Local Cycling Stuff

Dorset’s Daniel Lloyd (Garmin-Cervelo) had to settle for 10th place at the Tour of Britain. The Bournemouth-Based professional had quietly worked his way up to 3rd spot in this 8 day race, picking up time bonuses to improve his position. However the 10km time trial on the split final stage saw Lloyd lose time and slip down the general classification. The fast, flat circuit in the heart of the capital passed Big Ben and the Tower of London and was won by Team Sky’s Alex Dowsett. Dutchman, Lars Boom of the Rabobank team won the overall race after taking the lead on stage 2. Lloyd has a busy end of season with races in France and Italy still to come. Talking to “E D” he said; “I have Franco-Belge starting next Thursday, then Paris-Tours, Piemonte and the Tour Of Lombardy, so a fair way to go yet”

Gray & Bjergfelt.

National U23 Cyclo-Cross Champion, Luke Gray (Hargroves Cycles) got his winter season off to a great start, winning the South West League event in Devon. Gray had a race long battle with Will Bjergfelt (Motorpoint Procycling),the pair swapped the lead several times as they lapped the field. Bergfelt slipped whilst passing a back marker on the last lap and Gray siezed his chance.

It was a good test for the Broadstone-based rider. The previous day he had finished 3rd in the opening round of the Wessex League at Cowley, Oxford. Gray will be basing himself in Oudenaarde in Belgium for the Cross Season and will be competing in the GVA series and several other high ranking cross races. Gray will return for selected national races and intends to defend his U23 title at the National Championships.

Photos by Lisa Lindstroem.

In-Form Paul Jones (BJW) was narrowly beaten into 2nd place for the 2nd week running.

A season’s best time of 52.36 saw Jones finish only 40 secs down on Former National Champion Julian Jenkinson (Utag-Yamaha).

Terry Icke (Poole Wh) claimed 3rd with 55.32 in the Sotonia 25 mile event at Andover

A Forest View; Bob Jolliffe writes.......

NEW Forest CC crack juvenile Hugo Walters took a deserved fourth place in a third category adult circuit race at Alexandra Park, Portsmouth and followed through with a win in his club’s hill climb competition.Since having gained special permission to race with the seniors, Hugo, who is now 15 years old, has raced against Elite and first and second category riders at Alexandra Park, his best in those quality bunches being a 27th place.Then last week he competed in a third cat event, over 40 minutes plus three laps. In the final minutes Mitch Webber of Andover Wheelers broke away from the main field. Hugo and two others launched an attack to bridge the gap. Despite gritting their teeth and giving their all, they could not catch the flying Webber. But Hugo ended up fourth, his best placing in an adult field.In the third category race, New Forest CC teammates, dad Patrick Walters took 10th place and Graham Jones seventh.Flyweight Hugo had wings on Buddles Hill and then Ogdens Hill near Fordingbridge in New Forest CC’s hill climb on Sunday.He clocked 1min 44.7sec on Buddles to beat Jamie Pope by 13.3sec. Sam Jackson was third with 2-2.6. Shortly afterwards Hugo nipped up Ogdens Hill in 37.2sec to beat his father into second by four seconds.Pope, last year’s overall winner, failed to start at Ogdens. In the Sotonia CC open 25-mile between Andover and Popham on Sunday, John Heffernan recorded another personal best of 56-25 for eighth place, beating second claim member Martin Beale (VC St Raphael) into ninth by 25secs.

Gary Lock, who has recently produced acrop of fast 10 times, also clocked a "personal" dipping underthe hour for the first time with 59-42 for 14th.

Spare a thought for Forest veteran Terry Jefferies who punctured twice, once while warming up and then again six miles into the competition, Unsurprisingly, he did not finish.
Hill climb times, Buddles Hill: Hugo Walters 1min 44.7sec, Sam Jackson 2-2.6, Stuart Peckham 2-6.0; Ogdens Hill: H Walters 37.2secs, P Walters 41.4, S Peckham 43.6; Aggregate for overall: H Walters 2-21.9, Jackson 2-28.8, Peckham 2-49.6.
Julia Shaw (Drag2Zero) placed 17th in the Elite Women's Time trial at the World Road Championships in Copenhagen.

On the flat, rain soaked course Shaw, who lives in Bramshaw in the New Forest clocked 38.57 for the 27.8km. Judith Arndt took the Title & Gold medal with atime of 37.07
Ashurst’s Jon Dibben (Hargroves Cycles), a former New Forest CC juvenile, will represent Great Britain in the 126km junior title race to be held on Saturday.His teammates will be Owain Doull, Matthew Holmes, Sam Lowe and Alistair Slater. (First year junior Dibben finished 8th in the 27.8km Time trial on Tuesday)

I was saddened to hear of the death of Eddie Beck (Poole Wheelers) last week. Eddie was always good company when marshalling at Holes Bay or some other windswept junction. Eddie was also a keen follower of "E D" and was always very supportive. See you up the road Eddie Beck.