Regional Championships,Ashton Takes Southern Title!

Kimberley Ashton (Casp Racing) deservedly won the southern region road race champs on the tough Owslebury circuit in Hampshire. The 27 year old channel islander was clearly the strongest, first breaking away from the field then dispatching her four breakaway companions in the 52 mile race. Corrinne Clark (Ride 24/7) made the move that decided things, Ashton & Gillian Taylor (Fusion RT/Gear Club Bike Science) followed Clark . Olympic development programme (ODP) rider Rebbecca Raybould (Poole Wheelers) was expecting a move and used her track speed to get across and it was game over bar four! Taylor was the first to go, dropping off the back, the hills and the pace set by Ashton proving too much. Ashton applied the pressure again to get rid of Clark before Raybould inevitably cracked leaving Ashton to enjoy a solitary final lap. Clark bravely fought her way back to Raybould, then dropped the 17 year old to take the silver medal. The luckless Hayley Preston unshipped her chain as the flag dropped and spent a lonely couple of laps chasing before throwing in the towel.

Rider Reaction
Kimberley Ashton “I felt pretty strong, the first few laps I thought there is gonna be some eager beavers around so I just let them crack on with setting the pace, halfway through I knew it get a bit sapping so then it would be time to make a move. Each time up the main hill people were dropping off. The course suits me its tough,draining. The four of us were working well, Gillian (Taylor) stopped working, she was tired, so we got rid of her on the hills, I thought right, its time to move. I was always looking behind, I am very pleased,I don’t win much on the road,back home we race with the guys and its costly getting to the UK”

Corrinne Clark “Very pleased, I will settle for second, very happy considering it is only my second road race. Kimberley was doing loads of work, she is a machine! I got dropped but fought my way back to Rebbeca(Raybould) Kim had gone, I attacked and just kept going”

Rebbecca Raybould “I just died at the end! We got away pretty early, three went off and I jumped across, I thought a group would go. I wanted to race to win really but the pace & distance caught me out I did not really have the legs, Kimberley was just so strong, she never looked tired, she was always talking, we were just rolling through struggling”

*Ashton will represent Jersey at this summer's Island Games

Full Results
1  Kim Ashton Casp Racing
2  Corinne Clark Ride 24/7 @ 3-25
3  Rebecca Raybould Poole Wheelers CC @ 4-10
4  Ellie Gilham Primera-Sporta.com @ 7-10
5  Jennifer Hudson Fusion RT Gearclub Bike Science st
6  Gillian Taylor Fusion RT Gearclub Bike Science st
7  Rebecca Waters Performance Cycles @ 7-50
8  Joanne Jago Performance Cycles @ 8-00
9  Lucy Burgess Bristol South CC st
10  Laura Chellingworth Velo Sport Jersey @ 8-21
11  Faye Faber BCPM - South @ 8-40
12  Harriet Guest Performance Cycles @ 10-40
13  Bethany Taylor Bonito Squadra Corse @ 1 lap
14  Adel Tyson-Bloor Team Mulebar Girl - Sigma Sport @ 1 lap
15=  Hayley Preston University of Warwick @ 2 laps
15=  Alexandra Stubbs Ride 24/7 st
15=  Hollie Dowling BCPM-South st
15=  Diane Moore Ride 24/7 st
15=  Kate Thilthorpe Ride 24/7 st
15= Natalie Bee BCPM - South St