CC) 32.20
5, M BURDEN (SEVERN RC) 32.24
6, D PICKERING (BJW) 32.48
7, J SHAW (DRAG2ZERO) 32.59 1ST LADY
8, A GREEN (G A CYCLES) 33.04
9, V HOUNSOME (GILLINGHAM & DIST) 34.09
10, M BEALE (VC ST RAPHAEL/WAITES CONTRACTS) 34.

Local Cycling News

Sarah Storey (Horizon Fitness/Prendas Ciclismo) stormed to victory in the Blenheim Palace 20km Time Trial. Clearly enjoying the closed road circuit, Storey clocked 28.29, comfortably winning the ladies race and placing her 4th overall only two minutes down on Multi -National Champion Michael Hutchinson. Prizes were presented by the Duke of Marlborough in the grounds of the historic palace.

Sarah is sponsored by Parkstone based cycle clothing suppliers, Prendas Ciclismo, the guys at Prendas have a tradition of encouraging up & coming talent. Daniel Lloyd, Dan Martin, Luke Gray, Anna Blyth, Emma Trott & Stephen Burke are just a few of the riders who have benefited from Prendas support. Storey has been putting in the training miles ahead of the World Road Championships in Denmark next month, after a successful first season with the Horizon/Prendas team. The Bournemouth Jubilee wheelers 2nd claim member has been selected for the Para-Cycling squad and is also in contention for the able bodied team.Storey told "E D" "It would be great to defend the two titles i won in 2010. Road racing is something i have worked hard at,to try to expose myself to as many different race scenarios as possible, but its a tricky event, so i just have to get stuck in and see what happens"

Before traveling to Denmark Story will also race in the British Time Trial Championships. New Forest based Julia Shaw will start favourite for the Women’s Title. Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky Procycling) will look to defend his title from last year.

Experienced roadman/sprinter Roland Tilley (ridebike.co.uk) won the Fareham Wheelers LVRC Autumn Road Race on the Portsdown Hill circuit overlooking Portsmouth Harbour. After 5 second places Tilley was pleased to get his first win of the season. The 64 mile race came down to a sprint between 7 riders who had broken away on the steep climb. Tilley won comfortably from Paul Andres (TMG HORIZON).

Next up for the Ridebike.co.uk rider, will be the final round of the Southern area MTB series at Pippingford in West Sussex.Tilley has a ton of experience on the road but these days prefers the rough stuff!

Peter Wilson (Bournemouth Arrow/Collingwood Hotel) took second place in the 55 mile supporting race.

Alex Dowsett (Team Sky ProCycling) won the North Hampshire Road Club 25 with a rapid 47.28, James Gilfillan (Team Feat) was impressive taking 2nd place with 51.09. Other local riders in action were Poole Wheelers quartet Terry Icke,55.13, Richard Davidson 57.14, Darren Lewis 57.54 & Terry Belbin

1.02.11, Terry Jeffries (NFCC) 1.02.07 & Phil Harvey (BJW) 1.04.31

Colin Humm (New Forest cc) took the honours in the in the season-long club time trial series. Ben Boardman pushed Humm all the way; the final 10 mile event saw the pair both finish on the same time, 23.53. Humm took the title with a full 90 points from his six counting events while Boardman scored 86.

Will Stephenson (Bournemouth Arrow/Collingwood Hotel) & Richard Horton (Bournemouth Jubilee Wh) will both ride the Junior Tour of Wales this bank holiday weekend. The event comprises 5 stages over 3 days and is open to riders aged 16-18 years. Stage 1 on Saturday morning will be a 4.5 mile TT followed by a 45 mile road race in the afternoon. Sunday starts with a circuit race, stage 4 in the afternoon is a rolling 57 mile road stage. The 62 mile "queen" stage on Bank Holiday Monday includes the 5 mile climb of Tumble Mountain in the Brecon Becons.

It seems some help is needed with marshals for the Premier calendar race being held on Sunday on a Wilton – Fovant Down – Broadchalke circuit. See the website at http://www.twiningstour.com/. A great opportunity to see the top British domestic Pro's up close in the best cycle race to be held in this area for some years!

There will be a corporate challenge first thing in the morning and then in the afternoon the Premier Calendar road race where we will have the country's best domestic professional riders in action with the BC podium truck, Hugh Porter commentating etc. The event will be covered on SKY TV also. Volunteers will be provided with lunch and a nice Twinings "goodie bag" created especially for the volunteers. If there’s any chance that you, or anyone you know, could help for a few hours on Sunday, could you phone or email me as a matter of urgency please. Cheers Gerry Gray 01202 849144 / 0777 552 4890

Photos by kind permission of www.velouk.net



CLUB EVENTS (final round of evening events for 2011)

BOURNEMOUTH JUBILEE 10 23/8 P472 15 STARTERS
1,C ROWE 24.48
2,D FRENCH 24.58
3,S PYE 25.18

(Regular Marshalls include, Peter Warhurst, Neil Mansell,Jackie Prosser, Clive Peskett, Pete Boston, Reg Haskell & Bob Warering)

CC WEYMOUTH 5 23/08 P451 17 STARTERS
1,P DUNN 10.35
2,C LAWSON 10.37
3,B RIGLAR 10.43

NEW FOREST 7 23/08 P163 22 STARTERS
1,J JENKINSON (UTAG-YAMAHA) 14.58 course record
2,R CLARIDGE (CRABWOOD CC) 16.18
3,G LOCK 16.26

BOURNEMOUTH ARROW 10 25/08 P311 32 STARTERS
1,S WHITEWICK (UTAG-YAMAHA) 20.59
2,J JENKINSON (UTAG-YAMAHA) 21.27
3,G ALLAN (G A CYCLES) 22.22
(the Arrow had a difficult start to the year, well done to Julian James,Brian Garrard & George Bolton for ensuring the series went ahead)

Images from Belgian Para-Cycling Open 2011, Oupeye, Province De Liege