“Team Jewson–M.I.Racing –Polypipe” rider–Former UCI World Masters Track Champion, Twice British 100 mile Time Trial Champion , and Ex Professional–Derrick Woodings, brought more success and glory to the Coventry based Cycling Team when he finished a brilliant 3rd in the 5 km Points Race and 3rd in the Team Pursuit Championship riding for a Gt. Britain squad, this week at the Manchester Velodrome.
Like his Team Boss–Coventry’s Mick Ives–Woodings has been at the top of his sport for a very long time–first making a name in Time Trials , and then Winning the “ White Hope Bantel Pursuit Championships on the Butts Track ( Coventry ) in 1964, 2 yrs after Ives had won the Championship. He then rode for 8 years in the same Professional Team as Ives, before retiring for several years. When he did return to the sport, he again linked up with Ives and has raced ever since for the M.I.Race Team, winning countless Championship on the way including the World, European and British Masters Track Championship last year.
Unlike his team mate. Woodings will now have a few weeks rest before preparing for yet another season on the Road and Track–he no longer has interests in Time Trials, having been there and worn the T Shirt.
Ives said “ Derrick is one of the great’s in British Cycling, a rider who has always put back a lot into the sport, helping young riders and being very Professional. Its great riding along side him in Road Events, between us we have so much experience, and can usually turn it into success, I look forward to riding with him again in 2015–for how long I cant say, we have both had our injuries, in recent years , and we are now both well into our 70’s.”
Unfortunately, Mike Allen (Woodings’ Team Mate) was not so lucky. Allen crashed 6 weeks ago whilst out training when a large Lorry pushed him off the road, and he suffered a broken Collar Bone and broken Rib. Within a few weeks he was back riding –strapped up and in pain but still claimed 2 second places in Road Races, and a British Championship on the Track. Not at his best, but determined to ride the World Championships, luck was once again not with him. In the Points Race, a rider riding high on the banking hit the barriers and slid down the track fetching half of the field off, including Allen, once again damaging his Collar Bone–it was the end of his World Championships for this year. And like Derrick Wooding his last event for 2014.