New Forest News, Whitewick Wins Downton 2 Day!

TOTTON’S Steve Whitewick (VeloRefined/Aerosmiths) took top honours in the Downton Two-Day Classic at the weekend, while New Forest CC’s 16-year-old Hugo Walters took the junior award in 16th place overall.
This year's running of the Downton-based road race organised by Antelope Racing Team’s Glenn Longland saw Whitewick take the win for the second time in three years (writes Patrick Walters).
Around 60 riders had signed up for the popular race which involves a 2.4km prologue time trial up Wick Hill followed by a 47km handicap road race around Fritham, Brook, Landford and Woodfalls on Saturday.
The following day the race concluded with a 37km hilly time trial south along the A338, east on open Forest roads to Red Shoot, Ocknell Plain and Roger Penny Way before turning back to Woodfalls.
New Forest Cycling Club was represented by Stuart Peckham, Stewart Ward, young Walters and Nick Williams.
Good performances in the prologue saw Peckham, Walters and Ward starting the road race four and eight minutes behind earlier groups and four minutes ahead of the scratch group.
Despite their best efforts neither the scratch group nor the NFCC group were able to catch the early starters.
The road race was won by Matthew Heathcote (JMJ Cycles) three minutes ahead of the NFCC group with the scratch group a further two minutes down the road.
The generous handicapping set up an interesting time trial the following day with the top riders needing to overturn several minutes’ deficit to have a chance of a podium place.
Walters posted an excellent 58:31 (14th place), Stewart Ward 1:00:58 (19th), Stuart Peckham 1:01:28 (22nd) and Nick Williams 1:11:15 (50th). Time trial winner was Harry Bulstrode (Peter Hansford Racing) in 52:25, with Whitewick in second place with 53:26.
Whitewick's better time in the previous day's road race meant that he took the overall win by 35 seconds from Bulstrode. Gary Allan (GA Cycles) filled the remaining podium place.
NFCC's top placed overall was Hugo Walters (16th), the race's only junior entrant. With his clubmates “The Forest” took 4th place in the team competition.
Other Southampton area placings: 4, Simon Barnes (GA Cycles); 5, Oli Emmans (TLI); 8, Henry Nixon (Soton Uni RC); 9, Ray Claridge (GA Cycles); 13, Steve Wood (TLI); 14, Charlie Leech (Soton Uni);19, Jon Dudley (Sotonia CC); 20, Thomas Key (Soton Uni); 28, Andrew Lockwood (Soton Uni); 39, Rob Ellis (VC St Raphael); 40, Richard Burch (Sotonia); 41, James Peckham (Sotonia); 47, Christopher Brooks (Soton Uni); 48, Michael Horsman (TLI), 54, John Sanchez-Bissen (Crabwood CC).