Inter Club Hill Climb:Weymouth Win on Whiteway, Keightley King of the Hill!

Five years ago the Dorset hill climb scene was facing redundancy, the EDCA open event had long since disappeared, club climbs were struggling to attract fields of double figures and the Bournemouth Arrow had given up altogether. The decision to form the inter-club series was obvious but still a master stroke. The emphasis on team competition with clubs mustering their troops via website forums and social media, coupled with all riders scoring points has made this end of term “dust up” the ideal lead into the social season. The increase in riders has brought the supporters out as well, with a great atmosphere created on the slopes, if not quite challenging the classics. CC Weymouth cannot produce an individual winner of the series but their ability to get riders out each week saw them take the team title for the fourth consecutive year. Lewis Keightley (BJW) took the honours at the final event on Whiteway Hill, powering up the longest climb in the 4 race series in a course record 06:41. Keightley started the series riding for the non-affiliated, Primera team before switching to Bournemouth Jubilee, despite his three victories only on Whiteway did he score points leaving him way down in the final standings. Should the 22 year old, who also won on Kingston & Creech, decide to race the road “seriously” next season he could do well, the question mark hangs over his head not his legs: Does he want it enough?

Simon McLaughlin (BJW) chased his new teammate up the saturated slopes but was 17 Seconds adrift in second place. Work commitments for Dr McLaughlin limit his racing opportunities but he seems to find form for the hills, winning the individual title for the third consecutive year.

Fighting his bike all the way up,Gary Dighton (PW) showed his versatility taking third, a week after riding the team pursuit at the world masters track championship. Starting just outside the village of East Lulworth, the 2.2 mile climb hugs the northern aspect of the hill overlooking the army tank ranges. A right hander on the steepest section breaks the rhythm, before a left hander stretches up to the finish, way above the lost wartime village of Tyneham on the Jurassic coast. Fifty one riders started the final race in the series, to the envy of more than a few open events. Sign on the line, rock up & race is what people want, no doubt about it.

The series is by no means perfect, Bournemouth Jubilee need to come to the party, Bournemouth Arrow need to reclaim “their” race and all need to make the trip to Portland.

Whiteway Hill lies in the army ranges in Dorset, regular firing takes place often leaving ordnance on the climb!

PROVISIONAL RESULTS
1, LEWIS KEIGHTLEY (BJW) 6:41:7
2, SIMON MCLAUGHLIN (BJW) 6:58:5
3, GARY DIGHTON (PW) 7:03:5
4, BOB RICHARDSON (BACC) 7:11:6
5, JAMES HORTON (PW) 7:19:6
6, GREGG PARKER (CCW) 7:20:9
7, DEAN CRICHEL (CCW) 7:34:6
8, DARREN MATTHEWS (CCW) 7:34:7
9, RYAN WESTON (PW) 7:35: 5
10, JOHN CHAPMAN (CCW) 7:35:8
11, STEVE PINK (CCW) 7:39:2
12, WAYNE PITMAN (PW) 7:41:2
13, BEN KEIGHTLEY (BJW) 7:52:3
14, PAT DUNN (CCW) 8:01:01
15, MARTIN ROWLAND (PW) 8:06:2
16, PAUL JONES (PW) 8:06:9
17, TIM FLYNN (PW) 8:09:05
18, SAM WADSLEY (PW) J 8:11:9
19, REUBEN MOSS (CCW) 8:14:4
20, BRYCE RIGLAR (CCW) 8:15:2
21, JON O’BRIEN (BJW) 8:17:4
22, JOHN VINSON (PW) 8:18:8
23, MARK VALENTINE 8:20:8
24, PETER BELL (PW) 8:32:2
25, GORDON SCOTT (CH&DISTWH) 8:52:9
26, DAVE GARDNER (PW) 8:57:2
27, LEE MARSDEN (PW) 9:05:2
28, SARAH MORTIMER (CCW) L 9:11:7
29, WILLIAM WILSON (CCW) 9:11:9
30, ANDREW PRESTON (CCW) 9:16:3
31, ANDREW JACKSON (CCW) 9:21:6
32, STEVE TRIGWELL (CCW) 9:23;0
33, JEREMY GUY (CCW) 9:36:4
34, CHARMAINE WALBY (CCW) L 9:44:4
35, GEOFF HORSEMAN (WRC) 9:52:3
36, CRAIG WESTON (PW) 9:54:0
37, HOWARD PANKHURST (PW) 9:54:1
38, PETE GROUNDS (PW) 9:57:7
39, LES PICK (PW) 10:00:6
40, LUKE DIGHTON (PW) J 10:01:4
41, EINAR THORSEN (PW) 10:04:4
42, REECE MARSDEN (PW) 10:06:3
43, PHILLIP CLIVE (CCW) 10:13:00
44, STEVE BARRAT (CCW) 10:19:2
45, PHIL HARVEY (BJW) 10:28:4
46, BRIAN SANDS (CCW) 10:43:0
47, ED WILSON (CCW) 11:02:8
48, HARRY PITMAN (PW) 11:20:0
49, RICHARD GOULD (CCW) 11:37:1
50, STUART CARRINGTON 11:37:8
51, LES JESSOP (PW) 12:40:4

Final Standings
1 Simon McLaughlin BJW 199
2 Ryan Weston PWH 183
3 John Chapman CCW 182
4 Steven Pink CCW 170
5 James Horton PWH 144
6 John O'Brien BJW 143
7 Greg Parker CCW 138
8 Sam Wadsley PWH 137
9 Darren Matthews CCW 131
10 Paddy Dunn CCW 120
11 John Vinson PWH 116
12 Martin Rowland PWH 110
13 Craig Weston PWH 107
14 Will Wilson CCW 104
15 Eve Jeffries PWH 93
16 Bob Richardson BAC 92
16 Dave Gardner PWH 92
18 Rupert Silman BJW 81
19 Reuben Moss CCW 77
20 Andrew Jackson CCW 76
21 James Wakefield BACC 72
22 Steven Pye BJW 68
22 Bryce Riglar CCW 68
24 Andrew Preston CCW 63
25 Luke Dighton PWH 61
26 Charley Calvert BACC 60
26 Philip Clive CCW 60
28 Jamie Haycock BACC 58
28 Rowan Scully BACC 58
30 Les Pick PWH 56
31 Charmaine Walby CCW 51
32 Lewis Keightley BJW 50
33 Brandon King CCW 49
34 Gary Dighton PWH 48
35 Tom Stocker BJW 47
36 Dave Hicks BJW 46
36 Brian Sands CCW 46
36 Jeremy Guy CCW 46
39 Jeff Horseman WRC 45
40 Lee Marsden PWH 45
41 Dean Critchel CCW 44
41 Alex Jolliffe PWH 44
43 Colin Deuchers CCW 42
44 Will Clark PWH 40
45 Ian Roe CCW 39
45 Wayne Pitman PWH 39
47 Craig Harris BJW 38
47 Ben Keightley BJW 38
49 Steve Trigwell CCW 38
50 Ed Wilson CCW 37
51 Paul Jones PWH 35
52 John Terry PWH 34
52 John Rivett PWH 34
52 Tim Flynn PWH 34
55 James Margary 32
55 Matt Merritt CCW 32
57 Heidi Gould d CCW 31
58 Molly Haycock BACC 29
58 Howard Pankhurst PWH 29
60 Will Soloman BJW 28
60 Mark Valentine PWH 28
62 Peter Bell PWH 27
63 Oliver Carrington CCW 26
64 Matt Child PWH 25
65 Simon ??? CCW 24
65 Sarah Mortimer CCW 24
67 Gavin Relph CCW 23
68 Richard Gould CCW 23
69 Martyn Fisher BJW 22
70 Scott Warren BACC 19
71 Lucy Wakefield BACC 16
72 Les Jessop PWH 15
73 Pete Grounds PWH 14
74 Einar Thorsen PWH 11
75 Joe Withnall CCW 10
75 Reece Marsden PWH 10
77 Lucy Edmunds BACC 9
78 Steve Barrat CCW 8
79 Phil Harvey BJW 7
80 Harry Pitman PWH 4
81 Stuart Carrington CCW 2
82 John Pennington VELO S 0
82 Dave Pennington VELO S 0
82 Wayne Roberts U/A 0
82 David Avenell U/A 0
82 Ian Manley U/A 0
82 Jordan Frampton U/A 0
82 Geoff Peerless U/A 0
82 Simon Willats U/A 0
82 Maggie Maundsell U/A 0
82 Pete Warner U/A 0
82 Dan Haskins MSG 0
82 Stu Pearson MSG 0
82 Harrison Fielding HANS 0
82 Alistair Fielding HANS 0
82 Paul Mace H WYC 0
82 Gordon Scott Chip&Dist 0
82 Justin Loveland CATI 0
Team Standings
CCW 1816
PWH 1590
BJW 767
BACC 413
WRC 45